Boat test for the 2006 Viking Sport Cruisers V65 Express with boat pictures, boat specifications, and boat test results. Includes pricing, videos, engine test reviews, and ratings for the 2006 Viking Sport Cruisers V65 Express.

If the Viking Sport Cruisers' V65 were human, I would say that she welcomed me with open arms. From the moment that I stepped aboard, that she seemed the consummate hostess, a perfect venue for socializing with family, friends, or business associates. With her versatile open layout and stylish, understated, but elegant decor, she's suited to any occasion, be it a casual day of fun in the sun or a formal affair at an upscale yacht club.

Even the simple act of stepping aboard was a tip-off to the yacht's welcoming ways. She was docked at Viking's service center in Fort Pierce, Florida, and her full-beam teak swim platform made for easy boarding from the floating docks, even with the usual mountain of PMY test gear in hand. Wide teak steps and beefy handrails offer easy access up to the main deck. Had she been docked alongside a high bulkhead, I could have boarded just as easily, directly onto the main deck, thanks to openings in the stainless steel rails that run the length of her full walkaround side decks, and across her aft deck. And if the boarding situation had been really challenging, we could have deployed the optional retractable passarelle.

However you come aboard the yacht, you will enter through the cockpit area, a smartly styled space that's partially covered by the extended hardtop and which has a few features beckoning for attention. To starboard, the U-shape settee and handsome varnished cocktail/dining table is perfect for dinner and cocktails under the stars or to flop down and relax after taking a dip off the swim platform. Yet another temptation opposite takes the form of a sunpad big enough for two (there's another large sunpad on the foredeck). And always a thoughtful hostess, the V65 has a wet bar with refrigerator, ice maker, sink, and grill—all standard—just forward of this so guests don't have to exert themselves clomping through the saloon when they're in the mood for food and refreshments.

The Viking Sport Cruisers V65 is like the hostess with the mostest: welcoming, classy, and generous with her offerings to boot.

One of the keys to creating a welcoming environment is the ability to adapt to any situation, and the solidly built sliding glass door leading into the saloon struck me as exceptionally versatile. It can be opened in three stages. Fully open, it unites the saloon and cockpit into a single outdoor space, and when partially open, it still affords easy passage between the cockpit and saloon but allows each space to retain its own character (while keeping more of the air conditioning in the saloon). With the glass panels fully closed, the saloon assumes an air of sophisticated elegance. A stunning glass-top dining table and an angular, U-shape settee reinforce that ambiance for a formal dining affair. Though elegant, the space is not the least bit stodgy; if the occasion is more casual, just pop up the 32-inch LCD TV, hidden in a recess behind a loveseat (opposite the settee).

Offering a cozier spot for guests to relax is a smaller dinette table and settee forward on the port side; ideal for breakfast or a midday snack, it's also a great place to keep an eye on what's happening at the helm, opposite. Styling is simple and uncluttered, with visual interest achieved by a combination of different colors and textures. Our test boat had black leather helm seats and a black dashboard, in contrast to the creamy Ultraleather upholstery in saloon and dinette seating areas and complemented by the dark-toned, varnished cherry joinery. For accents the stainless steel handrail leading to the lower deck is wrapped in knobby leather, while the window mullions are textured to give them a bit of an industrial-strength look.

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