2019 Longreef 60 SX Flybridge review

Logically, it would seem only either a crazy, rich fool with money to burn, or a rabid egotist, would attempt to take on the established players in a multibillion-dollar industry, and you could certainly argue that Elon Musk – who did just that with Tesla and the world’s car-makers – is a little bit of both.

Perhaps inspired by his unlikely success, an Aussie-based but similarly South African-born boatie named Andy Young (with the help of business partner Mark Johnston) is attempting to take on the vast might of the luxury boat market in an attempt to beat the well-known players at their own game.

After setting up Longreef Yachts just two years ago, the company has managed to design and build exactly one boat – the Longreef 60 SX flybridge motor yacht we’ve been invited to test.

Our test boat is already sold, attracting a new owner while berthed at the 2019 Sydney International Boat Show (orders have come in for three more Longreef boats, a 50-footer and two whopping 90s, which are now being built).

Rather than rampant overconfidence or overflowing coffers, however, the decision to enter the high-stake high-priced market was made for a very simple reason.

Young was convinced he could do a better job of building luxury boats for Australian customers at more attractive prices.

“I guess you could say he’s attempting to become the Elon Musk of luxury boats, and if you think of the people you’re competing with – the well-established brands – to attempt this was a massive decision,” Longreef spokesman Tristian Vardy said.

“But I think they were absolutely confident that what they could develop would find that sweet spot.”

That confidence was based on invaluable experience – Young has run Boating Syndication Australia (which offers luxury boats to syndicates of people not quite willing to buy one for themselves) for more than a decade.

In that time he has bought, prepared and managed dozens of boats. More importantly, he was inundated with voluble and passionate feedback from hundreds of discerning customers.

“What It comes down to is the frustration Andy felt that a lot of the other boat brands don’t offer what he thought he could create,” Vardy said.

“You can have one boat that’s fantastic in almost every way, but there’s always something, a boat would be awesome except for those one or two things.

“And we’ve just had so much feedback, ‘why can’t the boat have this, why does it have to have that, why can’t the swim platform be bigger, why can’t it sleep more people’, you name it.

“So Andy just thought it made sense to create a boat that has everything that people kept asking for, and bring it in at a price point that is extremely attractive.”

The Longreef 60 SX is a big, impressive-looking and spacious luxury cruiser that feels ready to take on the world.

The Longreef 60 SX hull and topsides are laid up in China before they're shipped across to Australia for fit-out.

The boat features a solid fibreglass hull below the waterline, with foam-cored fibreglass sandwich above. The topdecks feature fibreglass reinforced with timber.

Our test boat features twin 550hp Cummins QSC 8.3 shaft-drive engines powering four-blade propellers. The combination is enough to produce a top speed of 21.6 knots, and a comfortable cruising speed of 16 knots.

The Longreef 60 SX includes front and rear bow thrusters to help with low-speed maneuvering.

So, what is the asking price for a boat that offers “functional glamour and grandeur” and “effortless luxury”? Try $2.5 million.

It’s still a lot of money, but there are similarly sized boats out there with a higher price tag that do not have the space to sleep 10 people.

As Longreef points out, having the space to accommodate eight in this length of waterline is usually impressive, but they wanted to respond to customers’ demands for even more overnight accommodation.

With his in-depth experience of boat motors, having used them all, Young chose to go with a pair of Cummins six-cylinder QSC8.3 turbo diesel engines rated to 550hp.

“We were after engines with super reliability and longevity, and we went with shaft drive, because they’re more stable, with lots of power and torque, which makes the driving experience smooth – over the years we’ve got to know which engines are built to last, and which ones too often need replacing,” Vardy explains.

You also get plenty of TV screens, a dishwasher, convection microwave oven, several fridges including specific wine fridges and a liquor cabinet, remote control fabric blinds, a barbecue with an icemaker underneath and two helm stations; one on the flybridge and one in the saloon.

Our favourite feature, however, is the Dockmate wireless remote, which allows you to drive the boat from anywhere onboard, or even from the dock, as Vardy explains.

“A lot of people worry about getting a boat this big because they don’t think they’ll be able to operate it on their own, but the remote control Dockmate makes this possible because you can leave the helm stations, walk around the boat, lift the anchor and you can literally drive into the dock, step off and then get the remote, climb onto the jetty and drive the boat from there, which allows you to tie the boat up, on your own,” he says.

“It makes a boat this size a one-man job, and removes the stress.” Easy parking for a 60-foot boat? Sign us up.

The first thing you notice as you step aboard the Longreef 60 is the huge teak-laid swim platform. It’s just over 2.5 metres in length, and 1.5 metres of that can be submerged to a depth of more than half a metre.

Longreef says swim platforms like these are much loved by BSA customers, but everyone wanted them to be bigger, so this is a whopper. It also provides plenty of space for storing a tender, leaving the front deck free for a pair of giant sunbeds with drink holders and adjustable backrests.

Crew cabin access is via a watertight door in the transom. It has two Pullman bunks, a clothes locker and even a TV. It’s cosy but you could ask friends to stay down there, and your kids would probably love it.

Stepping up off the platform through stainless-steel gates wearing the Longreef moniker, tinted glass bi-fold doors open to a vast saloon with a large galley to port, and a large timber dining table and couches. The table can be hydraulically lowered to become a coffee table as desired, a thoughtful touch.

The saloon, which opens up to a brightly lit space with a U-shaped lounge and a giant television that hides away in a hatch when not in use, has a solid oak plank floor, while the finishes are matt walnut.

The hard floor is another choice based on customer feedback. “A lot of boats have carpeted entertaining areas, but again in terms of longevity they become grotty, they’re nice at first you use it for six months and you have to replace it,” Vardy says.

Opposite the saloon’s comfortable lounge are a liquor cabinet and wine chiller tucked in behind the downstairs helm.

The helm has a large, leather-wrapped wheel, and also features – as does the helm station on the flybridge – a single touchscreen framed in old-school analogue dials.

Again, Longreef says its expensive and frustrating experience highlights touchscreens as an item that regularly needs replacing, and “analogue dials look cooler anyway”.

A central stairway from the saloon leads down to a lower lounge that seats six people. It can convert into a Pullman bunk suitable for two adults. Opposite is a smaller room with two single beds that slide together to create a double.

The forward VIP guest stateroom has enough space to walk around the double bed, a cedar-lined hanging wardrobe, a make-up table and a television.

Hull windows provide natural light while a round hatch in the headliner provides airflow.

Stepping aft you find the main, full-beam suite, which is vast and has a king-size bed, make-up table, a couch, a large LED TV, opening portholes and plenty of headroom.

A port side bathroom features a vanity with a glass basin and a teak-lined shower that cleverly includes a porthole.

The entire accommodation level is carpeted.

The flybridge is where you’ll really want to spend some time. Longreef recognises that skippers often feel isolated up there – they drive while everyone else parties downstairs – so this space offers plenty of seating with a giant dining table for 12 (again, it can be hydraulically lowered to become a footrest or sun lounge), and even a large day bed just next to the helm.

A bimini provides shade, and it really does feel like an ideal place to hang out, with the barbecue parked just behind the skipper’s seat.

The Longreef 60 SX does feel large and impressive on the water and it’s not as swift to change direction as, say, a Maritimo, but it is more of a cruiser than a sports boat.

Its top speed of around 20 knots, then, is unsurprising. Longreef believes this is more than enough pace.

“On a boat this size, it’s a nice comfortable cruising speed,” Vardy says. “You can over-spec the engines, add more power, make it faster, but why would you? You’re not buying a speed boat.

“This one has a tender that does 70kmh – if you want to go fast, go on that.”

Performance

*Both engines
Maximum cruising range based on 90% of 1600L fuel tank: 346nm @ 1800rpm

The experience on the water is far more about comfort than speed, and there’s plenty of that. The flybridge is the place to skipper from, with excellent visibility all round and a comfortable seat and footrest.

There’s certainly a sense of effortless luxury about the experience, with gradual rather than exciting acceleration.

The Longreef 60 SX is an excellent first effort from a new player in the luxury boat game, but one that brings with it plenty of experience and a customer-focused approach to getting every little thing right.

There are so many touches around the Longreef 60 SX that surprise, delight and impress. Those who like to pick up the pace might be disappointed by the fact that it can’t go faster, but that’s a small quibble.

You could also argue over whether $2.5 million is an affordable price point, but you’d need to do so with someone who has that sort of money.

The Longreef 60 SX doesn’t feel quite as luxuriously appointed as some other boats of similar size, but it makes up for it with boundless practicality.

It looks like a brand with a big future, and the goal of building boats for Australians, designed for Australian conditions sounds pretty good to us.

Specifications
Model: Longreef 60 SX
Length overall: 18.29m
Hull length: 17.49m
Beam: 4.80m
Draft: 0.90m
Dry weight: 32,000kg (est)
Engines: 2x 550hp Cummins QSC8.3
Genset: Onan 13.5kW
Fuel: 2000L, diesel
Water: 600L
Holding tank: 300L (grey)/400L (black)
Cabins: 3 and crew cabin
Accommodation: 8 and 2 crew

Priced from: $2,500,000 including Garmin GPSMaps touchscreen, VHF radio and satellite radio; Bose and Harmon Kardon entertainment systems; wine cooler; watermaker; hydraulic swim deck; Muir winch and anchoring system; bow and stern thrusters; twin 550hp Cummins QSC 8.3 engines

Price as tested: $2,600,000 including 4.8m AB Inflatables jet tender

Supplied by: Longreef Yachts