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[ MUST-HAVE TRENDS ]
by Fabio Petrone
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Brimming with personality, lobster boats stand out from the crowd because of their uniquely curvy lines. Perfect for day cruising, they have become genuine style icons in their native US. Because of their vintage chic, their elegance. But mostly because they are a hymn to the pleasures of navigation. Here are the latest models designed
Some of the modern lobster boats even have flys, the case in point being the Palm Beach 70 from the eponymous Australian yard: beneath its classic styling, beats the heart of a genuinely high tech craft with a carbon-fibre construction
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[ MUST HAVE TRENDS ]
S
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ome people use them for Sunday spins, others for floating
The traditional lobster boat design has evolved and they have come
picnics with friends. Others still find them perfect for
to symbolise an understated kind of elegance and luxury based less
chugging over to restaurants on a nearby islands to try out
on ostentation than on quality construction, hard wood fit-outs, and
their clam chowder. Lobster boats are virtually car replacement
the kind of meticulous detailing to guarantees comfort no matter
vehicles in the States. Iconic craft with soft rounded lines, a large
what the weather or sea.
cockpit, low wheelhouse and shallow draft. They are hymn to a
Today, lobster boats have ventured far beyond the confines of the
more leisurely pace of life and the pleasure of getting out to sea.
American East Coast and travelled South and West too. They have
They began life as professional fishing boats in Maine in the US
crossed oceans becoming a niche trend on the world traditional
but gradually gained a strong following in the pleasure yacht world
boat market. They are built internationally now as they have even
because of their signature East Coast design. Their technical prowess
garnered a place on the lists of Australian and European yards.
has also helped their popularity over the years – they are everywhere
Further East and Middle East too – just think of the elegant Vicems
at this stage – and they have very much made the transition from
from Turkey of which the Vicem 50 is the latest iteration.
working vessels to pleasure craft. A similar story to that of the gozzo
The lobster boat pioneer here in Italy was Norberto Ferretti who
in Italy which evolved from rather rough and ready work horses into
was the first to spot their potential at the turn of the millennium
much-loved inshore pleasure boats.
He launched Mochi Craft’s Dolphin range of lobster boat-inspired
Iconic craft with a soft, rounded design, a large cockpit and a low wheelhouse. Modern lobster boats are very popular in their native US. Some owners used them for Sunday spins, others almost as a runabout
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[ MUST-HAVES TRENDS ]
models just after it joined the Ferretti Group. Designed in
Above, the Dolphin 54. Designed by Victory Design, it was
collaboration with Victory Design, the Dolphin 51 was the first
an Italian-style lobster launched by Maxi Dolphin in the
lobster boat whose design and technology were moulded specifically
very early 2000s. Page opposite, top, the Vendetta, the
to suit Italian tastes rather than those of the American East Coast.
model designed by the singer Billy Joel and designer Doug
Importantly they also offered extensive personalisation options,
Zurn. Below, clockwise from left, the Vicem 50 from Vicem
including a pastel colour palette.
Yachts of Turkey; the elegant Hinkley 35, from that most
In 2005, singer Billy Joel and lobster boat designer and builder Doug
sophisticated of US builders; the Eastbay 44 from Grand
Zern joined forces and designed the Vendetta, a 57 footer with a
Banks Yachts – here the emphasis is on interior space
marvellously rounded torpedo stern and later followed it up with a very successful series. Today there are fantastic models on the market that retain many
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of the traditional lobster boat peculiarities such as the very low
superstructure that leaves plenty of room for a large cockpit. The
wheelhouse and raked sheer line that results in the stern being
latter also covers around half the boat’s length and has low sides.
very low on the water (to make the work of the lobster fishermen
Only powerful outboard engines or water jets hint that this is a very
easier in the past) but also give the design a modern twist. Grand
modern, very high tech craft indeed.
Banks Yachts, which is headquartered in the US but builds in
To keep in step with the times, some lobster boats even have fly
Malaysia and Singapore, developed the Eastbays by changing the
versions, particular the larger ones. The Palm Beach 70 from Palm
deck superstructure, making it longer on the Eastbay 44 to offer a
Beach Motor Yachts in Australia has a main deck that looks very like
larger interior living area.
an offshore fisherman. But behind the classic styling is, once again,
But when it comes to the perfect mix of the Down East formal
a very high tech boat with a construction that features extensive
purity and ultramodern technical elements, it is impossible
carbon-fibre infused with vinylester resin to reduce weight and
not to think of Hinckley, the great symbol of North American
boost robustness.
building at its most sophisticated. Its 35, for instance, ticks several
To sum up, lobster boats have very much earned themselves a place
professional lobster boat boxes for many: it has a flat flush deck
amongst the other nautical design icons. Because they are perfect
interrupted only by a small central wheelhouse with a compact
for just about anything you want them to do.
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