YachtBuyer's Most Thrilling Sea Trials of 2025

Drop the throttles on the EXPLR 44, and it bolts forward with real energy. Triple 400hp Mercury V10s shove the hull clear, the bow lifts for a beat, then the boat hammers past 40 knots in under 10 seconds. The most remarkable element of the driving experience is how well insulated you are from the performance by the wheelhouse. It makes year-round fast cruising very comfortable indeed. 

It's an easy boat to drive at speed, thanks to its light, predictable steering, but it has real edge if you want to throw it around a bit. Effortless, barrel-chested performance comes easily to the big XO. 

The 13.4m (43.9ft) XO EXPLR 44 hull comes in aluminium with a GRP superstructure, wrapped around deep walkaround decks, tall bulwarks and wide side doors that make getting on and off the boat really simple.

The wheelhouse includes a small dinette, a galley that slides on runners, and a helm locks you in behind the wheel and gives full confidence to enjoy the boat's performance out on the water. 

Below, XO avoids the usual master-plus-guest setup and gives the boat two near-equal ensuite cabins, each with good light and access, plus a kids’ berth. Six people can sleep aboard without blocking each other’s beds.

On deck, the aft cockpit drops down into a sunpad at the press of a button, the wet bar spans the back of the wheelhouse, and another sunpad sits on the bow with that Nordic step-off for beaches or islands. 

View all New & Used XO EXPLR 44 Boats for sale

2. Pershing GTX70

Top Speed: 35 knots | Triple Volvo Penta IPS1200 | GRP Planing Hull

From a 45-knot aluminium hooligan to something more civilised, at the 2025 Venice Boat Show we were acquainted with the latest addition to the Pershing GTX range, the GTX70.

The GTX line doesn’t chase the 45-knot theatre of the old surface-drive Pershings; it has a calmer 25-30 knot cruise with a very usable 300-400nm range. It's designed to be a bit less intimidating and easier to handle than the lairy surface drives, and the choice of propulsion confirms that.

Triple IPS1200s with 900hp each still deliver plenty of poke, but getting up to speed is as easy as surging the throttles forward; there's no need to wrestle the drives and trim tabs as you have to with surface drives.

The performance is so much more accessible compared to traditional Pershings, and at slow speed, the joystick and triple pods make handling the boat so much easier, which is important given that at this size, there's a good chance it will be the owner, not crew, running the boat. 

Don't be fooled, it may be a bit more tame, but it's a thrill to be behind the wheel of something this big that can achieve these sorts of speeds. 

Pershing claims around 30% more exterior area and 10% more interior volume than rivals of similar length, and the deck plan leans into that: low Gran Turismo profile, metallic grey topsides, a flat run from stern to helm and a small but well-equipped flybridge above, topped off with a CE Category A stamp, which may come as a bit of a surprise.

Inside, the mood is dark and very, well, Pershing, with dark surfacing, clean lines and a lower helm that could have been plucked straight from the Starship Enterprise.

Three guest cabins fill the starboard side: a full-beam owner’s suite amidships, a bow VIP with an athwartships bed, and a twin with ensuite access to the day head. Crew space hides under the foredeck with two bunks and a bathroom, best as overflow or storage rather than a true crew area.  

View all New & Used Pershing GTX70 Yachts for sale

3. Bluegame BGF45

Top Speed: 38 knots | Twin IPS | Twin-Hull with Fixed Foil

After the calm confidence of the GTX70, we move to Cannes Yachting Festival 2025 where Bluegame was hosting the world premiere of their latest catamaran, the BGF45. The test run took place just outside the marina in light chop and the wakes of passing boats, enough to show how the slim hulls and fixed foil behaved once it was clear of the show traffic.

This type of foiling technology isn't new, but we're seeing sharp uptake in the leisure catamaran market with Bluegame, Aquila and Sunreef all giving it a crack. The idea is that the foil provides a more cushioned ride but also lifts the hull out of the water to improve efficiency. 

The ride comfort comes as no surprise: push upwind at 22 knots and the twin slender hulls and foil soak up the chop so cleanly that spray barely touches the deck, and even in the wake of bigger boats, the impact feels far softer than a monohull of this size. Of course, the tricky thing to decipher is whether it's the slender hulls or the foil that makes for such a magic carpet ride.

Something interesting is how the Humphree system brings a gentle heel into turns, so it feels more like a monohull, and you don't get the snatching in turns that sometimes can be an issue with faster multihulls. The Sunreef Ultima 55, for example, doesn't have this system and turns much flatter and feels less fluid. 

It feels like a composed IPS boat with light steering and a smooth bank through the water, its pace backed up by superior efficiency when you factor in that it’s 2m longer, half a metre wider and far heavier than the monohull Bluegame BG42.

The BGF45 is Bluegame’s first foiling multihull and the opening act for a new line, taking clear cues from the yard’s America’s Cup chase boat.

The foil sits fixed between two slim hulls, shaped with help from the same hydrodynamic brains behind that 50-knot project, and the build leans on carbon fibre and honeycomb panels to keep weight in check. It’s a 17-tonne boat with race-tech roots but finished with the clean teak lines and neat engineering you’d expect under the wing of Sanlorenzo.

Inside, it keeps things simple: an owner’s cabin spread across both hulls, a guest cabin opposite, and a third space that works best as deep stowage rather than more berths.

Deck life is the point here. A transformer platform handles boarding and toys, the cockpit carries a serious outdoor galley, and the foredeck throws in sunbathing space with scope for paddleboards or racks. It feels practical and slightly unconventional - very Bluegame, through and through.

View all New & Used Bluegame BFG45 Yachts for sale

4. Axopar 29 CCX

Top Speed: 52 knots | Twin Mercury 250 V8s | Stepped GRP Hull

Tested back-to-back with the Axopar 29 XC Cross Cabin at Finnboat, the 29 CCX showed the same hull and length can feel like a different species, the CCX swapping the XC’s sheltered wheelhouse for a more visceral semi-open cockpit and dual V8 howl.

The 29 range is available with a variety of engine options, but the instant punch of those combined 500hp V8s is addictive. The CCX is designed to be a bit more capable offshore, able to be thrown and capable of well over 50 knots with this engine setup. 

At the helm, it's a great combination of well-protected but open to the elements, so you can hear the engines and the water hissing off the hull. The broader, flared bow of the new 29s over the 28 gives you far more confidence to drive the boat hard downwind, and it absolutely relishes it. It's just a fantastically well-balanced boat and a real joy to drive at pace in a bit of sea.

Axopar calls the 29 CCX a “centre-console crossover”, and that’s exactly how it lands. It has the protection of a cabin with all the freedom of an open cockpit, helped by a wraparound windscreen, a long Targa-style roof and open sides that keep the boat airy and rugged.

The hull is all new but keeps the stepped form that made the old Axopar 28 range such a sharp performer, now a touch longer with a broader bow and 10cm more deck height for better offshore poise. Underneath, the transom is reinforced for twin outboards, the fuel tank is now 600 litres, and the hardtop is built to take kit like rod holders.

The layout is where the CCX jumps ahead of the other 29 models; it's the most versatile Axopar ever. The aft deck alone can be arranged six different ways, from a U-sofa and sunpad to a wet bar, tackle station or even an aft cabin. Forward, owners can pick between L-shape, U-shape or a cleaner fishing setup, and the flush deck and deep bulwarks make the whole boat easy to move around.

Below, the forward cabin carries the toilet and the optional aft “multi-cabin” adds a usable berth or a big stowage zone. The finish stays unmistakably Axopar - neat and engineered for people who want a boat that shifts between roles easily.

View all New & Used Axopar 29 CCX Boats for sale

5. Princess S80

Top Speed: 34 knots | Twin MAN V12 2000 | GRP Planing Hull

Fresh from its debut at the Cannes Boat Show 2024, the S80’s sea trial took place off the Côte d’Azur in settled conditions that let the big MAN V12s do their thing. With clear water ahead and little more than light chop to work through, the S80 demonstrated what a phenomenal engineering achievement it is. Boats this large shouldn't be able to go so fast so effortlessly! 

Out at sea, the S80 behaves like a yacht half its size. It's a classy operator with a streak of mischief, its twin 2,000hp MAN V12s pushing it to 34 knots with a calm authority that feels almost at odds with the size.

Bury the throttles and the quad turbos pause before the surge kicks in, then the hull lifts and you’re into the thirties, burning around 600 litres an hour at full chat or a far gentler 240 litres an hour at a 25-knot cruise from a 7,000-litre tank. At 20 knots, the boat leans into turns with a hint of hesitation, but at 30 knots, it comes alive, carving wide, confident arcs with a tight turning circle for something 80ft long and barely shedding speed through the sweep.

It never feels skittish; the torque is always there, and the boat holds its line with a poise that flatters the helm. The top-end number is impressive, but it’s the steady, effortless 30-knot cruising that defines it, whether you’re out in the wind at the upper helm or in the quiet cocoon of the lower one.

You can't help but grin at the sheer engineering wizardry that enables something as comfortable as a stately home to travel so comfortably at high speed. Just awesome. 

The S80 sits on the same base as the Princess Y80 and Princess X80, but this is the fast, sporty one. It is the flagship of the S Class and the most driver-focused of the three. Princess, Olesinski and Pininfarina together designed a low sportsbridge with a full sunroof, a small flybridge above and a tender garage under the aft deck.

The main deck favours a huge cockpit and open saloon ahead of formal dining, with an aft galley that faces straight out to the terrace and big glass that gives a clear line of sight from the transom to the helm.

Below, the S80 has four cabins and four bathrooms: a full-beam owner’s suite amidships, a generous VIP in the bow, a double to starboard and a twin to port that converts to a double but keeps a fixed bedside table. The crew cabin aft feels tight and lacks a true mess because the tender garage takes the prime real estate, but access to the engines sits on a higher level.

The engine room itself has good headroom between the V12s, clear access to strainers, filters and twin generators, and neat, labelled pipework that suits an 80-footer many owners will prefer to run themselves.

View all New & Used Princess S80 Yachts for sale

Why YachtBuyer’s 5-Star Award Matters