Boat test for the 2007 Viking Custom Yachts Sanlorenzo 88 with boat pictures, boat specifications, and boat test results. Includes pricing, videos, engine test reviews, and ratings for the 2007 Viking Custom Yachts Sanlorenzo 88.

For casual meals and snacks, the galley has a U-shape settee and dinette that also serve as the crew's dining area. Alongside the companionway leading to the crew staterooms, there's a built-in washer/dryer combo unit that's handy for the crew's laundry as well as for kitchen towels, napkins, and the like. The main laundry facility (with full-size washer and dryer units) is on the lower deck, convenient to the owner and guest staterooms.

While inspecting the accommodation areas, I noted several of the many features that typify Sanlorenzo's attention to detail. For example, all interior doorframes are fitted with gaskets that reduce sound and vibration. Hinges and door latches are stylish and solid—they operate easily and close with authority. Floors in the heads and shower enclosures are marble, the latter having drains that are concealed by an intricate inlay pattern. No detail has been overlooked. There is even a closet to stow the hose for the central vacuum system.

Taking the 88 out for a sea trial, I gained an appreciation for some of her other features. Viking's service facility in Riviera Beach, Florida, is just a stone's throw from the Palm Beach inlet, but a couple of shallow bars can make it a challenge to get into or out of the slip. However, the 88's standard 35-hp hydraulic bow thruster and an optional stern thruster made it a snap. For backing in, there's a docking station in the cockpit and another on the port side of the flying bridge. Sightlines were good (I'm 6'2"), even from the main helm in the pilothouse, offering a clear view of the bow and to either side.

Forest Johnson

Her hull runs stable and true at all speeds to 30-plus mph, tracking easily and trimming modestly.

From a standing start, acceleration for the twin 1,825-hp Caterpillar C32As is naturally sedate; this is, after all, an 88-foot motoryacht, not a drag racer. But above about 1600 rpm, things start happening in a rush as she sprints to a top speed of more than 30 mph. Her handling is solid and predictable at all speeds and headings, but she seems to be a spray magnet; in three- to four-footers we took frequent, heavy spray onto the flying bridge. Admittedly, winds of 15 to 20 knots were a factor, but I was nonetheless surprised to get soaked on the bridge of a yacht this size. On the plus side, she's exceptionally quiet; sound readings in the pilothouse were a modest 76 dB-A (65 dB-A is the level of normal conversation) at full throttle and were less than 70 dB throughout most of the rpm range.

I was favorably impressed by the Viking Sanlorenzo 88. Achieving a successful collaboration between two large, long-established organizations is no small task, especially with geographic and linguistic hurdles added to the mix. But the Viking-Sanlorenzo venture seems to have been a match made in heaven. I can't wait to see the new 108-footer that's in the works.

For more information on Viking Custom Yachts, including contact information, click here.

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