Considering that the first four hulls sold before the Sunseeker 131 Yacht touched water in 2016, it looked like this builder had a winner on its hands. Now with closer to a dozen signed, the British boatbuilder is sitting confidently. The second-largest offering in the Yacht series (topped only by the Sunseeker 155 Yacht), the 131 Yacht employs a technical platform from a previously successful series. Simultaneously, she offers newer creature comforts, and a lifestyle experience in keeping with current cruising trends. All the while, she attracts buyers who, regardless of their boating history, want to feel as comfortable afloat as they do at home.
The owners of Zozo, hull number one, and the recently delivered Take 5, hull four (plus the first in American waters), are each repeat clients. They both stepped up in size to this model, largely based on the retired Sunseeker 40 Metre Yacht. While the 131 Yacht shares that model’s LOA, she has a longer upper deck and sundeck.Borrowing the 40 Metre Yacht’s hull, the Sunseeker 131Yacht sees a maximum speed up to 25 knots, depending on the Volvo Penta IPS powerplants selected. She’s not all speed, however. She can cover 1,500 nautical miles at 10 knots, too.One primary idea behind the 131 Yacht was to make the trideck’s interior feel more connected with the surrounding ocean environment. The nearly floor-to-ceiling windows, along with notched-out bulwarks, help immensely.Sunseeker’s Bespoke service, for models measuring 95 feet and larger, means buyers get tremendous leeway in tailoring the interior. This applies to wood and marble soles (shown) vs. carpeting, as much as it does getting unusual one-of-a-kind art pieces. In fact, Sunseeker’s in-house department created a waterfall wall, with changing colored lighting, in Take 5’s skylounge.The Bespoke service also applies to the configuration. The standard 131 Yacht layout calls for a party of 10 in the main-deck master (shown), boasting those big side ports, and four guest staterooms below decks. Alternately, you can request berths for 12.The last thing you might expect is for a megayacht owner to want to pick out the helm chairs personally. Take 5’s owner did, selecting Besenzoni seats. Other owners even got involved in selecting the helm electronics.
Sunseeker has plenty of company when it comes to inviting buyers to customize the relaxation spaces. The degree to which these same customers take advantage of it, however, is noteworthy. As mentioned, some select the helm electronics, and even the seats. Most, though, keep their focus on the creature comforts that immediately impact their life aboard. But even then, personally picking out silks to snakeskin, and requesting wood soles where the planks form intricate patterns, is a level of intense involvement. It’s intense involvement for Sunseeker, too. But the builder wouldn’t have it any other way.
Diane M. Byrne is the founder and editor of the daily updated website Megayacht News. A longtime yachting writer, she also contributes to Yachts International, Boat Exclusive, and other magazines. She is additionally a member of the International Superyacht Society Board of Directors and Vice Chair of the U.S. Superyacht Association.
