THIS MONTH’s 10
THE EDITOR’S VIEW…
If the GB54 turns out to be as good at sea as it sounds on paper, it might yet recapture the iconic status which its forebears once held. I just hope that in the effort to reach those dizzy heights again it doesn’t inadvertantly price itself out of the market.
1 TWO NEW GRAND BANKS
Grand Banks has announced plans for two new adventure yachts. The 54 and 85 will top and tail its revitalised range of faster, lighter but equally tough craft when they are launched next year. The new models can’t come soon enough for fans of the brand after the management’s bold decision to scrap the entire range of more traditional semi-displacement craft back in 2015 leaving just the one new GB60 model to hold the fort.
The new GB54 has a ‘warped’ semi-displacement hull which, thanks to a lightweight, fully infused construction and carbon fibre decks and superstructure, is said to offer the speed of a planing craft without the slamming that often accompanies it. Powered by twin Volvo Penta D11 725hp engines on shafts, it is claimed to be capable of speeds up to 32 knots.
As well as offering unusually strong performance for a trawler-style yacht, Grand Banks credits it with responsive handling and good fuel efficiency thanks to a hull that generates minimal
