Steve Lague•7 Nov 2014

REVIEW

de Antonio 23

Name: de Antonio 23
Brand: de Antonio

A stylish Spanish cafe racer for getting afloat and gadding about

Unlike the majority of similar-sized boats on our market, this 23 is not designed for fishing (though you could comfortably cast a line from it) — and there is no accommodation or galley. The D23 is all about entertaining and simply enjoying being on the water. The boat would also make an ideal tender for a superyacht and it comes in a variant with more seating for this very purpose. But as we drove it, the D23 was a designer dayboat for just gadding about and having fun.

OVERVIEW

- A funky dayboat for just enjoying the water

Available in a choice of 30 different colours and, with the same number of upholstery alternatives and myriad of options, the de Antonio 23 offers something unique in the Australian boutique-boat market — total personalisation.

Designed and constructed in Barcelona, Spain, the 7.0m dayboat is aimed at buyers who want something special, fresh and funky, and altogether different. But it is just the first exciting new offering the newly formed Boutique Boat Company plans to bring into the country.

Over the next six months, Boutique Boats, which will initially have offices in WA, Queensland and Sydney, will also add cutting-edge European brands like Wider and Schaaf to its collection.

The Boutique Boat Company told BoatPoint and boatsales that their idea was to provide a seamless transition from European sportscars to European waterborne conveyances. The de Antonio range spans four models from 23 to 43 feet.

Meantime, the entry-level de Antonio 23, with its simple, sleek and clean lines and concealed outboard motor, appeals as an open and spacious dayboat that will comfortably accommodate six people.

The designers, Stanislas (Stan) Chamielewski and Marc de Antonio, wanted to create something young, cool and different. But they also wanted to create a 7.0m boat with unparalleled interior space.

To this end, the almost vertical sides, narrow gunnels and covered outboard motor all contribute toward creating the maximum usable cockpit. They even created unique cushions that clip over the gunwale and can be used as a buffer so they did not break the clean lines with bollards.

And while their inspiration for the design came from Luca Bassani’s Wally Yachts — which are world renowned for their cutting-edge design — de Antonio wanted to provide a taste of the superyacht world at an affordable price.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

- Less thank $200K with some extra kit

The D23, which made its Australian debut at the 2014 Mandurah Boat Show in WA, attracted plenty of attention.

The first boat has been fitted with plenty of options including carbon-fibre hard top, teak deck, forward sun bed with a large storage locker underneath, and retractable table with hydraulic pedestal that drops down to create a daybed extending over the outboard.

The boat was also fitted with an electric anchor winch and powered by a maximum 200hp Evinrude ETEC outboard engine, lifting the starting price (with a 115hp) of $139,000 to $199,000.

The D23 comes standard with upholstered cushions, carbon-fibre flagpole, twin carbon bow mooring fairleads, windshield, bilge pump, retractable cleats and handholds. A less expensive stainless steel bimini top is also available.

The test boat was not fitted with any electronics or audio equipment, neither did it have transom doors, but these can all be added as options.

HULL AND LAYOUT

- The latest Euro design lines

The fibreglass hull has been designed to give a similar ride to a yacht, with a sharp, vertical entry. The planing hull has hard chines and, with tapered forward sections, it tends to ride on its relatively flat aft sections to reduce drag. The high bow helps shed spray, too.

There are numerous interior layout designs, ranging from a completely open boat to one that has two daybeds, a table and the carbon-fibre hard top to provide some shade.

With the forward locker and the storage area under the helm seat in the test boat there was a good amount of dry space for bags, towels and anything else you wanted to protect from the elements.

While the test boat had a small windshield, the next five de Antonios here will be fitted with a higher windscreen to provide the skipper with greater protection from spray and wind.

The designers have decided to increase the size of the fuel tank from 110 litres to 240 litres to give the boat a better range, to0.

ON THE WATER

- 20 knots cruise for 25 litres per hour

A perfect Perth spring day with just a gentle southwesterly breeze and flat seas greeted us and designer Stan Chamielewski, who was in Australia for the brand launch. He was finding it hard to wipe the smile off his face.

“This is the ideal weather for this boat,” Stan said. “We see the D23 as a boat people will use to cruise up the Swan River or around the canals in Mandurah on days just like this.”

But he also stressed that the boat had been designed to handle rough conditions and was very capable in blue water. While we did our best to try and simulate some bumpy conditions the best we could do was run over our own wake.

When we crossed the wash at speed we did cop some spray over the top but Stan assured me that adjusting the trim to lift the nose would make the boat dry.

The hull does cut through the water beautifully and when on the plane over a third of the hull sits out of the water, which pushes the spray back and away from the boat.

The downside to that is that when it hits a swell or small chop, especially at speed, it can be inclined to bounce. It becomes a decision of whether to trim the nose down to stop the bounce or lift it to reduce the amount of spray.

A loose bottle of water also highlighted the importance of ensuring all luggage is stowed properly with no transom doors.

With the Evinrude ETEC engine spinning at 3000rpm, the D23 sat comfortably on 20 knots and used 25.2-litres of fuel per hour. Pushing the throttle down to 4000rpm increased the speed by 8.5 knots, but it also doubled the fuel consumption.

Flat out, at 5300rpm or so, we were travelling at 38.5 knots and using 76.0-litres of fuel an hour, which would see the 110-litre fuel tank emptied in about 90 minutes. Not that you will drive at that speed for long, mind you.

VERDICT

- Euro-style sports dayboating arrives Down Under

The D23 is aimed at buyers who want something unique, new and fresh and based on the reaction it received at the Mandurah Boat Show it will certainly be a head-turner.

With only six being bought into the country initially, owners could consider themselves extremely unlucky to bump into another on the water.

The 7.0m hull is roomy and, depending on your layout selection, an ideal place for entertaining or just lazing about and enjoying being on the water.

It is also a boat where you may have to learn to tolerate getting a bit wet, especially if you intend to venture offshore. The lack of shade may also be an issue.

LIKES

<< Clean lines

<< Daring design

<< Interior space

<< Practicality of engine cover

<< Buffer cushions

NOT SO MUCH

<< Aesthetics of engine cover

<< No built-in esky

<< Lack of protection from the elements

specifications

Price as tested: $199,000 with upgraded Evinrude 200hp V6 ETEC and options as detailed above.

Priced from: $139,000 with 115hp outboard

Length overall: 7.0m

Waterline length: 6.2m

Overall beam: 2.50m

Depth 1.10m

Hull draft: 0.4m

Vertical clearance: 1.90m

Passengers: 8

Engine: Outboard 115-200hp max.

Fuel: 110l standard, 240l to come

Displacement: 1100kg

Supplied by:

The Boutique Boat Company

Phone 1300 777 879

sales@boutiqueboats.com.au

www.boutiqueboats.com.au

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Post by Princess Yachts Australia.

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