Horizon E75: Luxury Boat Review

They say travel broadens the mind. In a boat, around the Australian coastline, it also leads to great clarity about what works and what doesn’t. The new Horizon E75 is a product of considerable experience, cruising tropical Queensland in production boats, with input from the owner and a professional skipper. The result is a clever luxury liveaboard that does everything better.

OVERVIEW
- The culmination of considerable on-water cruising experience
The new Horizon E75 somehow bridges the gap between manageable motoryacht and superlative superyacht. With hydraulic thrusters and a Yacht Controller, it’s an easy boat to dock for an owner/driver. Yet there are stunning crew quarters in case you want someone else to do the tedious deliveries between ports of call. Come Christmas time, the kids will bump the crew into the flybridge bed and have the run of these tremendous quarters.

The product of considerable boating experience, the E75 is an evolution of the E73 that has been going strong since 2006. There are some 10 of these boats plying the Aussie coastline, says Horizon Motor Yachts Australia (HMYA) owner, Gary Wahlstedt. He was one of them, a previous owner of an E73, and his South Australian boating family spent a lot of time aboard that boat in the Whitsundays.

These travels spawned new ideas to which professional skipper Mark Western added his perspective. Between experienced owner and driver, the first E75 in the world arrived with a splash at the 2016 Sydney International Boat Show. After Captain Western cruised the boat to Queensland, we managed to hook a ride with Gary Wahlstedt on the Gold Coast.

Designed for the Australian way of luxury cruising, utilising the proven Horizon hull and engineering, the new E75 is a thinking-man's motoryacht. Compared to the E73, it has smaller engines, but greater efficiency, reduced cost and improved utility for long-range and liveaboard cruising. Here is a clear case of less being more, although with the experience and design input it's really a case of being smarter.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- A loaded boat with improved efficiency from C18s
The E73 has 1600hp Caterpillar C32 ACERT engines. This was the first major change for the E75 — down to the 1150hp C18 ACERTs — but the smaller engines give a top speed on the E75 that's just three knots shy of the E73.

On the upside, their reduced capacity leads to greater cruising range, boosted further by the 7200lt fuel supply over the standard 6500lt, plus a more spacious engine room, not to mention lower initial capital outlay.

Of course, every Horizon motoryacht is a semi-custom boat. Given the extensive inventory, our test boat was well priced for $5.7m for a luxury home that sleeps 10 on the waterfront and wherever that may be.

The latest Horizon has a lightweight carbon-fibre flybridge and spa bar, the biggest 9.0x ABT Trac 300 stabiliser fins available for this size boat, and back-up systems.

Redundancy extends from twin 22.5kW generators through to the dual Racor fuel filtration system, the PTOs on the engines for the thrusters, stabilisers, windlass and 450kg swim-lift platform, to dual steering pumps.

The aft docking station and Yacht Controller remote help berthing, while other good gear includes a separate crane on the flybridge, air compressor, deck surveillance cameras, and tropical strength chilled-water air conditioning throughout.

Finishes ran across marble, granite, leather and beautifully crafted contrasting joinery, but each Horizon interior is fully customisable and that is a big attraction of the brand.

While the galley had a full appliance package, the Aussie-sized entertainer’s barbecue on the bridge, the high capacity upper and lower ice makers, and the boosted refrigeration make more of a statement.

Electronics run from the latest Raymarine navigation suite to Bose and more TVs than a Harvey Norman store.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION
- Abundant deck zones, aft galley, vast interior, extended bridge and crew quarters
Externally, the boat flaunts a purposeful look with a longer cockpit space
than the E73. This is a big win for owners who typically spend 80
per cent of their time in the 'backyard'.

The teak-topped cockpit runs 4.35m from saloon door to transom lounge that's part of the alfresco dining area. There’s a deep moulded fridge/freezer centre nearby, while the large hydraulic swim platform adds to the waterfront real estate. With a watertight door into the crew quarters and storage area, launching diving, paddling, fishing and jet skiing escapades will be a snap.

Walkaround decks with ship-like bulwarks and abundant rails trace the E75, creating a safe boat for families, and lead to a new five-star foredeck lounge. You get plush U-shaped seating, a solid table, separate sound system, pop-up mood lighting, and a sunpad. It's the perfect spot for doing sundowners, champagne cruising, whale watching and for appeasing families who covet private space aboard. Storage for the cushions is built in.

The vast decks then range up to the extended flying bridge via external and internal stairs. Here is your next entertaining option. Move the party upstairs. Fashioned from carbon fibre to reduce weight, and with the biggest possible zero-speed ABT Trac digital stabilisers, the upper deck becomes is exceptional with amenities that go to the next level.

The centre piece is the spa/bar, a first for this model, and perfect for escaping crocs, box jellyfish and sharks. There’s also an indoor/outdoor day head with rain shower, jumbo Southern Stainless BBQ plate for the coral trout and crayfish, double bar fridge, 30kg-per-day ice machine, and two large party bins.

Coming from the E73 (which I did for comparison purposes), you soon realise just what a profound effect the new aft galley has on the boat's saloon. Without the galley 'partitioned' forward, the saloon flows from rear doors to the small dining area under the windscreen. The E75 has been opened up, the views are a bigger feature, while the forward lounging area with television will be a favourite hang at night. You can add formal executive style dining options if that is your gig.

Accommodation spans three cabins and two en suites in the forward section of the boat, with private access to the rear crew quarters via an internal staircase and external watertight transom door.

Finished in silver two-pack paint, the crew quarters are amazing. There’s a full laundry facility, stainless-steel counters, head and shower, hanging lockers, bunks with reading lights, and air conditioning. There's a ship-like superyacht feel to it.

But the real highlight is the full-beam owners’ stateroom, with twin vanity bathroom and huge shower. That said, the VIP guests cabin in the bow has a great sense of volume around its island queen bed, and the third cabin’s twin bunks slide to create a double should you need another one.

All the cabins have opening portholes for natural ventilation, storage has been maximised at every turn, and there’s extensive LED lighting, an inverter system for silent ship operation, and very little operational noise from the twin generators.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- Ship-like systems, engineering, and redundancy
Nearing 65t fully loaded, this is a ship. In fact, a lot of the engineering was in common with the Horizon E84 we had tested earlier in the year. The big ABT Trac stabilisers keep the boat on an even keel, but there has been some weight reduction to assist stability via that carbon fibre layup in the flybridge.

Otherwise, the big Horizon Motor Yachts yard in Taiwan is known for its SCRIMP construction method, which is a vacuum-bagging system to help keep weight in check anyway.

The hull is a one-piece lamination, with foam-cored stringers, solid fibreglass below the waterline and Divinycell foam coring above, and a collision bulkhead. The E75 is built to DNV standards with survey options.

The engines have dual Racor filters, there are clear inspection windows on the strainers, underwater exhausts with bypass, and a Delta T ventilation system to keep salt air at bay. The thrusters, windlass and ABT-Trac stabilisers run off a PTO, which are on both engines to provide a back-up, and there is a spare steering pump.

There were sight gauges on the fuel tanks, an oil-change system, and twin 22.5kW generators, the chilled-water air con, three-phase power upgrade, upgraded inverter, and the boat was plumbed for a watermaker. Seasoned boat owners and skippers should appreciate the engineering and electrical work.

ON THE WATER
- A motoryacht with power, presence and poise
In the bridge at the sole helm station, you assume your position on twin high-back Stidd chairs fronting the Raymarine navigation suite, with lounging space for travelling guests that converts to a double bed when off watch, passagemaking, or on the anchor in a dodgy area.

The cockpit wing station assists with docking and decamping, as does the remote for the Yacht Controller that engages the engines and hydraulic thrusters. We did that, casting the lines from the handy walkaround decks, stowing the fenders in the dedicated storage bins, and leaving Sanctuary Cove behind.

The modest Caterpillar 1150hp C18 ACERTs engines and the boosted 7200lt fuel supply provide long range and autonomy. In fact, this new engine combination is more economical than the E73, which was usually fitted with bigger 1600hp Caterpillar C32 ACERT engines.

This boat typically burns just 50ltr in total at its hull speed of about 10-12 knots. That will give you a safe range of more than 1300nm, with the stabilisers shoring-up the ride, as the sea miles tick by in the climate-controlled enclosed bridge aka sky lounge.

At those displacement speeds, the E75 proceeds with dignity and maintains a nice high bow to displace water at sea. But advance the throttles and the boat has surprising alacrity and, from water level in our little camera boat, it looks positively imposing under full power.

At a really nice 18-knot cruise speeds, the relaxed CAT C18s are spinning their four-blade props at 1840rpm, with just 58 per cent engine load, for 120lt per engine. From sow speed to this cruising click, the big E75 just climbs up easily.

Your safe range at 18 knots is close to 500nm. Skipper Western high tailed at this speed from Queensland to Sydney in 23 hours on less than a tank of fuel, in 30 knots of beam-on westerly, with the stabilisers working.

Fast or slow, this is true go-anywhere liveaboard.

VERDICT
- The latest addition to the Horizon fleet
In late October 2016, there were still 27 Horizon motoryachts gadding around Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island. They ranged from the PC52 powercat to two 97 footers. About three quarters of the boats had crew. The season would soon be winding down, but many stay put in their boats. Flights from interstate are frequent and affordable.

Amid the local Horizon fleet, the new E75 is the latest and greatest owner/driver and crewed luxury motoryacht. It’s the product of considerable hands-on, on-water, coastal cruising experience. There’s a reason behind everything and everything has a reason. The boat has a local feel and Australian functionality.

From the oversized stabilisers, upsized 38hp hydraulic thrusters, extended cockpit and new foredeck entertaining area, to the light-but-strong carbon-fibre superstructure for the enlarged flybridge with spa bar, this is a special Horizon with first-class tickets on luxury cruising.

Think of the E75 as a luxury floating home with a waterfront that extends from Tasmania to the Kimberley. After all, that's the reason behind that engineering redundancy, boosted range, jumbo stabilisers, and that croc-safe jacuzzi traced by a bar and high-volume ice makers. Toast that.

LIKES
>> Superyacht sizing but owner/driver handling
>> Ship-like engineering and systems with redundancy for extended cruising
>> Boosted outdoor living areas from foredeck seating to enlarged cockpit and extended bridge with spa bar
>> Upsized stabilisers, fuel capacity, thrusters, but smaller engines for greater efficiency
>> Boat lines and finishes are both modern and timeless

NOT SO MUCH
>> Relatively small internal dinette, but larger settings are available if formal dining or cold climate boating is your thing.

Specifications: Horizon E75
Price as test: $5.7m with twin 1150hp Caterpillar C18 ACERT and Australian spec and options as listed above including ABT-Trac stabilisers, stern thrusters, Yacht Controller, aft galley, forward lounge area, 450kg hydraulic platform, extended carbon-fibre flybridge deck with Jacuzzi and bar, three-phase shorepower, Raymarine nav package, cameras, underwater lights, extra fuel, dayhead in Skylounge, sliding single beds to doubles, extra refrigeration and icemakers, underwater lights and loads more…
Priced from: POA for each custom boat
LOA: 22.86m
LWL: 19.48m
Beam: 5.64m
Draft: 1.75m
Height: 7.48m
Displacement: 53,33kg, about 65,000kg loaded
Fuel: 7200 litres
Water: 1600 litres
Sleeping: 8+2+2
Engines: 1150hp Caterpillar C18 ACERT
Generators: Twin Onan 22.5Kw

Supplied by:
Horizon Motor Yachts Australia
31 Masthead Way,
Sanctuary Cove, QLD, 4212
Freecall: 1300 885 056 (Aust Only)
Phone: (07) 5577 9009
Email: sales@hmya.com.au
See www.hmya.com.au.