sunseeker yacht reviews

Are Sunseeker Boats Any Good?

Sunseeker has been building boats since 1969 and is one of the largest motor yacht builders in the world. With approximately 150 boats produced each year and their range exceeding 20 models to choose from, it's safe to say that the Sunseeker brand will continue its pursuit for quite some time. With thousands of monthly searches for Sunseeker Yachts on Google, one question that continues to arise from boat buyers is "Are Sunseeker Boats any good?"

This is a very subjective question as Sunseeker builds a particular style of yacht for a particular style of boating, one that may not appeal to someone that loves sportfishing boats or center-consoles. By looking at both industry awards and a good volume of boats sold, we can assume the answer. Sunseeker Yachts are widely considered a good boat builder as they are often recognized through marine industry awards, like the World Yacht Trophies, but there have also been more than 450 used Sunseekers sold since the beginning of 2021. 

"Builders like Sunseeker, Princess, Fairline, Azimut, and others are all pretty similar in their styles with some of the shipyards investing in new technology that may give them slight advantages," said Jay Hendrix, Vice President of SI Yachts. "We are proud to represent Princess Yachts and Absolute Yachts as dealers, which are competitors to Sunseeker, but we have also sold a fair amount of all of these brands on the brokerage market. If you have a Sunseeker you want to sell, call us and we'll put together a full marketing plan just for your boat. We can also help you with learning more about Princess, Absolute, and other luxury motor yacht builders.

Seen below: 'AQUAHOLIC' does a walk-through video of the Sunseeker Manhattan 55

What Kind Of Awards Has Sunseeker Won?

The Sunseeker designers and engineers are not strangers to the major marine industry awards that are given out annually. The Motor Boat Awards are arguably one of the top ceremonies for yacht builders on the international stage. The 2022 awards which were held in January included multiple Sunseeker models in the running for various categories. The Sunseeker 65 Sport Yacht was the winner in the 'Sports Cruisers Over 45-Foot Category'.

"The Sunseeker 65 Sport Yacht lives up to its name with the kind of nimble handling and near 35 knot performance that belies its size and simply wouldn’t be possible on a full-blown flybridge," the judges said. Add in the exhilarating experience of driving the boat from the Skyhelm station on the flybridge and you have one extremely fun boat ride. Additionally the Manhattan 55 was nominated for 'Best Flybridge Up To 60-Feet' and the Manhattan 68 was nominated for 'Best Flybridge Over 60-Feet.

The World Yacht Trophies are another highly-regarded awards ceremony where Sunseeker did tremendously well in 2021. Three models took home awards in major categories, a testament to the popularity of the British shipyard. The 65 Sport once again won an award, this time for Best Exterior Design in its category. The 88 Motor Yacht won for Best Exterior Design in its category as well, while the 90 Ocean won for Best Layout.

What Are The Most Popular Sunseeker Models

Again, this is a very subjective thing to say that any one model is more popular than another, especially when there can be many differences between ranges like the Manhattan, Portofino, Superhawk, Predator, and others. There are also going to be much fewer boats sold in the 90-foot and up range as there is less of a market at that price. 

The Manhattan model range was quite popular and the sold data supports this. From the beginning of 2021, there have been 83 used Sunseekers sold in the United States and recorded in the MLS. Nearly half of those boats sold were from the Manhattan model line, with the Manhattan 52, Manhattan 55, and Mahattan 66 being the most popular. During this same timeframe, there were 3 Sunseeker boats sold over 100-feet, two of which were based in Miami.

Comparing Sunseeker sold numbers to other competitive brands is worthy of discussion, but other factors like production schedules, sourcing equipment, owners keeping their boats longer, and a variety of economic situations can "muddy the waters" when trying to determine popularity. Looking solely at the American market, Sunseeker came in behind Azimut in total number of pre-owned vessels sold, but did exceed the numbers for Princess, Fairline, Ferretti, and Galeon.

As a leader in the yacht brokerage industry and as one of the most successful new boat dealers in the Northeast, the team at SI Yachts is uniquely experienced to help you take your boating interests to the next level. If you are looking to sell your current Sunseeker or other boat, we can execute a personalized advertising plan, as well as utilize our vast Hubspot CRM database, to help you find a buyer quickly. If you're looking to purchase a yacht, we have access to boats on and off the market that may fit your budget and requirements. Contact us today at 1-718-984-7676, or by email at [email protected], to get started with one of our yacht sales professionals.

Other Sunseeker Related Articles Of Interest :

• How Much Does A Sunseeker 65 Yacht Cost?

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This New 120-Foot Superyacht Has a Giant 6-Seat Jacuzzi Right on the Bow

The foredeck also sports a four-person sun pad and a c-shaped lounge with twin tables., rachel cormack.

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Gone are the days of figureheads on ships. Sunseeker has created a decidedly splashy status symbol for the front of its newest superyacht .

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At the opposite end, the stern is equipped with a hydraulic swim platform and a fixed sun lounger that is integrated into the garage door. (The garage can accommodate a 20-foot tender and two Jet Skis.) Up the stairs and through the glazed safety gates lies the aft cockpit, or what Sunseeker describes as a “penthouse terrace.” The alfresco space sports a sizable bar and plenty of comfy seating.

The light and airy living quarters were brought to life by Design Unlimited. Rich stone finishes create a sumptuous feel, while reflective surfaces and statement lighting add brightness onboard. Spanning 1,300 square feet, the open-plan main deck gives seafarers uninterrupted views from the dining area to the salon. The generous galley is located on the port side and allows the crew to easily service all areas.

Further forward on the starboard side sits the owner’s suite. Furnished to the highest standards, the stateroom is adorned with an upholstered bed, chaise lounge, mirror TV, marble bulkheads, and floor-to-ceiling windows. It leads to a dressing room with a vanity desk and a marble-clad en suite with dual basin and a walk-in rain shower. In addition, two spacious double staterooms and two twins on the lower deck can sleep 10 guests, while three cabins at the bow can accommodate five crew.

Who needs a figurehead?

Click here to see all the photos of the Sunseeker 120.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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Sunseeker Predator 65 Reviewed

• By Phil Draper
• December 23, 2022

The Sunseeker Predator 65 is a 35-knot bundle of fun.

Based on the same hull as its sistership, the 65 Sport Yacht , the Predator 65 has an even purer profile. It eliminates features such as the 65 Sport Yacht’s upper deck, extra stairs, and sports-fly setup with a low-slung driving position, and instead offers a sliding carbon-fiber-and-glass sunroof—which means a proper open-yacht vibe on the main deck. There’s also a foredeck terrace and various cockpit furniture choices, along with a swim platform that can combine with the garage to create a beach club. Suffice it to say, during the day, the outdoors is awesome.

The standard cockpit setup includes a conventional transom sofa and a pair of bar stools to port. The stools help transform the aft-galley countertop into a bar, thanks to a drop-down electric window. Alternatively, an L-shaped sofa and bigger table to port can make the cockpit an even comfier alfresco hangout.

In addition to the galley aft, the salon has an amidships lounge and a two-seat helm offset to starboard. Amidships, flanked by full-height picture windows, the standard lounge area combines a booth sofa and an extendable table to port, and a two-seat sofa to starboard. An alternative layout loses the galley up so the lounge sofas to port can stretch all the way to the deck doors aft.

Sunseeker’s interiors have the sort of refinement found in high-quality cars, and that’s rare aboard boats. Take the bridge area, which is beautifully detailed and ergonomically clever. All the usual information is neatly presented on two Garmin touchscreen multifunction displays configured with Volvo Penta’s Glass Cockpit software, but I couldn’t take my eyes off a pair of small, round digital displays beneath them, providing essential driver information. Skippers choose what these round displays show by twisting a knob; speed, fuel state and rudder angle are what I wanted to see.

Belowdecks, the accommodations include a standard three or optional four staterooms, plus a day head. The owners’ space is amidships aft, with a forward-facing king berth, a vanity to starboard, a chaise lounge or breakfast booth for two to port, and a shower room to starboard. The VIP stateroom is in the bow, and a twin-berth en suite guest stateroom is to starboard.

There are four options for the amidships area to port, which is effectively the area outside the owners’ stateroom door. A utility area is standard. The Predator 65 that I got aboard, which was headed for the US East Coast, had this layout, with plenty of linen stowage and space for the washer-dryer. Another option is for this space to become a galley down or a section of an enlarged owners’ stateroom with a study. Or it can be turned into a mini salon or fourth stateroom, albeit with room for just a single bunk.

For power, owners can choose from twin 900 hp Volvo Penta D13-IPS1200s or 1,000 hp D13-IPS1350s. All 65 Sport Yacht and Predator 65 orders to date have included the larger powerplants.

Sunseeker’s Predator boats have enviable handling reputations, and this one doesn’t disappoint. There was a serious breeze for our English Channel jaunt on board, which meant we had to pick our moments for pushing the throttles to their stops. Flat out at just over 2,400 rpm, the Predator 65 hit about 35 knots every time. This was running the yacht at around half-load and with an empty garage.

The eco-cruise range, in theory, could be as high as 1,100 nautical miles at 7.5 knots or 580 nautical miles at 10 knots. But given the need for speed of most Predator 65 buyers, 325 nautical miles at 23 knots is the more interesting calculation.

Personally, I prefer the Predator 65 to the 65 Sport Yacht. As good as the SkyHelm is on the 65 Sport Yacht—and it is very good—I never spend much time in the upstairs driver’s seat. Whereas, with a Predator 65, the roof would only ever close with the setting of the sun. 

Space to Spare

The Predator 65’s tender garage is supposedly 1.5 times wider than the Predator 74’s. It can house a 12-foot jet tender as well as several smaller toys. Fully decked out, it can help transform the stern into a beach club.

Inside Matters

Various light-dark schemes are available for the Predator 65. The boat I got aboard had the most popular combination: a dark, satin-sheen smoked eucalyptus with silver-oak soles. Other veneer choices include earth-gray oak, American black walnut and wenge, all in satin or high-gloss finishes.

Class Glass

The Predator 65’s double-curved, laminated windscreen is reportedly one of the biggest single panes of glass ever installed aboard a Sunseeker model.

Take the next step: sunseeker.com

• More: Motoryachts , October 2022 , Reviewed , Sunseeker , Sunseeker Yachts , Yacht Reviews , Yachts
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105 Sunseeker Motoryacht [Boat Review + Video]

Take an extensive tour of the 105 sunseeker motoryacht [delfino] in fort lauderdale, florida with paul denton..

This article is a transcription of the 105 Sunseeker video from Denison’s YouTube Channel . Tune in daily to discover the latest yacht video walkthroughs from the world’s largest yacht video collection. Watch the full video below:

Hey guys, my name’s Paul Denton with Denison Yachting. Today, I wanna welcome you a board, a 105, 2006 Sunseeker located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This is one of 13 that Sunseeker built delivered in 2006 from the United Kingdom.

Three features I’d like to point out on this boat is the hydraulic swim platform with a massive toy garage. So you can go out on the anchor, enjoy the time with the family. Also a massive fly bridge with a jacuzzi on deck. And lastly, the full beam master allowing you to have a floating condo anywhere you desire in the world.

Step in the interior on the main deck, you can appreciate the 20 feet, eight-inch beam giving the salon and dinette plenty of entertainment space. Up to the port aft quarter is a full bar equipped with ice maker, sink and plenty of storage. Separating the dinette from the salon is a television that electronically elevates and drops to be hidden out of sight. Continuing forward, we have the pilot house and main helm. We have full displays for all your radar, chart plotting needs, bow and stern thruster, electronic controls for the MTU motors, Furuno radars, a dual VHS.

Also when the pilot house is a nice seating area to sit next to the captain while you’re underway for long journeys. Continuing forward, before we get into the VIP, a very spacious day head off to the starboard and continuing into the VIP state room, which feels like a master because of its full beam 180-degree visibility with an on suite, head and shower. Leaving the VIP directly next door is the galley. First thing we see is the coffee station equipped with the Whirlpool microwave, four sub-Zero full out fridge or freezers. Bending around to the starboard side, we have a five burner stove top, dual convection ovens, dishwasher, sink, and full fridge and freezer.

If you continue all the way forward, you’ll run into the crew area. Today, they’re on board so we’re gonna respect their privacy. Next, we’re gonna step down into the guest quarters. Stepping below, we have three state rooms. We will start off in the port side bunk room equipped with three twins and on suite, head and shower, and a nice vanity.

Stepping into the starboard cabin, it mirrors the port with three single bursts, a Samsung television, a vanity, and an on suite head and shower. Walking aft and stepping into the master state room, this is a full beam master suite of the king size bed, a Samsung television, a nice vanity, walk-in closet, also equipped with an on suite dual vanity, head, and step in shower.

Onto my favorite spot of the boat, the fly bridge. Immediately to port side is a second helm station with dual garment plotters and autopilot, bow, and stern thruster controls and MTU electronic controls. Just aft the helm station is a full service bar with a mini fridge ice maker and barbecue. Off to the starboard is a great entertainment space with plenty of seating. Continuing aft is a rounded seating area that backs up to the jacuzzi, which I mentioned earlier. All the way afts on the fly bridge to the port side is a great sun pad to enjoy the outside elements or socialize with any guest in the jacuzzi. Continuing aft, you’ll find a set of stairs leading down to the main aft deck.

Here at the aft deck, first thing you see is a nice, large rounded seating area with a teak varnish tabletop accompanied by two collapsible chairs for additional seating. Forward in port, you will find a dual fridge and freezer combo that allow you access to cold beverages while enjoying the scenery. Moving forward, you’ll find a full walk around on port or starboard side, which both give you access to the bow.

Here at the bow, you’ll find a great sun pad forward facing seating and dual anchor windlasses along with a spotlight and fog bell. Moving all the way aft, we find ourselves on the hydraulic swim platform. It’s here where you can access the tender garage, which is great for deploying all your toys while out on the anchor.

On behalf of Denison Yachting and myself, Paul Denton. I wanna thank you for joining us on today’s walkthrough. If you have any additional questions or would like to get on board, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Inquire About the 105 Sunseeker Motoryacht:

Paul denton.

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Sunseeker gives financial update at Cannes Yachting Festival 2024

British yacht manufacturer Sunseeker is poised to record revenues this year, the yard announced during a press conference at Cannes Yachting Festival. In 2024, the yard is projected to reach an estimated £342 million in revenue, up six per cent from £326 million generated in 2023. 

According to Sunseeker CEO Andrea Frabetti, it will be the highest earnings figure in the company's history, marking a significant shift from the yard's downturn in 2020 caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Our strategy has been to grow the number of products in our range from 11 in 2019 to 21 [currently], covering all different sizes and niches in the market," Frabetti said on lifting the yard out of its recent period of difficulty. He also outlined plans to raise the number of products in Sunseeker's portfolio to 23 in the short-term, with a focus on developing the yard's top-end superyacht offerings following the positive reception of new models such as the Ocean 156.  

The yard also reported on its efforts to increase product margins through vertical integration and enhanced production efficiency, which chief financial officer Dean Lawler said has been critical in bolstering Sunseeker's profitability. "We've made substantial changes and investments in boat profitability, and for us to go from margins of 4.3 per cent in 2021 to eight per cent in 2023 has been an incredible performance," he said. 

The increased margins have helped Sunseeker increase its EBITDA by more than 60 per cent in 2023, reaching £20 million from £12.1 million in 2022, which it is using to keep up momentum into 2024.

The first seven months of the year have seen Sunseeker generate £175 million in revenue, up from £167 million at this same point in 2023. The result has driven the yard's current order to book to a value of £546 million (€644 million), supported by a network of 75 dealer locations in 66 countries.

"This is a place we haven't been for some time, coming out of [the pandemic years]," said Lawler. "We've got the right products, the right dealers and the right markets to deliver that level of profitability, which has given us a great sense of optimism for the future of Sunseeker."

Looking ahead, Lawler anticipates another £30 million in investment over the next three years, continuing the yard's £40 million investment plan that was announced at the previous year's Cannes Yachting Festival.

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Sunseeker 95 Yacht review: Stacking the decks – from the archive

The Sunseeker 95 Yacht only boasts an extra half deck over its 28m sister ship, but the effect is astonishing.

Sunseeker is refreshingly frank about the origins of its latest launch. The Sunseeker 95 Yacht is built on the same hull design and engineering package as the 28m, which wowed the crowds at the London Boat Show a couple of years ago.

“We always try to get two boats out of a platform – it was always the plan to develop the Sunseeker 95 from the 28,” explains the Poole boatbuilder’s co-founder John Braithwaite.

“The main requirement is to ensure that there is a difference between them, and from other models in the range – you don’t want to be stealing market share from yourself.”

The differences between the two vessels are instructive. While the 28m is essentially a big flybridge cruiser, the logical endpoint to a range of products that starts at 52ft, the Sunseeker 95 Yacht would appear to represent the beginning of something.

With its raised pilothouse design, it not only looks considerably more substantial – although according to Sunseeker, it’s only about a foot (30cm) taller than the 28m – it also offers a level of interior volume that its sister yacht cannot even aspire to.

The shipyard might regard it as a development of the earlier model, but when you’re aboard the Sunseeker 95, it feels like a completely different boat.

The dining table amidships looks out over the folding balcony.

It’s all about the main deck, and that long continuous sweep from stem to stern made possible by lifting the wheelhouse out of the way.

A substantial and well-proportioned saloon communicates equably with the formal dining table amidships and a generous cockpit, shaded by that long overhang.

The optional fold-out balcony on the starboard side provides splendid views for your dinner guests while over to port, a large professional galley is just the other side of a discreet sliding door.

The commercial spec galley is kept separate for professional crew.

The changes to the saloon layout are little more than tweaks, but already the Sunseeker 95 seems like a much bigger boat than the 28m.

When you’ve admired the view from the balcony, take a stroll along the starboard corridor, past the steps that lead up to the wheelhouse and the neat day head, and into the owner’s cabin.

For once, the word ‘suite’ doesn’t do it justice, and even the hyperbolic ‘stateroom’ so beloved of advertising copywriters needs to look to its laurels.

Tall windows and cutaway bulwarks allow wonderful views out from the saloon.

This is a truly impressive living space, worthy of the swishest inner-city loft apartment. It’s not particularly spacious, but that’s what makes it such a successful piece of design.

The bow is noticeably narrowing as it nears the stem, but by organising the space on both decks, tucking the shower and head under the sleeping cabin, and linking the two levels with an expansive mirrored landing and two curved companionways, the effect is not only spectacular but also totally unexpected – as if you’ve somehow strayed on board a 40m.

The two levels are linked by an expansive mirrored landing and two curved companionways.

The idea of split-level owner’s accommodation in the bows is not new – Taiwan-built yachts from the likes of Drettmann and Johnson have been using it for some years in yachts of this size – but by creating a genuine two-storey apartment in the bows, Sunseeker has taken the concept to its logical conclusion and moved the game on.

As, indeed, all shipyards have to do these days.

While demand remains strong in the mini superyacht sector exemplified by this new Sunseeker 95 Yacht, it is increasingly to be found in non-traditional markets, where owners didn’t grow up sailing Mirror dinghies and basing their ideals of interior comfort on slightly mildewed memories of Dad’s Moonraker.

“The new yacht owners aren’t boating people,” explains John Braithwaite.

The shipyard might regard this as a development of the 28m model, but when you’re aboard the 95, it feels like a completely different boat.

“Their yardstick of luxury is hotels and holiday apartments. They start boating by chartering a yacht, and base all their expectations on that unreality!”

Other shipyards have already made their mark, with notably strong offerings in the last two or three years from both Ferretti Yachts and Azimut in Italy, while more recently, and closer to home, there is Princess’s slightly larger but still keenly priced 30M.

“We’re aiming for the Ferretti 960 and the Azimut 95 – mainly the Azimut 95,” John Braithwaite confirms.

The VIP amidships is as large and luxurious as many rivals’ master suites.

Aft of the owner’s suite, the lower-deck layout aboard the Sunseeker 95 Yacht closely follows that of the 28m, with a huge full-beam VIP and a pair of ensuites amidships whose sliding beds allow them to be configured as doubles or twins.

The crew quarters, too, are little changed: a pair of twin-bunk cabins in the stern, a small mess area and a single head, while the flybridge will also seem familiar to anyone who knows the 28m.

Best of all, the Sunseeker 95’s engineroom can boast the same generous footprint of its sister yacht’s, offering excellent headroom and easy access to most areas.

The Sunseeker 95’s bathrooms are beautifully finished throughout.

Rather like the owner’s suite, it appears to have been borrowed from a bigger yacht, even with three 20kW generators installed.

While the optional Caterpillar diesels will appeal to owners in many international markets, our test Sunseeker 95, the first out of the shed, was fitted with the 1,947hp MTU V12s.

On a calm day outside Sunseeker’s home port of Poole, we clocked a two-way maximum of exactly 26 knots, as the big yacht revealed itself to be sure-footed and positive on the helm, and even with a two-thirds load of fuel and water adding eight or nine tonnes to the bottom line, livelier and less ponderous than you might expect.

The Sunseeker 95 settles into a comfortable cruising lope at about 20 knots.

With all of the engines’ numerous turbochargers fully engaged at 2,100rpm, the Sunseeker 95 settles into a comfortable cruising lope at about 20 knots, which equates to a safe cruising range, with a generous reserve, of more than 350 miles.

Noise levels in the wheelhouse at that speed were excellent at 62dB(A), and not a lot more at 64dB(A) in the VIP suite, down on the waterline.

With its rivals in this competitive sector already well established, it might seem that Sunseeker has come late to the game with its new Sunseeker 95 Yacht.

The saloon opens out onto a large, sheltered cockpit with its own informal dining table.

Had the Poole shipyard opted to concentrate first on the mini superyacht rather than the big flybridge concept exemplified by its 28m sister, it could be argued that it would have met the Azimut 95 head to head, pipped Princess’s 30M to the post by two years and even given the Ferretti 960 a run for its money.

But quite apart from delaying the undoubted success of the 28m, to have brought out the Sunseeker 95 first would have meant foregoing the benefits, in design and engineering experience, that invariably accrue to the second model in a series.

And those benefits are considerable. In performance terms, the new yacht was always going to be a known quantity – in our trial it matched its predicted top speed to the decimal point – which meant that the shipyard’s design teams were able to focus on creating something new and special.

The stunning duplex master cabin is a key improvement over the 28m.

Something that sets the Sunseeker 95 apart from the aforementioned established rivals and gives those non-traditional buyers a reason to opt for the Sunseeeker over anything else.

The result of all their efforts is a craft that doesn’t just exceed expectations in terms of its interior volume (impressive as it is) but also with the jaw-dropping effect of that magnificent duplex master suite.

Far from coming late to the game, Sunseeker’s 95 Yacht does in fact move the game on.

First published in the October 2016 issue of MBY.

Price from: £5,900,000 ex VAT Price as tested: £6,469,473 Length overall: 92ft 1in (28.06m) Beam: 21ft 6in (6.55m) Draught: 4ft 4in (1.33m) Fuel capacity: 2,640 gal (12,000 litres) Water capacity: 385 gal (1,750 litres) Displacement: 84.7 tonnes half load Test engines: 2 x 1,947-hp MTU 12V 2000 M96L Optional engines: 2 x 1,925-hp Caterpillar C32 ACERT Top speed on test: 26.0 knots Cruising speed: 20-22 knots Designer: Sunseekerƒgalley Contact: Sunseeker London Tel.: (+44) 02073 550980

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