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Extra! Extra! Read
All About It!
PMY recently test-drove one of the most revolutionary vessels
to be developed in decades: Cruisers Yachts’ 400 Express. Although
elements of overall design were noteworthy, what made this particular
model so flat-out fantastic was its mind-boggling, new Volvo Penta propulsion
system. Dubbed the Inboard Performance System, or IPS, it stands to change
the way the boating world looks at inboard power over the next few years.
In early October Capt.
Bill Pike tested a version of the IPS-equipped 400 on Lake Michigan, not
far from Cruisers Yachts’ facility in Oconto, Wisconsin. There was
little more to the boat at the time than two IPS units, an open hull reinforced
athwartship with aluminum I-beams, and a bunch of lead pigs and sandbags
to simulate the presence of normal components. The helm area consisted
of a small plywood walkway supported and surrounded by two-by-fours, with
a steering wheel and trim tab controls temporarily installed.
Pike was so seriously
whipped up by his sea trial he couldn’t sleep the night afterwards,
choosing instead to draw diagrams on hotel stationary in an attempt to
understand some of the more exceptional close-quarters maneuvering characteristics
he’d observed. Open-water performance kept him awake, too. By all
reports, IPS boosts both speed and fuel economy—at presstime Cruisers
test engineers were getting a top hop that was 6 mph faster than a comparison
boat with an extra 120 hp. They also reported an efficiency at WOT of
1 mpg versus 0.6 mpg for the comparo vessel. Moreover, Pike said acceleration
was head-snapping, turning was tight, and tracking was superb at all speeds.
Specifics on IPS are
being withheld by both Volvo Penta and Cruisers until the unit’s
formal introduction at the upcoming Miami International Boat Show. However,
general information on the system, particularly as it relates to close-quarters
maneuvering, will appear in the January issue of PMY, based on
Pike’s continued testing.
A fully technical story
(with photos and drawings), as well as an analysis of the test data PMY
continues to collect on IPS, will appear in the February issue.
88,633
Total miles of coastal shoreline in the United States, including Alaska
and Hawaii
Things We Like
PMY associate editor Elizabeth Ginns Britten spotted this patch
of green turf during a tour of the 144-foot charter yacht Four
Wishes in Newport, Rhode Island. Apparently the owner not only provides
charterers with a slew of marine toys, but also one typically land-based
luxury: a personal driving range. Charter Four Wishes, and you
can tee off to your heart’s content. Best of all, the boat is stocked
with floating golf balls, so you can swing around, pick them up, and save
yourself a few bucks. Because, when you’re paying $120,000 per
week ($130,000 during the summer) to charter the boat, every
penny counts.
December
1-3. The International Workboat Show in New Orleans, Louisiana.
(207) 842-5508. www.workboatshow.com.
2-5. The Boat Show in Tampa, Florida. (954) 441-3220. www.tampaboatshow.com.
(Postponed from September 16 because of Hurricane Ivan.)
3-13. The Paris International Boat Show in France. (33) 141-90-4710.
www.salonnautiqueparis.com
Next page >
A Word With...Capt.
John Pettengill, and more >
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