Boat test for the 2008 Hatteras 72 including boat specifications, photo galleries, boat videos, boat layout diagrams, boat test numbers, boat test results, and boat speed graphs. Also includes pricing, engine test reviews, ratings, standard features, and gear for the 2008 Hatteras 72.

The galley was fully capable of meeting the culinary needs of the family, but what of sleeping spaces for the brood? The accommodations, accessed via steps from the starboard side of the galley, lead to a full-size washer and dryer that's tucked in under the steps, indispensable when you're cruising with 11 people. The three guest staterooms offered a variety of berthing choices; a centerline queen in the bow, an athwartship queen in the port stateroom, and (doubtless the grandchildren's favorite) bunk beds in a smaller stateroom beneath the steps and to starboard.

Amidships was the comfortable full-beam master suite, with an adjoining full-beam his and hers head that shares a common shower enclosure. Three elliptical ports on either side bathe the space in natural light, and the owners proudly pointed out details like arched doorways.

Saving the best for last, the owners escorted me up to the enclosed flying bridge, a marvelous all-weather space with a retractable hardtop and EZ2CY side windows that can zip out for open air cruising but look like fixed glass when in place. Isinglass curtains enclose the aft end of the expansive bridge deck, which offers seating for 12 or more. There's a wet bar with ice maker and a double electric grill to keep the troops nourished plus a tender with davit to give the young ones a way to get off the yacht and let off steam.

A hardtop and full enclosure make the 72's bridge deck an all-weather entertaining area.

To suit the owners' schedule, I met the yacht near Hatteras' headquarters in North Carolina. But to see how the yacht performed in a more challenging venue, I later arranged to sea trial a sistership in Fort Lauderdale. Predictably, though, the weather was picture-perfect: The sea was virtually flat, and there was nary a whisper of breeze. Agile for her size, the 72-footer turned in a top speed just over 25 knots (28.8 mph) and cruised easily at 22 knots (25.3 mph) while the 1,550-hp Caterpillar C32 diesels purred comfortably and quietly at 2150 rpm. Steering was responsive throughout the speed range, and the TRAC stabilizers kept her bolt upright even while turning at speed.

One consequence of the beautiful weather was an abundance of other yachts in the vicinity and a plethora of wakes to cross. To gauge how effective the TRAC stabilizers are, I steered the yacht parallel to several big wakes, deliberately putting two- and three-footers on her beam. The trim gauge on an athwartships bulkhead (to measure roll) barely moved: less than one degree. Without changing course or speed, I turned the stabilizers off. Roll motion immediately increased, the inclinometer showing up to three or four degrees to either side. I repeated this procedure several times, at 20 knots (23 mph) and at 10 knots (11.5 mph) or less, and observed the same result each time; the stabilizers virtually eliminated a gentle roll of three or four degrees that was not unpleasant in the short term, but could be wearisome on a long cruise.

Coincidentally, there was a broker with customers onboard for the sea trial in Fort Lauderdale. Judging from their faces, they seemed as enamored with the 72 as the owners I met on my earlier trip had been. Maybe those customers had 12 reasons of their own to smile.

For more information on Hatteras Yachts, including contact information, click here.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Custom Features

Hatteras, like other builders in this size range, offers a lot of flexibility in accommodating requests for custom features in layout, outfitting, and equipment. The following is a sampling of items that the owners of the 72 that we tested specified:

—raised-panel mahogany doors throughout
—arched upper headers on all doorways
—decorative wood soffits with indirect rope lighting
—custom teak tables and stair treads
—custom carpet on the bridge
—full-size, household galley appliances
—custom chairs on the aft deck.—G.L.P.

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