2018 Maritimo X60 review

Few luxury motor cruisers have generated the same level of excitement as the Australian born and bred Maritimo X60 sports cruiser.

Ever since its global debut at this year's Sanctuary Cove boat show, this stunning yacht has rightly earned media accolades for its clean, modern styling and spacious interior optimised for today's casual lifestyle.

What's really firing up the dockside gossip is the X60’s "Beach Club", a cabana-like area equipped with a stern-facing bar and galley that is level with the swim deck.

This is a fun approach that sets the Maritimo X60 apart from the formal interiors of previous-era luxury cruisers, with a layout that is stylish but casual, and perfect for summer boating. At the same time, the Maritimo X60 carries over the boat maker’s practical and safe recessed side decks.

The Maritimo X60 also has a hull well suited to tackling tough east Australian coastal waters.

It's no wonder, then, that the Maritimo X60 has snared a swag of orders even before doing the rounds of the top international boat shows. The sales numbers also hint at the strength of the luxury cruiser market, where wealthy buyers are queuing up to step onto a vessel of this size.

Maritimo knows it is onto something special, announcing at last month’s Sydney International Boat Show that more X Series models would follow. The first will be an X50, scheduled for the 2019 Sanctuary Cove Boat Show.

One driving force behind the sports cruiser trend is the single-level design that keeps the helm on the same level as the main living area. That’s why the Maritimo X60 has a spacious saloon/wheelhouse that keeps the skipper/driver connected with the boat’s main social focus point, and not isolated on the flybridge.

The Maritimo X60 enhances the single-level appeal with the option of two sunroofs that lighten the interior - one over the helm, and one over the galley. It also has large sliding saloon windows along each side for a delightful open-air effect.

Value for money is a cornerstone of Maritimo’s global success story. The base price of the Maritimo X60 kicks off from $2,232,000, commissioned and ready to go. This includes the Beach Club, three sleeping cabs and a base powerplant of twin Volvo D13 800 diesels, as well as electric bow and stern thrusters.

Maratimo’s X60 project was two years in the making. Spearheading it was Tom Barry-Cotter, the son of Maritimo founder and chief executive Bill Barry-Cotter. Tom led his design team to create a contemporary sports cruiser with a variable deep-vee hull featuring considerable deadrise and convex sections that help with ride and performance.

All the heavy weights such as fuel and the water tanks grouped centrally and low for a better performance at speed. The engines sit further forward than normal, which, combined the deep deadrise, means the twin shaft-drives come out at a very low angle, making for more efficient power delivery.

The Maritimo X60 runs twin five-blade Nibral propellers fine-tuned to ensure optimum performance. It results in what Tom calls a “neutral balance” and a very level trim angle. This has the added advantage of a better view from the helm, as the bow does not lift up.

I joined Tom for a test of the Maritimo X60 days after the yacht’s Sydney Boat Show debut. A strong southerly was kicking up nasty-looking waves at the Heads. However, this was going to be an opportunity to see how well this Australian craft would perform in true offshore conditions.

Tom demonstrated the Maritimo X60 was easy to manoeuvre out of its Spit berth at Middle Harbour via the Express Joystick System controller linked to the bow and stern thrusters. The Twin Disc EC300 system allowed Tom to precisely control the boat’s departure from the dock, either from the deck or via another joystick mounted in the cockpit.

The system even has a handy station-hold function that uses GPS data to automatically heave-to the Maritimo X60 despite the effects of windage and tide.

The Tasman looked to be in a nasty mood as we motored across the wind-copped Middle Harbour towards Sydney Heads where an ominous-looking sea was running. Our four-person crew, sitting back in comfort and taking in the dramatic view, was glad for the protection of the saloon’s big windows.

Even in these conditions, the Maritimo X60, fitted with optional Scania DI13 925 diesel engines, was holding about 22 knots while smashing through a 2-3 metre swell. We nudged outside the Heads, but only long enough to confirm the Maritimo X60 can handle true-blue offshore waters. Even crashing through big seas, the Maritimo X60 felt solid. A few weeks later this boat would cross the Tasman Sea to attend the Auckland Boat Show.

Heading back towards Manly, it was easy to push the Maritimo X60 to its maximum 33 knots, with the yacht running along nicely and feeling at home. Throwing it through a few turns reveals a nimble and responsive helm more in tune with a small sports cruiser. Precise response and an ability to quickly bank into turns also makes for easy – and fun – driving.

The high windows provide a panoramic view from the car-like helm station with its soft, padded vinyl finish and clean displays. The only interruptions are two small blind spots formed by the rear cabin quarters.

Cruising at 22kt, fuel use was an impressive 7.5L/nm, or 168L an hour, delivering a safe range of 501nm. Buttoning back to 8.8kt, fuel use drops to 1.4L/nm with a massive 2770nm safe range.

The Maritimo X60 is all about casual living. From a broad teak-clad swimming deck, you ascend to the main cockpit via a pair of port or starboard stairways.

Between the stairs is a large electrically operated 'garage door' that opens to reveal the Beach Club housing a hot shower within a small bathroom. It’s a place to relax and not worry about tracking sand and salt into the more stately interior. Here, you could set up deck chairs and idle the day away, even in winter.

The cockpit opens into another social space with a large padded lounge and a dining table that can expand to create an alfresco dining area. It also has a sink and barbecue.

Large sliding glass doors open into the spacious saloon with a galley central to either the cockpit or the saloon. A central island bench hides a dishwasher.

The Maritimo X60’s saloon has a comfortable lounge to starboard, and a huge dining/lounge area to port. The helm station is to starboard and has a pair of seats allowing the skipper and co-pilot to sit together.

A for'ard atrium stairway provides natural light below and access to the main sleeping areas. Fo’ard is a stateroom with offset queen bed and en-suite bathroom, and a bunk cabin for two adults (or children). Further back is a palatial stateroom that utilises the vessel’s full width. This has its own walk-in robe and clever bathroom with separate shower and toilet to either side of an open washbasin area.

The Beach Club can also serve as a third guest cabin. Alternatively, it can become a garage for a large outboard RIB. In both configurations, the bathroom small remains.

It's great to see the luxury sports cruiser re-imaged in such a clever way rather than following the Med tradition of lots of sunbeds – which doesn't really suit Australia’s fickle climate. The Maritimo X60 also provides a practical interior that “opens up” via sunroofs and massive side-opening windows to bring the outdoors inside. And yes, if the sun is out there are sunbeds on the foredeck, with adjustable backrests.

Also refreshing is a tasteful colour palette throughout the interior. The quality of fabrics, fittings and furniture is also top-notch throughout and a credit to Maritimo.

Engine options include twin Scania DI13 825 or 925 diesels; we tested the craft with the latter. However, those who yearn for the fast lane have the option of a Scania twin 1200hp DI16 V8s that lift performance to 40 knot-plus speeds. That said, our test package with a 34-knot top speed is what we believe is a practical solution for Aussie waters.

PERFORMANCE
8.8kn (16.3km/h) @ 650rpm
18.4kt (34.1km/h) @ 1500rpm
22.3kt  (41.3km/h) @1700rpm
30.0kt (55.6km/h) @ 2100rpm
33.3kt (61.7km/h) @ 2300rpm (WOT)

FUEL USE
12L/h @ 650rpm
130L/h @ 1500rpm
168L/h @ 1700rpm
272L/h @ 2100rpm
326L/h @ 2300rpm (WOT)

SPECIFICATIONS
Length overall: 19.4m
Waterline length: 15.1m
Beam: 5.2m
Draft: 1.5m
Displacement: 30,500kg (laden)
Fuel: 4200L
Water: 800L
Accommodation: 6-8 people
Standard power: 2x Volvo D13-800 turbo-diesel
Test power: 2x Scania D13 925
Max speed: 34kt
Cruise speed: 30kt
Base price: $2,232,000
Price as tested: $2,600,400 including 2 x Scania D13 925 diesels, Onan generator, full Raymarine navigation set, Garmin VHF, TwinDisc EJS EC300 Joystick controller with station hold, twin saloon sunroofs.
Supplied by: Maritimo Australia