henryf
Well-Known Member
Popped into Vilamoura Marina yesterday as it’s just down the hill from where we are staying.
Lunch at Tako Sushi. Over salted lunch box, service that was so slow even a snail from the nearby French restaurant would complain. Had to ask if someone had died because the staff were so miserable. Thankfully they said it was just because they were overworked. Phew!
On the plus side the hand sink between the 2 toilets was quite nice. Gents on the left by the way - little dolls don’t give much away.
The new Sunseeker office looks resplendent so had to wander in and enquire about the impending Manhattan 52. Steve Handy very kindly spent 10 minutes with us on his way out to lunch showing us plans and some photos he had of the Cannes launch boat from a recent factory visit. A very different beast to Sunseeker’s normal fare, someone has been looking carefully at what Princess are doing.
Gone are spiral staircases in favour of more flowing steps down to the lower accommodation. From the photos headroom looks promising, windows in the saloon are large, less so in the aft galley but that allows head hight storage cabinets and a more practical galley. Full height fridge freezer opposite so it answers a lot of my normal gripes.
Still only a single saloon seating / eating area. The assumption presumably is that you will be eating in the cockpit. Possibly too cold for Northern climes, too hot for Southern heat where you seek refuge in the air conditioning. A very controversial folding helm seat which will swallow up a few column inches. We sit at the helm position as well as the upper dining and lower saloon in our P50, I feel a bit cheated upgrading to anything in the 52 foot bracket at the moment as they only seem to have a single seating area.
Bow seating which seems to be this season’s must have. Means walking on the VIP master roof light, navigating a potentially narrow side deck whilst carrying supplies - don’t expect side hand rails, and of course dealing with the searing heat. Surely the copious flybridge - and it does look a whopper, already answers this question?
Fold out BBQ on the rear transom and also a little fold out seat - one or other at a time, combine to create what SS are optimistically referring to as a beach club. BBQ obviously requires any tender or toys to be removed and it will be a bitch dealing with all the grease and fat before you fold it away prior to re-loading the tender / ski and setting off. Unlike traditional flybridge designs there didn’t look to be an accompanying fold out sink to deal with the mess.
Henry’s top tip for would be playboys entertaining the ladies with their culinary prowess on the BBQ - don’t step backwards to admire your Iceland burgers or dodge a spit of fat if the bathing platform is lowered. You will look a Muppet and might need your legs mending at A&E so keep the EHIC card handy whilst we can still use it.
“Beach Club” aside from what I saw it has the potential to be a very popular boat. You never know with Sunseeker because they’ve always sold an army of what ever is on display but miraculously still have build slots available if you wanted one, I think this time they genuinely could have a success story on their hands. Would it tempt me away from Princess? I don’t know but If I wanted to keep the boat in Vilamoura Steve and his team offer an all embracing customer experience which should afford owners that little extra arm around the shoulder which Sunseeker are so good at.
Elsewhere in the marina it was good to see there is no correlation between wealth and good taste in front of the Tivoli Marina Hotel. A matching Hummer, Ferrari, Lambo & Porsche resplendent in matt Pantone PMS-3025 (give or take) vinyl wrap left me in no doubt that the owner slept on mattress of shredded 500 euro notes.
Interesting to note that with the exception of the larger boats in front of the hotel the rest of the marina is laid out with traditional pontoon berths. Quote for a 52 foot Manhattan was something in the order of €10,500 plus Vat for the year falling to €7,800 if you commit to 5 years. Our just sub 15m P50 lists at €8,200 & €6,150 or €7,200 & €5,500 if they turn a blind eye to 7cm of beam.
Sandy beach around the corner with no doubt reassuringly expensive cabanas. A mixed bag of bodies walking around, possibly not a challenge for the beautiful people of Monaco / South of France. The CR7 shop seemed very popular. I understand it’s owned by a football player called Ronaldo someone or other. I’m thinking of approaching Josh Scowen, one of the Barnsley dream team to set up a similar retail outlet in Gunwharf Quays. He’s also played for Wycombe Wanderers, Eastourne and Hemel Hempstead so a solid fan base spanning the country.
Wherever we go in the world Buddha seems keen on letting me know what we'd look like our there...
Then back home for peace & tranquillity.
Henry
Lunch at Tako Sushi. Over salted lunch box, service that was so slow even a snail from the nearby French restaurant would complain. Had to ask if someone had died because the staff were so miserable. Thankfully they said it was just because they were overworked. Phew!
On the plus side the hand sink between the 2 toilets was quite nice. Gents on the left by the way - little dolls don’t give much away.
The new Sunseeker office looks resplendent so had to wander in and enquire about the impending Manhattan 52. Steve Handy very kindly spent 10 minutes with us on his way out to lunch showing us plans and some photos he had of the Cannes launch boat from a recent factory visit. A very different beast to Sunseeker’s normal fare, someone has been looking carefully at what Princess are doing.
Gone are spiral staircases in favour of more flowing steps down to the lower accommodation. From the photos headroom looks promising, windows in the saloon are large, less so in the aft galley but that allows head hight storage cabinets and a more practical galley. Full height fridge freezer opposite so it answers a lot of my normal gripes.
Still only a single saloon seating / eating area. The assumption presumably is that you will be eating in the cockpit. Possibly too cold for Northern climes, too hot for Southern heat where you seek refuge in the air conditioning. A very controversial folding helm seat which will swallow up a few column inches. We sit at the helm position as well as the upper dining and lower saloon in our P50, I feel a bit cheated upgrading to anything in the 52 foot bracket at the moment as they only seem to have a single seating area.
Bow seating which seems to be this season’s must have. Means walking on the VIP master roof light, navigating a potentially narrow side deck whilst carrying supplies - don’t expect side hand rails, and of course dealing with the searing heat. Surely the copious flybridge - and it does look a whopper, already answers this question?
Fold out BBQ on the rear transom and also a little fold out seat - one or other at a time, combine to create what SS are optimistically referring to as a beach club. BBQ obviously requires any tender or toys to be removed and it will be a bitch dealing with all the grease and fat before you fold it away prior to re-loading the tender / ski and setting off. Unlike traditional flybridge designs there didn’t look to be an accompanying fold out sink to deal with the mess.
Henry’s top tip for would be playboys entertaining the ladies with their culinary prowess on the BBQ - don’t step backwards to admire your Iceland burgers or dodge a spit of fat if the bathing platform is lowered. You will look a Muppet and might need your legs mending at A&E so keep the EHIC card handy whilst we can still use it.
“Beach Club” aside from what I saw it has the potential to be a very popular boat. You never know with Sunseeker because they’ve always sold an army of what ever is on display but miraculously still have build slots available if you wanted one, I think this time they genuinely could have a success story on their hands. Would it tempt me away from Princess? I don’t know but If I wanted to keep the boat in Vilamoura Steve and his team offer an all embracing customer experience which should afford owners that little extra arm around the shoulder which Sunseeker are so good at.
Elsewhere in the marina it was good to see there is no correlation between wealth and good taste in front of the Tivoli Marina Hotel. A matching Hummer, Ferrari, Lambo & Porsche resplendent in matt Pantone PMS-3025 (give or take) vinyl wrap left me in no doubt that the owner slept on mattress of shredded 500 euro notes.
Interesting to note that with the exception of the larger boats in front of the hotel the rest of the marina is laid out with traditional pontoon berths. Quote for a 52 foot Manhattan was something in the order of €10,500 plus Vat for the year falling to €7,800 if you commit to 5 years. Our just sub 15m P50 lists at €8,200 & €6,150 or €7,200 & €5,500 if they turn a blind eye to 7cm of beam.
Sandy beach around the corner with no doubt reassuringly expensive cabanas. A mixed bag of bodies walking around, possibly not a challenge for the beautiful people of Monaco / South of France. The CR7 shop seemed very popular. I understand it’s owned by a football player called Ronaldo someone or other. I’m thinking of approaching Josh Scowen, one of the Barnsley dream team to set up a similar retail outlet in Gunwharf Quays. He’s also played for Wycombe Wanderers, Eastourne and Hemel Hempstead so a solid fan base spanning the country.
Wherever we go in the world Buddha seems keen on letting me know what we'd look like our there...
Then back home for peace & tranquillity.
Henry
