Knot a yacht to sniff at

A shaft-drive version of Pershing's 50-knot (57mph) surface-drive motor yacht, the Pershing 50, made its UK debut at this month's London Boat Show.

With two 800hp MAN diesel engines, the vessel can hit 37 knots flat out and will cruise at 32 all day on full tanks.

It costs £700,000, whereas the surface-drive version, with twin 900hp MAN diesels, is £806,000, and can achieve a top speed of 46 knots.

The craft's main deck transforms from an open cockpit to an all-weather bridge and saloon by opening the carbon-fibre hardtop. Below decks there is a sizeable, eight-seater dining saloon and a fully-fitted galley. The vessel is fitted with gloss-lacquered woodwork, which contrasts with the neutral decor. The master suite, with its own facilities, is in the bow while the two guest cabins share the second bathroom.

The overall length of the yacht is 51ft 11in (about 16m), and it has a maximum beam of 14ft 2in. It has a displacement, unladen, of 18.8 tonnes and a 925-gallon (4,000-litre) capacity fuel tank.

Performance is estimated with the vessel experiencing a standard displacement of 20.33 tonnes, one third of a load, a clean hull, good weather and an air temperature of 25°C.