Koenig’s First Take: This Swiss company opted to build the 550 in Italy, and she all but whispers sweet Italian nothings while at the same time maintaining a good amount of seakeeping ability. Form and function, what more could you want?

It does feel like the Adriatic has been alive with new launches lately doesn’t it? Everywhere I turn these days I’m tripping over new press releases about boats being launched in Ancona and Fano and elsewhere along the eastern Italian seaboard. But among the avalanche of new builds—which by the way, is great and welcome news—this new 550 from Sundeck really stands out.

Even though the 550 is built for long-distance cruising, she can still top out at a feisty 25 knots, and steam at a fast cruise anywhere between 14 and 20 knots. However it’s at slower speeds that her numbers really should raise eyebrows. According to the builder, at 7.5 knots she burns a meager 1.98 gallons per hour, while if you push her to 9 knots, she still only goes through 4.1 gallons per hour.

Her onboard space is nearly equally impressive. An enormous foredeck either makes for a great seat to get some wind in your hair underway, or is the perfect place to snag some privacy when moored stern-to in a busy European harbor. Meanwhile, in the interior, the main deck is kitted out with two leather sofas that can seat up to ten people, while a convertible dining table can also become an extra berth. Wide passageways are another hallmark of the boat’s interior and should make her quite an easy vessel to walk through while the engines are running, or if there’s a crowd onboard—the latter of which seems like a highly likely situation, given how popular this boat is bound to be.

Sundeck Yachts , +41 78 944 4154; www.sundeckyachts.com

Specifications

  • Builder: Sundeck Yachts
  • Model: Sundeck Yachts 550
  • Year: 2015
  • Base Price: upon request
  • LOA: 56’9″
  • Draft: 4’3″
  • Beam: 16’4″
  • Displacement: 39,000 lb. (dry)
  • Fuel Capacity: 660 gal.
  • Water Capacity: 238 gal.
  • Standard Power: 2/450-HP FPT IndustriaL N67S
  • Cruise Speed: 17 knots
  • Top Speed: 27 knots

This article originally appeared in the November 2015 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.