61 Sunseeker Predator

Source: David Lockwood, Boatpoint Magazine

It’s no coincidence that Sunseekers are James Bond’s choice of craft… They’re slinky, sophisticated and suave – just the thing to wow boaties and woo babes, says David Lockwood

The name is Bond. James Bond.

Part of 007’s appeal is that he is always sublimely equipped with an Aston Martin – and a Sunseeker too.

The best Bond movies always feature this brace of brisk accoutrements, a slinky sportscar and sexy sportsboat, considered the best British-made symbols of style and sophistication at the time.

Carrying on the theme, the launch of the new Sunseeker Predator 61 on the Gold Coast was a slick production. There were helicopters, fist fights, shoot-outs, the Queensland Philharmonic orchestra playing a Bond soundtrack, and the man himself slinking away with two angels dripping gold jewellery.

Like a new movie, the Predator 61 bears all the hip new lines. Gone are the hard angles, the canary-yellow waterline, the overly raked cabin top that compromised the boats for the sake of chic and perhaps even dated them. Cool curves are here to stay.

On the water, the boat runs exactly how you want it to and responds to the wheel. It offers a taste of the outdoors with the roof down, protection with it up and fresh air via a push-button electric helm window.

There is privacy below, while up top you can be as public as you want. On the harbour, I left the high-speed ferries floundering in my wake – a very public move – but offshore I dialled-up performance to blow-away the white horses. James would have been proud.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
A lot of tooling and dynamic effort has gone into making the new Predator 61. Above water the boat is aerodynamic and ergonomic, below it is most definitely hydrodynamic. The mouldings are among the most rakish and intricate I have seen. They represent the new Sunseeker styling for all 61-108-footers.

The Predator 61 has a razor sharp bow, with a foredeck that has ergonomically-designed inward sloping decks, big shoulders and a big arched rump, broken by interesting engine air intakes and mock stainless engine vents that almost look like old Aston Martin tail fins.

These boats are popular as serious passagemakers in the Northern Hemisphere, where British boaties think nothing of skipping across to the Med’ for a month in summer. The Predator 61, then, is no lightweight – it places emphasis on strength.

Hand-laid GRP features below the waterline, where the glass is a multiaxial and reinforced, with transverse bulkheads, floors and longitudinals for added strength. Balsa-cored topsides and deck lighten the load up top.

World-renowned naval architect Don Shead, big in racing boat and superyacht circles, has for some time been designing the hulls for Sunseeker. But the Predator 61 is different to his other stuff. As I said, it runs flat on the water, yet it doesn’t have a lot of chine slap like some of his other hulls.

The boat displaces 26,000kg. Its forefoot is sharp and there is an awful lot of deep-vee running right the way to the transom. You can see the exceptional depth of the boat in the engineroom, along with the half tunnels which are as much a the key to the boat’s ride.

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
Deck gear is exceptional, all solid stainless and designer stuff. The bowrail is a rakish number, complementing the slight reverse sheer of the foredeck, and beautiful teardrop-shaped cleats spread along the gunwales and a nice stainless-framed lift-up transom door.

The window frames are shiny stainless steel, with stainless pantograph wipers, and there are the trendy fairleads and a tough stainless steel rubbing strip. A trick stern-to mooring facility comprising electric capstan, fairlead and cleat sits on each aftdeck corner.

Pitched to the Euro market, where stern-to mooring is de rigueur, the Predator 61 has a versatile transom with features local boatbuilders are yet to consider. Its back end is very much a lifestyle platform for launching summer escapades.

Press a button in the cockpit and giant hydraulic rams lower the platform several feet into the water, whereupon two additional moulded steps are revealed. The steps into the cockpit become a kind of swim ladder. The platform works as a launch and retrieve pad for water toys and as a safe swimming pool.

Another button opens the big garage, which is inclined and fitted with rollers for quick dispatch of the tender. You can hook the retrieval cable onto a lift point on the bottom of this garage and raise a panel into the engineroom for major servicing.

The garage doubles as a fender locker. There is additional fender storage in the anchor locker, as well as a H/C freshwater transom swimming shower. All the stainless steel rams used on the Predator 61 have been upgraded to stronger, faster and more efficient models than on past Sunseekers.

Access around the Predator 61 is really very good. There are steps leading from the cockpit to the sidedecks, which are backed by a bowrail. The decks are wide enough to trot along. The slope on the foredeck makes you look where to place your feet further forward.

But the humped outer sections provide security to those riding on the sunpad. There are champagne bottle and glass holders up front and lots of trendy Euro-styled deck hatches.

The teak-topped steps both sides of the boarding platform – concealing the deck shower, shower-power connection and marina-water connector – allow you to walk around the garage and the sunpad above it.

Traced by lovely stainless rails, the sunpad has a pull-out section that lets you increase its sunbaking capacity to, say, two couples. The extensions form part of a rear lounge, half in and half out of shade from the hardtop, which can seat five people while cruising.

These transom and fore and aft sunpads are the boat’s outdoor living areas. Step through the transom door and within one step you are under the hardtop, a kind of indoor and outdoor area whose electric sunroof alters the mood at the flick of a switch.

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
New styling, extra headroom, bigger windows and beautiful mouldings are highlights of the integrated hardtop. The all-white interior hits it off with the teak flooring and teak dinette, while lounges with blue piping, and scatter cushions in classic navy blue and white.

As mentioned, there is some cool equipment onboard, like the giant electric helm window and push-button sunroof, with 100% waterproof guttering, but also a Panasonic surround sound system to the saloon and cockpit with a dash-mounted multichanger, lots of trick lighting and a handy amenities centre.

Lift the lid on the moulded console to port and you will find a sink with hot and cold water, ceramic barbecue with griddle top (not sure where the fat runs, though), an icemaker and a separate fridge for the 4kg of king prawns and bubbly.

There is a bottle/glass rack as an afterthought in a locker under the sink. To my eye, I would like to see double-moulded doors on this prominent feature area and something better than a mere perspex rack in a locker for the bottle of bootleg.

And, for heaven’s sake, when is someone going to include drinkholders where you need them, right next to the barbie, where you will reaching for the tongs to turn the lobster tails.

Along with the aft lounge that can seat five people is another L-shaped lounge behind the helmseat big enough for four people to do lunch around the nice teak outdoor table on a Besenzoni hydraulic pedestal. Add some loose chairs and you could seat a few more.

The stainless control panels were thoughtfully located near the transom door. There you will find a switch for cockpit lights, the garage, lift platform, a lock-up section for the main battery system, and switches for the genset and shorepower. The boathook is mounted alongside.

ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE
Though you climb down a ladder through a hatch to access the engineroom, it has great depth and everything from those twin Cats with V-drives to their seawater strainers, fuel filters and Kohler 11kW genset (with underwater exhaust) is accessible on all sides.

All the boat’s systems are labelled, giving five-thumbed handymen some idea of where to look if there is a problem, and the engineering is first rate. The wet exhaust system exits partly underwater, while the engine ventilation is aided by four extractor fans.

As mentioned, the depth of the hull is evident by looking down at the bilge, which is a long way below the engines. You can see the curvature of the hull’s aft tunnels where the shafts exit the hull. The engineering set-up does seem very sound, quiet and well executed.

It is unlikely you will be kept in the dark at the dash. The driving station and three-tiered dash has been designed around the latest electronics, engine-monitoring equipment, throttles and shifts.

The boat has electronic controls, a fixed sports wheel and fixed two-person benchseat. The retractable electric sunroof gave extra headroom for driving on your feet.

However, the boat is pretty much any-weather drive from the seat.

Navigation equipment included a 19in Raytheon RC631 colour radar/plotter with overlay and image targeting – very Moonraker – plus two Cat engine panels, backed-up by VDO analogue gauges, a RL70 7in screen, bowthruster panel, tab panels and a rudder indicator.

There were two drinkholders at the helm, simple plastic numbers, big switch panels for things like the wipers and washers, a Tridata display, autopilot and windlass button. Instead of cheap-looking screws, the dash was attached with Alan keys.

I like the driver’s side electric window, manual engine shutoffs and manual fire system and the way everything just falls to hand. While some boats have more headroom at the helm, this is deeper than past Sunseeker Predators. And the attention to details and design makes it one of the best helmstations I have ogled.

Despite lots of white fibreglass, the angle of the windscreen prevents a lot of reflected glare in your line of vision. Although, as if to admit a glare problem, the boat comes with a black canvas clip-in dash mat.

The co-pilot, meanwhile, has a dedicated seat to port with a chart and drinkholder on the dash, but no electric window. The helm bench is designed like a love seat for two people, allowing three to ride right behind the windscreen, with eight on the lounges behind.

To change the ambience, just open the electric roof varying degrees. The sun beats in, but the wind doesn’t, allowing you to travel without ruining that expensive hairdo. If you plan to drive this boat while standing, it is best to open the top.

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
The gorgeous interior of this boat is crying out to feature in one of those steamy closing scenes, y’know the one, when James finally gets his gal. While there isn’t much in the way of views, there is a terrific amount of luxury and privacy.

High-gloss natural cherrywood begins on the companionway steps, runs right along the clever galley, continues on all the walls – in amazing giant panels – all the way to the master cabin in the bow.

An air of elegance is derived from the grove of timber, the gold and black Roman blinds, latte-coloured leather lounge and carpet, trick chrome door handles, knobs and fittings, and the European portholes. All of it caressed by air-conditioning and shimmering under classy 24V halogen mood and strip lighting.

Available in two or three cabin versions, this Predator 61 had the latter. The two aft cabins and forward master cabin are split by the saloon, with a big serpentine leather lounge for five people, set around a timber dinette with folding leaves on the starboard side, opposite a very clever galley.

A favourite of Sunseeker’s, and admired by this scribe, the hide-away galley is below two-stage timber covers that rise and rest in position on gas struts to reveal a boatload of amenities. In fact, you get more in the way of cooking stuff on this 61-footer than most other UK-made motoryachts.

The timber kitchen bench has fiddle rails, a three drawer timber-fronted freezer below, half home-sized fridge alongside, wetbar cupboard with timber bottleholder, crystal champagne flutes and spirit tumblers and decanters, plus a felt-lined drawer for the six-person silver cutlery setting and lots more drawers.

Overhead is a series of timber cupboards with sets of Sunseeker’s unbreakable drinkware, a full-monty Royal Doulton dinner setting right down to the soup bowls and teapot, microwave running off an inverter, and First Aid cupboard.

There is a cupboard with a receptacle and a Bosch dishwasher hiding behind a cherrywood panel, all of it standard with the boat. But it’s not until you lift back the timber tops on the galley that you find lots of practical entertaining and cooking equipment in a big moulded fibreglass workstation.

There is a big sink with a basket over it and a separate sink with a cutlery basket over it for rinsing the plates and crockery. There is a dedicated drying area for pots and pans, a cutting board and a two-burner electric cooktop. And an overhead hatch, two 240V outlets and opening portholes. But where is the extractor fan?

Back on the lounge, opposite, I noted two pull-out tub chairs a nearby bracket for the Shipmate VHF which, in this position, doubles as an Intercom. Overhead cupboards contain the AC/DC control panels and a spread of labelled pigeon holes for all your remotes, plus storage.

The lounge conveniently faces an entertainment centre to port with a Panasonic Home Theatre system with flatscreen television. A vacuum cleaner is included in case you spill the popcorn while watching Octopussy.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
Past the work-of-art timber bulkhead, you can withdraw into the master cabin for nights on end. While not huge for a 61-footer, it is beautifully arranged, with an island double bed topped with a classy patchwork quilt that would be the undoing of many a Bond girl.

There are two fully-lined cupboards, with lots of shelves for shoes, and three overhead lockers a side, plus a drawer beneath the bed. The light switch is conveniently close to the bedhead and there is a big mirror-backed hanging locker.

Entertainment comes, if not from Jane Seymour, then from a Sony flatscreen television. There are separate AC controls in each cabin, all the doors have double-toothed catches to stop rattles, plus this one has a bathroom with a huge Black Ice Avonite countertop, separate shower compartment, vacuum loo, big oval sink, AC and extractor.

Some of the floor space is taken up by the oversized counter, but full marks for the bifold shower door rather than those hard-to-shift sliding perspex numbers. And the shower itself is the height of indulgence, with separate temperature and pressure settings and upper and lower shower roses a bit like a car wash.

The second bathroom, near the companionway steps, doubles as a dayhead and ensuite to the starboard guests’ cabins. It has a lot more floorspace and the same trick shower. Port and starboard cabins are similar, with twin single berths, full hanging wardrobes, flatscreen televisions and around 1.75m of headroom at their aft end.

CAST AND CREW
A bowthruster makes light work of docking. A thrust here and there, a little starboard side throttle, and the Predator 61 was on its way with well wishes from Miss Moneypenny. We could have headed to some far-off island as in a Bond movie, but instead cruised glamorous Sydney Harbour.

The Predator 61 is a fast boat. It makes terrific use of its twin 800hp Caterpillar motors, turning in a top speed of 33kt during testing but 35-36kt off the ship. Cruise is fast, 27-28kt at 1950rpm, and you can U-turn the boat at 30kt if the Russians are coming.

It turns on the wheel much like a car. While that won’t mean much during long straight-line passages up the coast, it counts for plenty about a busy harbour on a Sunday.

There is also now more volume at the helm, which makes the new Predator 61 a doll to drive. I galloped across the Heads in fine fettle and consider this a smooth and dry boat that runs better than any other Predator I have been in.

The boat runs flat, its bow glued to the water, where the forefoot cuts like scythe. Not only do you get a smooth ride at sea, not only can you maintain sporty speeds, but you no longer need to touch the tabs to see over the bow.

The Predator 61 is a star. Launched earlier this year at the London Boat Show, it is the company’s best sportscruiser in Australia by far.

Sleek, svelte and suave. A lot like James Bond, really.

HIGHS

• Submersible platform, big RIB garage, electric sunroof and helm window.
• Simple systems, great engineering and performance.
• Beautiful joinery, a great galley and neat dayboating goodies.
• Style and pizazz.

LOWS

• No passerelle (electric boarding ladder), no passenger’s side electric window.
• Limited headroom for 1.90m tall skippers at helm.
• Oversized countertop in main ensuite.
• Should have double-moulded hatch doors in cockpit and an extractor fan in the galley.

Boat Specifications: 61 Sunseeker Predator

Sunseeker Predator 61

Options Fitted: Engine and generator upgrade, air-conditioning, bowthruster, semi-custom interior and lots, lots more

General

Material: Fibreglass with composite balsa decks

Type: Modified-vee planing hull

Length (overall): 19.51m

Beam: 4.59m

Draft: 1.35m

Deadrise: n/a

Weight: 26,000kg dry

Capacities

Berths: six

Fuel: 2950lt

Water: 625lt

Engine

Make/Model: Twin CAT 3406E

Type: In-line six-cylinder diesel engine w/turbocharging and aftercooling

Rated hp: 800hp each @ 2300rpm

Displacement (ea): 14.6lt

Weight (ea): 1586kg

Gearboxes (Make/ratio): ZF 2.032:1

V-drives Props: Four-blade NAB bronze