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Review: Horizon V81 Motoryacht

Party Starter

Somewhere over the rainbow you'll find a new Horizon – the magnificent new V81, that is! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I was invited to enjoy a day in the luxury of this large premium cruiser surrounded by the eclectic beauty that is the Gold Coast Broadwater and offshore. It was certainly everything but peaceful, especially when the party started as the crew from JSW Powersports arrived.

I can only describe the new Horizon V81 as “65 tonnes of awesomeness!” – I’m sorry if “awesomeness” isn’t a real word but it is the best that comes to mind. Yes, I know I get excited when I find boats that I like – but hey, if I didn’t then I shouldn’t be doing this job! I’ve certainly had some fun in Horizon Motor Yachts in the past but our recent test day put the icing on the cake. 

Have you ever dreamed of wake-boarding behind an 81-foot boat? That's exactly what we did! To top it off we combined the wakes of our new V81 and its sistership, a pre-loved E73 – at sea, no less! That was just part of the action when the JSW band of thrill seekers arrived with their Malibu Wakesetter, a bunch of SeaDo’s and a mob of guests all intent on a some action, followed by a party. There’s an old sailors' motto, “what happens at sea, stays at sea!” However, I’ll tell you that we all had a blast. From this old seadog’s point of view it was terrific to actually get the feel for a boat in real life environments – not just a quick whiz around the broadwater.

This fun-filled day certainly gave me a thorough appreciation of the V81 from bow to stern. Horizon Yachts are going from strength to strength both locally and internationally and it was terrific to hear that they are seeing a huge resurgence in Western Australia, which was dragging its feet in previous years with declining mining income.

Horizon Yacht, the parent company of the Horizon Group, was founded in 1987 by CEO John Lu, who has a “deep-rooted passion for boats and a love of the ocean that stems from childhood.” He has built the Taiwanese shipyard’s capability and enhanced the overall build operation by utilising a group of dedicated subsidiary shipyards and combining their specialised practices, maximising use of specialised talents and resources.

“Under the Horizon Group, Vision Yachts produce smaller sized yachts, Horizon Yacht produces medium to large-sized yachts, and Premier Yachts produces customised and classed luxury megayachts. The fourth and final component, Atech Composites, focuses on creating stronger and lighter hulls for the three shipyards.”  Their high degree of organisation and management enables Horizon to effectively develop a large collection of the world’s most popular models from 46 to 163 feet.

Horizon claim to be the leading Asian yacht brand in the luxury megayacht market, contributing one-third of the gigantic Taiwanese yacht industry, and has elevated Taiwan as one of the world's top five luxury megayacht building nations. Horizon has been honored as "Best Asian Motor Yacht Builder" nine years in a row and is the first and only member of SYBA (Superyacht Builder's Association) from the Far East.

Back in Queensland our day started at Horizon’s Sanctuary Cove marina headquarters where I first laid eyes on the impressive line-up of new and pre-loved vessels. I must add that Horizon will trade second hand vessels, a feature all too often lacking in many dealerships and brokerages. 

The brand new V81 and a pre-loved E73 sat side by side with their crews packed for the day and eager to get moving. I took the time to thoroughly inspect the V81 on our passage toward the seaway and was delighted with the treats that unfolded. She’s a big craft of a whisker under 81-foot overall, with a waterline length of 68-foot 10, beam of 20-foot 6 and 5-foot 9 draft. The quoted 65 odd tonnes is a half-load rating with a total 7,570 litres of fuel capacity, 1,135 litres of fresh water and driven by a gutsy pair of Caterpillar C18, 18.1 litre straight 6 cylinder, turbo-charged and after cooled four-stroke, Tier 3 diesel engines supplying 1,136bhp and reaching approximately 24 knots Wide Open Throttle (WOT) and cruising at 18 knots (factory quoted).

I boarded from the submersible teak-lined platform that later became the stage for a tribe of youngsters all lapping up the warm water and sunshine. As you step up into the large aft deck you will be gobsmacked at the enticing and entirely liveable layout, appliances, décor and finishes that are unveiled.  It has a large cockpit that was aptly shaded from the warm spring sunshine where the catering was laid out on the external dinette. There’s a large cool box/fridge/freezer to keep the gang refreshed as well as enclosed cabinets for cleats and rope storage, plus aft controls. A stairwell climbs through to the extended flybridge, next to which a beautiful stainless-framed doorway flows straight into the walk through galley. 

The wide side decks are safe and easy, featuring side door boarding either side. As we progress forward a massive feature of the V81 is revealed with twin sliding doorways directly into the forward saloon area. These allow terrific ventilation and passenger flow throughout the boat, completely eliminating any feeling of enclosure as can be problematic in many cruisers. Continuing forward, we finally reach the bow enclosure complete with a U-shaped settee for outdoor entertaining, or perhaps just sun-baking on the huge sun pad. It is a terrific bow for feeling the breeze and enjoying the surrounds and is equipped with extensive ground tackle and mooring bollards, including the Maxwell VWC3500C winch, plus large lockers for fender and rope storage.

STEP INSIDE – COME ALIVE!

The hosts will experience every bit of the party entering the main galley/saloon area from the aft deck with the free flowing layout. All of the finishes are superb, with light granite bench tops, a combination of matte finish timber panelling and inlays, a light faux-timber floor, white head linings and gloss mushroom kitchen cabinets. Also overhead are a series of beautiful light fixtures plus high cabinetry, air conditioning ducting and a vast array of mood lighting. 

The presentation is top end – very practical and appealing – but I particularly liked the central bar/bench with 3 adjustable stools. It’s just a great place to sit and be entertained by the shenanigans, or maybe just to eat brekkie and read/watch the news. Galley features include a Smeg electric cooktop and convection microwave, LF French door style fridge/freezer, commercial icemaker, garbage compactor, dishwasher, large sink with mixer and a vast array of that all-important bench space.

Further forward and centrally located is the formal entertaining lounge, complete with a magnificent brown granite six seater dining table and leather chairs that are fit for royalty, and then a large beige leather lounge in the enticing saloon. Again, the huge sliding doorway either side combined with a terrific array of windows, accent mirrors and trim make an exquisite and very comfortable display that isn’t just a showpiece – it’s a versatile live-aboard, plus a functional entertainer. The second flybridge access is via a semi-spiral stairwell on the starboard.

The downstairs accommodation boasts three staterooms with matching heads and en suites, plus crew quarters aft with their own facilities. You’ll just adore the master stateroom complete with its massive queen bed running north/south. Behind the bulkhead is a full width double en suite with the large, centrally mounted shower with double entry, plus a full walk in robe. There are TV/entertainment units and superb joinery and fixtures. The plush mushroom carpets and flexible lighting soften the mood downstairs. The small coffee station just outside the master stateroom will be very welcome in the mornings!

Up front is a VIP stateroom that could well be the master. It has a similar level of quality and comfort with a queen island bed, full height hanging locker, vanity table with seat and full size en suite. Even the guest stateroom is most enticing with two large single beds, full hanging locker and its own fully equipped en suite that doubles as the downstairs day head.

Downstairs aft is a functional and spacious crew quarters, and entry to the mind blowing engine room. There’s twin bunks for the crew as well as a small galley and entertainment area, plus a large workbench. The crew also have their own en suite and kitchenette, front load washer and dryer and easily accessed switch gear – all as well trimmed as the master!

The engine room is a servicing dream world with easy access and beautifully plumbed and colour coded electricals. Our demonstration package featured two Onan 27kW generators with sound shields, 3.0kW inverter and plenty of 240 and 12 volt charging and accessories, plus CZone digital monitoring and control throughout.

Upstairs the skylounge is a treat to behold, including the helm! This is yet another huge entertainment arena with an open rear-deck that is easily large enough for a davit and tender, but in this case became a dance floor! It is catered by a small day head and a full wet bar including the Teppanyaki barbecue, fridge, sink and plenty of bench space and cabinetry surrounding a social bar.

Inside the enclosed skylounge the all-round vision is superb. It’s a comfortable, social and climate controlled layout with yet another huge U-shaped dinette and a convertible cruising lounge that transforms into a day bed, which could be very handy for the crew to rest near the skipper whilst on extended sojourns. 

The helm is simply magnificent, and very easy on the operator with a sensible array of instruments. These include a full switch panel, wipers and defrosters, VHF radio, Cat digital gauges, three Raymarine GS165 16-inch multi-function screens with 12kW 72-inch radar and 170 transducer plus Auto-pilot, Maxwell remote winch, Quick CZone control, ABT Trac Zero integrated stabilisers that operate off the same hydraulic circuit as the bow and stern thrusters, plus of course the twin STIDD skipper’s seats that will make you feel like Poseidon – king of the seas!

LET’S SAIL

For long economic voyages you will probably travel at a very pleasant 8.8 knots at 1,040rpm, where we found miserly consumption of just 25 litres per side. She finds a sweet spot at 12.2 knots at 1,410rpm where consumption increases with the hull speed to 60 litres per side. Or if you really want a thrill we found a fully loaded, trimmed and stabilised top end of around 20 knots in light offshore conditions where we raised the consumption to 205 litres per side per hour.  She handles beautifully and is easily manoeuvred in close moorings without the need for extended crew.

The full fibreglass foam-core structure combined with a high performance V-bottomed hull felt terrific as we frolicked around offshore Gold Coast. Some lounged comfortably on the bow while thrill seekers wake surfed playfully either side of the transom. 

We rafted up back inside the Broadwater where the crew settled in for some real surfing behind the Malibu whilst others darted to and fro on the SeaDoos. Some just revelled in the sunshine, others lounged and feasted in the shade. But the main party was lapping up the sunshine sitting waste deep in the warm water on the lowered transom platform. I chuckled to myself, “yet another day in paradise” –  Surfers Paradise that is!

The vibes on the pumping Yamaha sound system ranged from Fleetwood Mac to Guns and Roses, finally settling on a mind blasting force nine doof doof – it was time for me to go. What a day – what a boat – and yes, what a crew! To experience the full hospitality and performance of this wonderful vessel was a milestone in my long seagoing history.   

SEA TRIALS

Performance as tested with full load in light offshore conditions

RPM
SPEED (kts)

ECONOMY (l/hr combined)

RANGE (nm)
1040
8.8
251199
1410
12.2
601385
2180
20
205332

*Data provided by the author

SPECIFICATIONS

HORIZON V81

OPTIONS FITTED
Extensive list  

PRICE AS TESTED
$5,800,000

GENERAL
GENERAL Deep-V mono hull
MATERIAL FRP, foam core composite
TYPE Motor yacht
LENGTH 24.9m (LOA)
BEAM 6.25m
WEIGHT 64.8t with half load

CAPACITIES
PEOPLE (NIGHT) 6 plus crew
FUEL 7,570L
WATER 1,135L

ENGINE
MAKE/MODEL Twin Caterpillar C18 ACERT
TYPE Shaft drive 18.1L straight 6 cylinder, turbo-charged, after cooled 4-stroke, Tier 3 diesel engines
RATED 1,136bhp  
DISPLACEMENT 18.1L
WEIGHT (DRY) 1,332kg each

SUPPLIED BY
Horizon Yacht Australia
44c The Promenade, Sanctuary Cove QLD 4212
P (07) 5577 9009