IF all the W, T, C range of Nimbus sportsboats, the new T8 is the one we were most looking forward to testing. It may be the smallest of the bunch at 26ft 9in (8.15m) long but with up to 300hp hanging off the transom and a very tidy-looking twin step hull, it should also be the fastest and most agile.
Two other factors make it of particular interest to sportsboat fans; it’s considerably more affordable than the other models, with a starting price of £87,142, and it’s trailable. Just. You’ll need a braked twin-axle trailer and a car with a towing capacity of around 3,500kg but its maximum beam of2.6m sneaks under the EU’s limit of a 2.3mwide trailer with up to 30cm overhangs on each side. The Axopar 28, at 2.95m, doesn’t.
So it’s small enough to tow on the road if you want to explore further afield or store it in a shed over winter, it’s powerful enough to pull water-skiers and wakeboarders, yet it’s also spacious enough to serve as both a party platform for day guests and a comfortable overnighter for a couple thanks to a goodsized cuddy cabin with a separate heads compartment and a permanent double bed. It sounds almost too good to be true but does it actually deliver as much hoped out at sea?
DECK DESIGN
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
There can be very few boats that have appeared three times at the Southampton Boat Show and been sold off the stand each time.
INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
ΧΟ EXPLR 44
Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
Instead of whiling away their retirement playing bowls, Rob and Shona Adams decided to invest their time and money in a classic Silver gentleman's yacht. Would the gamble pay off?
PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...