One with the lot: The best big motor yachts at Fort Lauderdale

This year seemed to set a new standard. Around 150 yachts measuring more than 24 metres attended this year’s show, so if you’re after something to put the “super” back in yachting there was plenty to choose from.

What was the best on show? It’s difficult to say without being there, but here are the ones we liked from afar.

What caught our eye about Arrow, a 47.0-metre Sanlorenzo 500Exp was the toy garage – no jet skis, just a pair of motor scooters and a couple of dirt bikes tucked away in the lazarette storage bay.

Above, strapped to the upper deck is a helicopter, the ultimate ship-to-shore transport. Who needs a tender on a boat this versatile?

The 2022-built Sanlorenzo 500Exp isn’t cheap, as if you hand over $US35,000,000 ($A54,400,000) to buy this boat you’ll get only $US1000 in change.

This liveaboard explorer isn’t designed as a fast boat, as its two CAT C32 V12 engines will only push this motor yacht to a top speed of 15 knots. However, it can carry 60,000 litres of fuel, giving it what we’d hope is a decent range to far-flung dirt bike trails.

Onboard, there are accommodations for up to 10 guests, and capacity for up to nine crew to make sure wherever you go, you’re getting there comfortably.

Benetti has resurrected its Motopanfilo line with a new 36.9-metre model that draws from the past but with a modern twist.

The boat features four levels of luxury living including a walkaround saloon deck that gives the motor yacht a distinct nod to the past.

One of the design briefs for this boat was building an interior that looked like it belonged on a boat, not a house. To that end, the saloon features quasi-bulkheads that bridge across the space.

The aft section of this boat features an unusual design, a reverse transom that folds back to create an over-water platform. The boat at Fort Lauderdale also includes an observation deck built in over the flybridge hardtop to give 360-degree walkaround views.

There’s room onboard for 10 guests across five cabins, while the crew is limited to just seven. The cruising range is estimated at 3800nm.

You get more change with this value motor yacht – hand over $US19 million and you get $US5000 change.

If going fast and looking good are equally important, for around $A5.0 million the Pershing 7X will scratch that itch.

At just 21.1 metres, it’s a smallish yacht in this company, but its extensive use of carbonfibre means it weighs around 35,000kg, making it quite light for this length of boat.

Taking advantage of that lightness is a pair of 1800hp MAN V12 inboard engines turning surface drives – props that just dip in the water and greatly reduce drag.

That makes the Pershing 7X good for a top speed of 50.0 knots and a comfortable cruising speed of 30 knots – a pace that few other boats this size can match at wide-open throttle.

Of course, all that poke means you can’t get far, and the 7X has a quite limited 300nm range before the tanks will need topping up.

The Pershing X7 has accommodations onboard for up to six people and room for a single crew. 

Sunseeker has adopted a new look with this model making its global debut at Fort Lauderdale. Foremost is a new hull that greatly increases the boat’s interior volume carried forward, and a flybridge that extends over walkaround side decks to create an extra large level of living space.

This boat also takes a half-step away from tradition by doing away with the saloon-based helm station. Instead, the owner or skipper will have to climb up to the flybridge deck where the helm station sits on a different level to the upper deck space.

The flybridge deck can be enclosed on three sides or, if the boat is likely to be in more extreme climates, fully enclosed with a separate outdoor space aft. 

Of note, the Sunseeker Ocean 182 features a forward galley and dining area, with the living space – including a day head – located aft. An internal staircase ascends aloft for the flybridge deck, while a separate stair leads below where a full-beam companionway leads to a master suite and two separate staterooms. A bow stateroom is accessed via a stairway at the front of the saloon.

There are also accommodations for two crew.

Powering the Sunseeker Ocean 182 is a pair of 1650hp MAN V12 engines, turning shafts, that can upgrade to 200hp units for those who need a bit more poke.

Top speed is estimated at 27.0 knots, while range is estimated at 1100nm.

Price? Expect to pay the equivalent of around $8.0 million to park one in front of the motor yacht club.