Spotlight: XO Boats Dfndr 9

The Dfndr 9, built by the Finnish group XO Boats and introducing a complete redesign in 2021, is made to tackle the North Sea, tracking safely and confidently between the nation’s more than 1500 islands that fringe its shoreline.

The Dfndr 9, sold in Australia via The Adventure Boat Company, is the first of a line of crossover centre console boats that blend good seakeeping ability with decent all-weather protection, meaning that when the summer boating season ends, the thrills don’t have to.

The XO Dfndr 9 is built on a 23-degree variable deadrise hull that gradually flattens out to a planing surface at its stern. Of note, the hull is made from what XO Boats says is military-grade aluminium with a honeycomb stringer design that gives more strength and reduced noise, and an 8.0mm reinforcement along the keel designed to protect the boat while beaching.

Inside the hull, the XO Dfndr 9 uses fibreglass topsides, which allows it to form the enclosed wheelhouse and a forward cabin that includes a vee berth in the bow, and a separate head.

The Dfndr 9 is classed as a crossover boat by XO Boats as it has a bow lounge up front for entertaining on the water. It also has a rear bench seat assembly that allows the facing benches to fold flat and join in the middle to create a large aft sunbed.

The lower cabin also has a hatch that opens forward onto the bow lounge.

Powering the XO Boats Dfndr 9 are either a single or twin outboard engines up to 450hp, which XO claims is enough to push the boat along at speeds of up to 35 knots.

It can tap that performance, too. The deep vee hull is excellent for chopping through swell and wakes, meaning that even on a rough day the Dfndr 9 can cruise at close to 30 knots while maintaining comfort for everyone onboard.

The boat is also available with a T-top.

A smaller version of the Dfndr 9, called the Dfndr 8, is also expected to join the range soon.