70 Viking Yacht 2010

Source: Power & Motoryacht Magazine

What does a company with 26 different models do when it makes a commitment to not sit on its laurels? What else…make a 27th. And thus the Viking 70 Convertible is born. With all that Viking has learned about building strong, more comfortable and sea-kindly boats, the 70C will also employ the same curves and soft lines that define the rest of its fleet. Her interior is similar to some of the larger Vikings in the line, a feature that should be a crowd pleaser to the folks who wanted the functionality of the larger boats, with the price of a smaller one. Let’s take a look and see what we can expect from the new 70C.

With this dramatic profile, the exterior manages to combine gently flowing lines with a fierce, no nonsense attitude towards blue water.

The Accommodations
The Viking 70C features a four-stateroom, four-head layout reminiscent of her larger sister, the 74C featuring a lengthy passageway from the companionway to three of the four cabins. Look closely and you will be able to see some subtle improvements in the 70 layout over the 74. Obviously some of the differences are due to the boat being slightly smaller in overall dimensions. However, by far the biggest difference in her basic specifications compared to the 74 is in her displacement, which is about 20,000 lbs. (9,090 kgs.) less, about a 15% reduction.

The master lies amidships with the king berth off center and a nicely placed corner love seat allows for relaxing at the end of the day, and a place to sit while putting on one’s socks. The 70 also adds a laundry in the passageway.

Almost as an afterthought, the forward guest stateroom to port has a head that does double duty as a day head, a feature likely to get little use as there is also a head in the main saloon. There are also accommodations for crew quarters in the lazarette.

The Viking 70 Convertible has accommodations very similar to her bigger sister…

The Viking 74 Convertible. Note that the scale of the drawings is different.

The Main Deck and Saloon
Where the lower deck of the 70C shared characteristics of the 74C, the main saloon has more in common with the 76C. The salon is large, and inviting. Natural light streams in from the salon sides and aft bulkhead windows, there are no forward facing windows in the Viking lineup. A black metallic mask wraps around the front of the deckhouse seamlessly transitioning into the dark tinted windows that terminate in teardrop fashion.

At night, overhead LED lighting takes over the chores of providing interior lighting and setting the evening’s mood. A day head is strategically located in the port quarter for convenience. Fishing rods and other gear stows beneath the L-shaped sofa to starboard. The sofa faces the entertainment center to port with a 50-inch flat screen television and Bose Lifestyle 48 system with custom surround sound.

A Moritz OctoPlex screen monitor manages electrical needs at the touch of a finger. This is an expensive piece of electrical equipment but it is the future for large, luxury boats that are equipped with SOTA gear. It allows the skipper to monitor and control all of the boat’s electrical equipment from one place.

The galley island features a granite counter, under counter refrigerated drawers, three bar stools and is adjacent to the dinette that seats four. Forward, the galley offers the convenience of world class appliances, a walk-in pantry, plus multiple drawer and locker stowage.

The Viking 70 Convertible main saloon…

…and the Viking 76 Convertible main saloon. The scale is different in the two drawings.

The Flying Bridge
Here, the similarities of the brand revert back to the 74C, only with a slightly smaller console and less seating forward of the center console. The 70C flying bridge features the tournament proven center console helm, three adjustable Murray Products helm seats with teak ladder backs are standard. Additional seating is provided with port and starboard lounges each with rod stowage below and aft facing jump seats. Ahead of the command console is a third lounge, as well as a sink, freezer and drink box cooler.

The flying bridge of the 70C reverts back again in similarities to the larger…

…74 Convertible flying bridge. Note: the scale is different.

Hull Shape is Important…
According to Viking, the aggressively raked stem featuring better than eight feet of freeboard forward is designed to make small work out big head seas. The sheer line tapers aft to three-feet of freeboard in the cockpit. The graceful sweep of the Viking sheer has become the standard for convertibles in this class. Like the most recent Vikings, the new 70 shares a refined running surface with a convex deadrise shape and sharpened forward waterline sections to improve the ride at high speed and to provide buoyancy forward. In addition to supplying considerable buoyancy and lift, the fine bow sections make re-entry at flank speeds softer and dryer.

The convex deadrise adds curvature and form to the hull bottom and the wide beam, which carries well aft — all of which should combine to make the hull more sea-kindly. The 70 Convertible will have chilled water air conditioning, a Delta-T engine room ventilation system and utilize Viking’s proprietary VIPER (Viking Independent Programmable Electro-hydraulic Rudder) steering, which also is used aboard the Viking 82 and Viking 76 Convertibles. The VIPER system eliminates the tie-bar for independent rudder operation to optimize response and reduce rudder drag at all throttle settings.

The Specifications

The Viking 70 Convertible will have a LOA of 75’2” (22.92m) with pulpit, a beam of 19’7” (6.0m), and a draft of 5’4” (1.65m). Her dry weight is estimated to be 114,788 lbs (52,062 kg), fuel capacity will be 2,000 gallons (7,570L), and water capacity will be 368 gallons (1,393L). The 70 Convertible will be offered with MAN, Caterpillar and MTU power.

As hull #1 of the Viking 70 Convertible is still a work in progress, there’s still time to get in the front of what will probably be a line which will after the Miami Boat Show in mid February, when some buyers will decide they don’t need to spring for the added cost of the 74 or 76. As we have said, there shouldn’t be too much mystery as to what she will look like given the comparisons above.

Boat Specifications: 70 Viking Yacht 2010