Sunseeker’s tri-deck sibling to the Ocean 90 offers exceptional living space, particularly in the new enclosed upper deck. But how does a boat with such a broad footprint perform at sea? Hugo Andreae finds out
Before you think we’ve lost the plot and suddenly started testing 55m superyachts we should probably explain that the Sunseeker Ocean 182 is not 182ft long. It’s not even close. Its actual LOA is 88ft 11in – exactly the same as the Sunseeker Ocean 90, with which it shares a hull and drivetrain. It’s only from the main deck upwards that things start to differ, making it all the more confusing why these two closely related siblings use such different model designations.
The reason comes down to consumer expectations; based on length alone the pricing of the Ocean 182 looks out of kilter with 90ft models from rival brands but switch the measurement to volume (182 gross tonnes) and thanks to its wide beam and enclosed upper deck, it looks much more competitive. The only trouble is that most people have no idea what gross tonnage is and few other yards quote the figure in their literature so it’s all a bit academic anyway.
The key thing you need to know is that the 182 (and Ocean 90) is an exceptionally beamy boat; at 23ft 6in it is 15in wider than a Princess X95 and over 2ft wider than a Riva 90 Argo. Thanks to a near vertical stem, it also carries that beam a lot further forward than normal, creating valuable extra cabin space in the bow. But the real game changer is the new enclosed upper deck that doesn’t just create another entire ‘room’ up top but enables the main helm to move up there too, freeing up yet more space on the main deck.
That all adds up to a lot of extra interior volume, but the bigger question is what that space is used for and how it affects performance, because unlike the Princess X-Class or Ferretti Infynito, the hull was originally designed as a two-deck flybridge boat and it was only when customers started asking whether the upper deck could be enclosed that it was adapted into this tri-deck model. The result is not one of Sunseeker’s prettiest boats but to be fair to its designers the end result looks remarkably well integrated if a little top heavy – an unavoidable consequence of its relatively short LOA. It’s not as if either of its key competitors are world renowned beauties after all, even with the advantage of being clean sheet designs.
Any misgivings you may have about the 182’s exterior soon evaporate once you step onboard. All the things that made the Ocean 90 so appealing, such as the expansive two-tier beach club, clever X-tend s
