Maritimo's new X Series has a luxury aft cabana

After buying out boutique luxury-boat start-up Elandra in June, 2016, Maritimo has clarified its plans for the marque.

Elandra, at least as a brand name, has been laid to rest. The owners of the three Elandra 53-footers sold in Australia in the few years of the yard's existence will be supported by Maritimo, we are told.

But last week, at Maritimo's R&D facility at Hope Harbour on the Gold Coast, we were shown the latest incarnation of thes boats by way of a new three-model Maritimo X Series. This, we are also reliably informed, will be rolled out over the next few years.

There is the X5 (based on the existing Elandra 46 drawings), the X6 (based on the existing Elandra 53 boat) and now in build, and a new X7. The BMW-esque nomencalture alludes to the boat's sizes of 50ft, 60ft and 70ft. (Since this article was written the first boat is actually dubbed the X60)

These three new X Series models use some of the Elandra IP and DNA but they are being reworked for a better fit into the production processes at Maritimo on the Gold Coast.

Elandra’s key designer, Tom Barry-Cotter, is of course the son of boatbuilder doyen Bill Barry-Cotter who owns Maritimo. So it’s all back in the family and Tom is working hard to create the new Maritimo X Series.

Due for release in 2018, the first new X60 is based on the foundation of the Elandra 53. But the hull tunnels have been removed, the stem and entry has gained more rake, and 1.4m of hull length or running surface has been added to the boat. The Elandra 53 always looked a little stumpy.

While the accommodation plan remains pretty much the same when we walked through the craftwood mock-up, the whole aft section of the boat where the hull has been extended has become an immense new cabin or 'cabana'.

With full headroom and room for a dozen people with the lid or transom boot raised, and a big hydraulic platform to come, the so-called cabana can serve as a beach club, watersports hub, a waterfront bar, entertaining hub, stateroom with island bed, tender garage and/or crew quarters, laundry and so on.

The aft cabana will be the point of difference for Maritimo’s new X Series and the boatbuilder is touting it as a game changer.

"It's an entertaining boat, maximising space, with a usable foredeck and saloon that measures 7.50m long. But the specific feature is the aft
utility cabin with headroom," Tom said. "This with be known as a cabana and can be fitted with a queen bed as a fourth cabin."

Maritimo says the new X Series is a result of its most extensive customer focus and feedback from its ongoing development program.

Volvo Penta 725hp D11 engines with shaft drives are standard power on the X60, but most boats will probably fit the 800hp variant.

You can read more about the six flagged new Maritimo 2017 launches here.

At-a-Glance: Maritimo X6
LOA: 19.3m
Beam: 5.1m
Weight: 27,000kg
Fuel: 4400lt
Water: 800lt
Holding Tank: 300lt
Sleeping: Three cabins standard, four optional
Engines: 725hp Volvo Penta D11 standard, 800hp optional
More at www.maritimo.com.au.