As the global launch of the new S50 rapidly approaches, several development standout elements are coming into sharp focus.
# The S50 Takes Shape
Australian motor yacht builder Maritimo is fine-tuning what it describes as the most definitive sedan model in its history ahead of a global launch that will see two distinctly different versions unveiled on opposite sides of the Pacific this year.
With tooling underway on the hardtop and the newly designed boot and entertainment console that extends the cockpit space, the builder is applying lessons learned from its M50 development programme. Just as it did with that larger model, Maritimo will retain the first S50 for six months of real-world testing and demonstration along the Australian coast before it heads to the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May.
Phil Candler, Operations Manager at Maritimo, explains the value of keeping the first build in-house: “We learned so much by having the first M50 for seven months. It travelled extensively along the Australian east coast, going up to the Great Barrier Reef and down to Sydney. This process helps tremendously with sales when people can get up close and spend time on the actual boat.”
The debut S50 will feature twin Volvo Penta 800hp units and sport an oak timber interior. A second hull is already planned for the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in October, this time powered by twin 1000hp Volvo Penta D13 engines that should push the boat into the low 30-knot range. That vessel will feature a satin walnut fitout and a coloured hull and hardtop, before spending six months on the US East Coast.
What sets the S50 apart is a shifted focus on liveable cockpit space. An extra 300mm of width addresses feedback from clients who want to spend extended periods aboard without climbing to a bridge deck, and the ability to stow a tender inside the boot opens new cruising possibilities. The redesigned swim platform now retracts higher while maintaining overall length.
Candler notes that the sedan market is evolving. “The average age of our clients has become much younger. Sedan motor yachts have a very different look and appeal, making it easier for people to step up from outboard craft in the 35 to 45-foot range.” US-based owners already cruise everywhere from the Great Lakes to the Bahamas annually, and the S50 is designed with that extended cruising lifestyle in mind.
