Grand discovery
Grand Banks Yachts confirms the capability of its new flagship, the Grand Banks 85, with its first sea trial.
25 March 2021
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Grand Banks Yachts has confirmed its flagship, the 25.9-metre Grand Banks 85, has completed its first preliminary sea trial. According to a statement, the vessel managed to reach a long-distance cruising rate of 21 knots and fast cruising speed range of 1000 nautical miles.
The results of the preliminary sea trials of the first hull reflect the primary objective of the build: to deliver the most fuel-efficient, high-speed, long-range cruiser of this size in the world.
Grand Banks Yachts CEO Mark Richards said during the preliminary test that Hull 1 exceeded expectations. Like the entire range of the new generation of Grand Banks, Hull 1 “ran flat and pushed very little water, demonstrating the superior efficiency of the V-shaped warped-hull design.”
“It’s incredibly exciting to tick this box right out of the gate on what is not yet even the official sea trial,” he added.
Hull 1 is powered with twin 1,000-hp Volvo IPS 1350s, while twin 1,000-hp, 6-cylinder D13s with straight shafts are available as a no-charge option. Additional engine options are also being evaluated.
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With a hull built with a vacuum-infused E-Glass and carbon fibre throughout its structural areas, then cored with Corecell and Airex foam, the Grand Banks 85 is both light and dexterous. A feature evident in both its cruising speeds and its remarkable half-load displacement of 49 tonnes.
This lighter weight contributes to this feature, complementing the warped-plane hull design – the latter reducing the wetted surface and keeping the full waterline in the water.
This hull design by Grand Banks Yachts has become a proven concept throughout the range, evident in 2017 with the Grand Banks 60. Wishing to reaffirm its performance projections, Grand Banks Yachts tank-tested the 85’s warped-plane hull form at the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania, which, according to Richards, was a success.
“[After] running the 85, I’m over the moon to state that yet again we’ve moved to an entirely different level.”
The success of the first hull and the potential in the Grand Banks 85 reflects the recent success for the Australian brand, including their incorporation of technologies to simultaneously reduce weight and increase strength as well as the renovation of their 550,000-square-foot factory.
“To see what she could do in a real-world situation was a real treat,” Richards said. “We’re not surprised, of course, but that doesn’t make her performance any less thrilling to behold. She’s going to change the game.”
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