Sorrento Sports Express

Photographer Stuart Grant summed up the look of the Sorrento Sports Express at first glance. "Looks like something Howard Hughes would have built. You haven't got the Spruce Goose hidden around here somewhere?" he asked Sorrento Custom Boat principal Ed Haysom, upon spying the boat for the first time at Melbourne's Pier 35 marina. Indeed, there's more than a hint of circa-1950s about this well-proportioned 30-footer. Not only in the sheer, but also in the sweep of the teak-framed armourplate screen and, of course, the staff and ensign mounted proud as punch on the centre of the transom.

TOUCH OF TINSELTOWN
The flavour is so strong that I half expected to be joined by the requisite starlet complete with fetchingly snug Grace Kelly-style cashmere sweater when I stepped aboard... No such luck, I had to make do with Grant and Haysom.

Which, at least in the case of the latter, was no hardship. Haysom is a well-experienced and knowledgeable boatman, who is more than enthusiastic about the boats built by the team brother Max and he have put together.

Formed 18 months ago, Sorrento Custom Boats is based on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula. Not exactly the hub of boatbuilding Down Under, the region is nonetheless graced with some skilled tradesmen and a fair share of boatbuilding nous.

The brothers Haysom each have significant boating backgrounds. Max created a business importing and restoring classic American ChrisCraft launches and the like, while Ed's involvement in boatbuilding goes back 25 years. On the peninsula they have sought the expertise of people like race-yacht builder Mel Hart, who lays up the hulls for the Express.

The Express was born out of some of the frustrations Max had servicing demand for the classic American boats - not to mention the headaches associated with the boats' 50-year-old mechanicals.

Thus the troupe set about looking for a design for a classy, open dayboat - one that could be massaged appearance wise but was both efficient and seaworthy.

The opportunity to purchase the moulds and rights to the John Griffin-designed Dorado hull cropped up and after the application of some dayboat design savvy, the end result is what you see here.

SHEER SEX APPEAL
A warped plane design, in its Express incarnation, the hull has been given about 150mm more freeboard from the rear of the screen forward. The addition adds some classic sheer to the craft, and up forward, the hull has been sculptured to incorporate quite some significant flare.

The result is no doubt easy on the eye. In the water it's reportedly dry and soft-riding. I write reportedly, because as luck would have it our test day saw Port Phillip Bay more millpond, than maelstrom. Nonetheless, the original Griffin hull has an extremely good reputation. Originally designed for gamefishing, there's at least one in service on the NSW Central Coast as a fishing charter craft.

What I can vouch for is the efficiency of the balsa-cored hand-laid hull in terms of horsepower versus performance delivered. The test Express was powered by twin 240hp 5.0lt EFI Bravo II MerCruiser sterndrives, that delivered in excess of 30kt (indicated) with such alacrity (it was straight onto the rev-limiters) that clearly it needed substantially bigger props. So equipped, I would expect the boat would deliver an economical 25-28kt cruise.

As it is at WOT, according to Ed, it's still only using approximately 80lt/hr - less than some outboards! 

The boat corners well, but the drives do breakaway quite easily - perhaps duoprop Bravo IIIs would be a better choice.

Steering is light and direct and the transition to plane all but flat. Indeed, there's no need to constantly fiddle with trim, unless you want to compensate for sidewinds, etc.

In fact, the only disappointment on the control side of the coin was the MerCruiser levers, which seemed unnecessarily stiff and vague. This made closequarters manoeuvring more stressful than it needed to be.

Those not enamoured to sterndrives will be pleased to know that Sorrento already has a twin shaftdrive version of the Express on the water with a customer in Sydney.

That craft is powered by twin MerCruiser 5.7 EFIs V-eights packing around 300hp each. These drive 1.75-inch shafts through 5000A Velvet Drive down-angle gearboxes. Given the shaftdrive boat weighs in about 3800kg with half of its 700lt fueltank full, one reckons performance should be more than adequate.

POWER OF PETROL
The choice of petrol engines is interesting. While I'm a great fan of diesel powerplants, there's no doubt that modern fuel-injected low-maintenance petrol powerplants have much to offer in this sort of craft.

Quite simply, you have to do some serious hours on the water to offset the additional purchase price of diesel powerplants and most lifestyle-dayboats like the Express are highly unlikely to log these hours.

The performance petrol V-eights offer is intoxicating, and so is their sound. Not that the Express is a noisy boat - far from it. It's just there is no mistaking what's under the engine cover.

All that said, Sorrento is offering diesel alternatives -both shaft and sterndrive - via Yanmar's excellent 4LH (230hp) and 6LY series (250-300hp) powerplants. Performance should be good and economy excellent.

Engine access in the sterndrive version we tested was excellent. Having looked at the layout for the shaftie, there's no reason to believe that will be otherwise.

There's not a lot to the layout of the Express, but that's just the way its makers intended it. Dayboats are about flexibility and space... Space to be able to load up the family, friends, barbie and golden retriever and head for Queenscliff, Tangalooma or Repulse Bay. Flexibility to be able to seat all of the above, or make it really comfy for you and your significant other.

The Express is well-credentialled in both aspects. In the sterndrive version, there's room at the helm for two (just), a corresponding navigator's seat, cocktail cabinet, big lounges running aft and a full-width rear lounge across the face of the transom/engine box.

The shaftdrive version (also pictured hereabouts) gets a similar set-up with padded engine boxes, shorter lounges and (in the case of the boat shown) a large L-shaped wraparound lounge.

Both versions feature standard teak-laid deck and a generous swim platform, with the shaftie also copping a transom door.

Under the relatively short foredeck, there's a V-berth, a small galley and an enclosed head (though it was not on the boat we tested, this layout is now standard).

Headroom is limited, but enough, and the berth with infill offers cosy rather than luxuriant space. Remember, how-ever, this is a DAYboat. 

INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION
In effect, Sorrento Custom Boats is able to cater the layout to individual owners requirements. Though the basics are set (engine box size and position, etc), the choice of layout and fittings and finishes are up to the purchaser. For example, the testboat upholstery was finished in marine-grade vinyl, and the dash wore a face of Huon pine. However, onboard your Express, the cushions could just as easily be leather, and you could also opt for the teak binnacle-style helm set-up as did our Sydney-based Express buyer.

There's no doubt, as a prototype, the testboat had experienced a pretty tough life and while the quality of moulding was good, some of the finishing touches were lacking and the boat needed just a touch of TLC. The builder is well aware of this, however, and just after our test the same craft was due to go back to the factory for a spruce-up in time for the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show.

By all accounts, Sorrento's latest craft have been very well presented.

Quite obviously the Sorrento Express is not for everyone. Priced as tested at a shade under $200,000 and in big-engined shaftdrive configuration from $225,000, it's not an inconsiderable investment, either.

It does, however, offer something that many boat owners want - reliable modern construction and mechanicals with more than a bit of nostalgia... Or dare I say it, even eccentricity.

The late Hughes (eccentric industrialist, aviator and film producer) would be pleased...

HIGHS

LOWS