Viking 60 Convertible

Viking 60 ConvertibleNever content to rest on its laurels, Viking Yachts is true to the company mantra: Build a better boat every day. Nowhere is this commitment more evident than in its latest offering, the all-new 60 Convertible. Arguably the best yet from the New Jersey builder, she boasts an advanced hull form, dramatic new

By Mike Smith

September 1, 2007

Never content to rest on its laurels, Viking Yachts is true to the company mantra: Build a better boat every day. Nowhere is this commitment more evident than in its latest offering, the all-new 60 Convertible. Arguably the best yet from the New Jersey builder, she boasts an advanced hull form, dramatic new styling, and weight-saving composite construction.

Her running bottom is an evolution of the shape Viking introduced on its 54-footer in 2006; a modified-V form, it features convex deadrise sections matched to an aggressively raked entry. The convex shape offers a softer landing in heavy seas, enhancing comfort and reducing deck wetness, while the wider beam in her aft sections offers greater lift at planing speed and improved stability at rest.

Complementing her hull, the 60 is built using composite construction that pairs high-strength bi- and triaxial knitted fabrics with a variety of core materials. Her bottom is cored with high-density end-grain balsa and then vacuum-bagged to achieve a superior bond to the hull laminates. Hull sides, decks, and the superstructure are cored with a lower-density balsa that provides the requisite strength and stiffness but with much less weight. Internal structural members, such as bulkheads and stiffeners, are cored with lighter-weight PVC foam. In short, all structures and materials are engineered to provide maximum strength without excess weight.

Not so evident in the construction of the 60 Convertible is the contribution of Viking’s million-dollar, five-axis profiler, the largest of its type in the industry. With computer-controlled, surgical precision, it produced the molds for the deckhouse, flying bridge, and helm console, creating intricate details once done by hand.

Many of those details are evident in the 60’s profile: the nuanced accents in her bridge and deckhouse side and subtle “spoiler” at the front of her flying bridge. But computer control has its limits—only the human eye and a gifted hand can create a soft, sweeping sheer like that of the 60.

Available in either a three- or four-stateroom layout, the 60 should have the same flawless joinery that has defined the brand for decades. This new Convertible may be the best yet from Viking. But it’s a sure bet she’ll hold that honor only until the next Viking comes along.

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