Spotlight: Belize 66 Motoryacht

Riviera has expanded its premium range of Belize boats with the addition of a new classically-styled 66 footer with 800-900hp Volvo Penta D13 engines with IPS 30 pod drives.

The retro-chic boat features some engineering firsts, flexible interior layouts, and an upscaled sunken entertaining area on the bow.

Building on the brand started by today’s Riviera CEO Wes Moxey and previous business partner Lee Dillon in 2011, the new Belize 66 has been designed with plenty of scope for owners to express their individuality.

At a presser at Riviera’s yard on the Gold Coast, Mr Moxey says Belize remains his baby.

The Belize 54 is a very sweet-running boat with a tank-tested hull form with keel. Similar hydrodynamics will be used on the new 66. Incidentally, the hull has been adapted for use on a number of Rivs.

In six year, 25 Belize 54s have been launched and are cruising waterways from the coral reefs of Queensland to the Great Lakes and New England regions of the US. Owners are supported by the Riviera worldwide dealership and services network.

Belize aims to build four to five of this new 66 footer a year at the Kha Shing yard in Taiwan, where the Belize boats were born in a collaboration. Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst says the shed will be run like one of his own.

The five-axis computer generated plans and engineering have been created locally for this global boat. The Belize 66 will have twin offset engines, spinning different length shafts, to facilitate a particularly big tender garage.

SEMI-CUSTOM CONCEPT
The Belize 66 boasts a new level of customisation and bespoke options to cater for world markets — sedan or daybridge, three or four cabins, a large aft utility room or optional crew quarters, and various helm configurations.

"We have been able to include more of everything a client could want in the 66 than any equivalent boat in the world," said Mr Moxey.

Mr Moxey and designer Stephen Ford worked for two years on concepts before extensive consultation with current Belize 54 owners.

"Many of the design elements in the new Belize 66 have been drawn from our owners who now want something larger and more comprehensive," he said.

The range of options begins with the single-level lifestyle sedan or the daybridge variant with classic bimini top or hardtop with a retractable awning sunroof.

Side bulwark doors, or transom gates from the teak-laid swim platform, grant access aboard. Three quarters of the platform is fully submersible to assist in tender launch and retrieval while a smaller section remains fixed. The garage under the cockpit will hold a 3.30m tender.

OUTDOOR LIVING
The teak-laid cockpit features a dinette and L-shape seating and a barbecue either across the transom, transverse and further inboard, or on the bridge.

A watertight hatch is hidden under the cockpit lounge for access to a full head-height engine room that can include crew quarters, storage for water toys, or even a walk-in wardrobe off the master stateroom.

Back up top, walk-around decks lead forward to a sundeck with large sunken U-shape lounge and a central dinette table that converts to a daybed.

Lounge backrests are stored in lockers on either side and an insulated cold locker for drinks is forward. The entire area can be sheltered from the sun by a fold-up canopy.

The daybridge has bimini or hardtop options, internal stairs from the saloon, a wide dashboard and sports wheel. Lounges abound, with a timber dinette and food preparation space with barbecue, sink and fridge.

A signature awning window leads from the cockpit to the aft galley with stone benchtops and European appliances. Free-standing furniture and bespoke fabrics and finishes allow for flexibility, while a pantograph door links back outdoors to the port walk-around deck to, among other things, assist docking.

HELM OPTIONS
In the daybridge model, the optional minimalist helm layout offers a single seat and room for a large L-shape lounge and coffee table alongside.

For sedan owners, and those boating in cool climates, a more expansive helm boasts a central leather helm chair facing a sports wheel and expansive dashboard with comprehensive navigation systems and controls.

In this lower helm set-up, guests are accommodated with a companion seat on the starboard side and a viewing lounge to port. Either way, a massive curved glass windscreen wraps around the helm for unfettered views.

ACCOMMODATION PLANS
The Belize 66 caters for family living, entertaining or comfortable couple cruising, with three or four cabins and the option of additional crew quarters with abundant storage and cedar-lined lockers.

The four-cabin configuration includes a guest stateroom forward with twin wardrobes and en-suite bathroom, bunk cabin to starboard, and twin cabin to port. The beds in this cabin can slide together to create a comfortable double bed.

The twin and bunk cabins share a bathroom and a stacked clothes washer and dryer are in a companionway cabinet forward of the bunk cabin.

The master stateroom amidships includes a bathroom on the starboard side and large twin wardrobes.

The three-cabin option provides what Belize calls the Grand Presidential suite amidships, with full-beam master stateroom and an en suite with twin vanities and bidet option, plus the walk-in wardrobe if you want it.

VOLVO POWER PLANTS
Power for the new Belize 66 comes from the proven Volvo Penta IPS 30 pod drive system, delivering 30-plus knots and class-leading fuel economy, says Belize. Features include Volvo Penta's Station Hold and joystick control for fingertip manoeuvrability.

The first Belize 66, a sedan model, is now in build for delivery to its American owner in mid-2018. Two more have already been ordered, including #3, which will be a hardtop daybridge model for an Australian client.

Mr Longhurst says the Belize remains a good fit with his boatbuilding business and the 66 meets the increasing demand for bigger boats. Riviera’s order books are out to 2018 and, with America on the rebound and Europe waking up, it can’t build its luxury cruisers quick enough.

Specifications: Belize 66
Length Overall: 20.7m
Beam: 5.5m
Draft: Approx. 1.5m
Power: Volvo Penta D13 800-900hp with IPS 30
Projected Speeds: 30-plus knots
Fuel: 4500lt
Water: 500lt(with standard desalination)
Holding Tank: 500lt
More at Belize Motoryachts.