“I wouldn’t even call it a tender. It’s more like a small superyacht.”
So says Sebastian Allebrodt, the owners’ representative for the Xtender 16.1m. He makes the analogy because the 52’8” (16.1-meter) boat was commissioned with a naval architect and interior designer, as a custom project no less. The Xtender 16.1m was created by Xtenders for an owner who thrills to speed and simultaneously wants more range than most. Equally important, he doesn’t want to be bounced around uncomfortably while doing so.
The hull design for the Xtender 16.1m comes from Dubois Naval Architects. Because it’s intended to be stowable, it’s low-profile. Xtenders says it can top out at 50 knots with triple Yanmar diesels and deliver a 500-nautical-mile range at a still-speedy 25 knots. All-carbon-fiber construction, which Xtenders focuses on, contributes to the performance ability. Xtenders says the Xtender 16.1m weighs just 11 tons. (For comparison, some similar-size, all-fiberglass center consoles, popular with many megayachts as towable tenders, can weigh 14 tons.)
For comfort both for the captain and passengers, there are shock-absorbing seats. Still on the subject of comfort, if guests are seeking shade, Xtenders says the sun awning can remain in place even while the Xtender 16.1m is zipping along at 40 knots. When not needed, it stows beneath the aft sunbed. The custom fenders and lines stow away simply, too, in handy hatches. Speaking of hatches, parts of the aft bulwarks fold down (above) to expand usable space while at anchor.
Inside, Barcelona-based GCA Architects kept carbon fiber as a visible design element, offset by white fabrics. A galley is here for convenience, as is a day head and a berth that converts to a settee. The owner of the Xtender 16.1m wanted a space where he and his guests could enjoy some more shade and/or privacy. (Note that Xtenders builds all of its tenders on a custom basis.)
When you realize the CEO of Xtenders knows a thing or two about speed and structure, the client’s commissioning of the Xtender 16.1m makes all the more sense. That CEO is Herbert Dercksen, a three-time Olympic multihull sailor and founder of the Extreme 40 catamaran racing class.
Leave a Reply