Looking for a new launch for the lake or a gleaming ocean-going yacht that can cross the Atlantic at a cruise? The sheer number of boats on the market can make buying a craft overwhelming. Our tip is to pick a vessel that prioritises speed and manoeuvrability. With this in mind, here are nine of the best runabouts for a summer at sea.

1.
Pedrazzini Special
Switzerland
Augusto Pedrazzini built his first boat after moving from Como to Zürich in 1906. More than a century on, his family firm is still building vessels, headlined by the Pedrazzini Special. “This yacht is the result of the many years that we, as a family, spent on the water,” says fourth-generation co-owner Alessandro Pedrazzini. Inspired by classic mid-20th-century runabouts, it’s defined by elegant lines, a mahogany hull and polished chrome accents. Each launch is custom-built to specific desires.

2.
Candela C-8
Sweden
Swedish manufacturer Candela’s latest launch uses hydrofoil technology to provide an exceptionally clean cruising experience. An electric system lifts the boat’s hull out of the water, allowing it to glide effortlessly across the surface. This feature enables the C-8 to achieve impressive speeds with minimal consumption. “The boat uses 80 per cent less energy than conventional vessels,” says Candela’s head of product development, Niklas Nordén. “The electric engine is so quiet that you can have a normal conversation even at top speed.”

3.
Axopar 25
Finland
Since 2014, Helsinki-based Axopar has drawn from the Finnish passion for outdoor adventures to develop a range of well-designed and high-precision boats. Boasting great manoeuvrability, the brand’s popular Axopar 25 is just eight-metres long and ideal for cruising or practising water sports. Thanks to its deep V-hull, the vessel can ride through rough conditions with great stability. “The idea was to design a boat that is accessible to first-timers and makes the riding experience an easy one,” says co-designer Jarkko Jämsén. “It delivers Axopar-grade functionality and manoeuvrability in a compact size.”

4.
Eelex 8000
Sweden
Swedish entrepreneur Konrad Bergström doesn’t just want to build the world’s most sustainable boats – he’s intent on creating the most beautiful ones too. His brand X Shore has been decades in the making but only recently has technology made it possible for sales of his electric-powered vessels to take off. “Conventional boats need so much fuel because it takes a lot of energy to drive anything in water; they deal with a lot more friction than a car on the road,” he says, taking Monocle through the design of X Shore’s first vessel, the Eelex 8000. This small, handsome boat can skip across the water at more than 30 knots (about 56km/h) and can comfortably make a journey of some 100 nautical miles (185km) – almost the distance from Barcelona to Mallorca. 

Thanks to vast improvements in electric-vehicle manufacturing since Bergström trademarked his idea in 1996, the Eelex 8000 has become a viable contender in the leisure-boat market. Perfect for day trips, it is manufactured in Nyköping and has a compact electric motor that runs on two fast-charging, liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries. Though its point of difference is its sustainable attributes, its sleek design makes it a compelling offer for anyone. “I wanted the boat to have a silhouette that you could see from a kilometre away and still recognise as an X Shore,” says Bergström.

5.
Boesch 860 Monaco Deluxe
Switzerland
Swiss boat-maker Boesch has been a fixture on the banks of Lake Zürich for more than a century. Its workshop in Kilchberg looks out at the water and thrums with activity as workers sand, screw and scrub boats into shape. Fourth-generation owner Markus Boesch spends his days on site. “My great-grandfather trained as a boatbuilder in Zürich and in 1920 the Sprüngli family, which owned the chocolate factory next door, gave him a loan to take over this shipyard,” he says. “He used to build anything that clients asked for, including rowing boats and sailing boats. When my grandfather took over just before the Second World War, he began to build runabout-style boats with powerful petrol engines.” 

These have changed remarkably little in the years since. The company’s mahogany-hulled motorboats – such as the Boesch 860 Monaco Deluxe – are built by hand with such care that only 12 to 15 are produced each year. While all servicing and repairs take place at the lakeside site, for the past 50 years the boats have been built in a leafy valley a 20-minute drive from Kilchberg. When Boesch’s grandfather built the workshop, he based its design on the car factories that he visited in Detroit in the 1950s. “He went to the US to find engine suppliers and to study the automobile industry,” says Boesch. “He used the ideas he picked up there to become the first to employ serial production methods to build motorboats.”

6.
Swan Shadow
Finland
Finnish boat-maker Nautor’s Swan is renowned for its cruising and racing yachts. This recent launch is its first powerboat. The 13.2 metre-long Swan Shadow can be used as a tender or a weekend runabout, making it ideal for day trips and overnight stays in ports. “For many years we’ve been thinking about launching a powerboat,” says Nautor’s Swan’s owner, Leonardo Ferragamo, son of Salvatore Ferragamo. “But we resisted this temptation until we had something really unique to present.”

7.
V10 Pic Nic
France
Beacher’s boats are well suited for a Med summer. Take the V10 Pic Nic, which, as the name suggests, is perfect for a day of eating and drinking on the water. Its deck plan ensures easy access from its sundeck to its in-built 10-seater dining table. “There’s freedom of movement, offering everyone on board the chance to find their perfect place,” says Beacher’s president, Éric Delas.

8.
Poldo ’23
Italy
Third-generation boat-maker Giovanni Colombo keeps alive a tradition established by his grandfather, Leopoldo, who founded his namesake company in 1943. With a boatyard on the shores of Lake Como, Colombo Leopoldo produces wooden vessels that are ideal for nipping around an Alpine lake or using as a head-turning tender. Our pick is the Poldo ’23, first launched in 2017 to celebrate Leopoldo’s 100th birthday. With room for eight passengers, it features a mahogany hull and sides, while its screwless construction ensures a smooth exterior finish.

9.
Y8
Germany
This 80-foot (24-metre) sailboat, constructed at Y Yachts’s manufacturing facilities on the Baltic Sea, boasts an entirely carbon fibre hull. It’s lightweight construction lessens the reliance on engines and allows easy sailing, even in the light wind conditions typical of the Mediterranean. The yacht is more than capable of an Atlantic crossing and will be used to race in regattas around the globe. “On the deck, it’s all about racing: you lift off the sunroof above the outdoor banquette, pull up the windshield and unfurl the sails, and suddenly you have this machine built for speed,” says Danish architect David Thulstrup, who collaborated with Y Yacht on the boat’s lower deck, bringing a mix of materials to the project. 

Matt-finishes typically associated with domestic environments complete the space, with cedar-veneer on the floor and walls, and solid mahogany on the steps and handrails. “We wanted to create a sense of relief for your eyes below deck. When you’re sailing across the Atlantic for three weeks, it’s extremely important that you have a space that helps you feel grounded and calm,” says Thulstrup.

The project wasn’t just about translating Thulstrup’s residential design language into a new environment – the fit-out needed to be engineered for travelling at speed too. “It means that we were always looking for a balance between material weight, strength and beautiful design,” says Francesca Modica, leader of Y Yacht’s in-house design team. “There’s a different relationship with time on a yacht,” adds Thulstrup. “It’s all about waiting – waiting for the right weather, for food and supplies. It’s very much about coming down in tempo as a human, and even though the Y8 is a racing boat designed to go quickly, you need to have a calm space to balance that out.”

The post Nine boats to buoy your summer months as temperatures hit the high Cs appeared first on Monocle.

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