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The 200-Horsepower Vanquish Vanqraft VQ16 Is a Boat-Sized Jet Ski

By Mike Richard Apr 21, 2021 2:18 AM

We’ll assume your marine garage is already overflowing with see-through kayaks, a custom DeLorean Hovercraft, waverunners for everyone in the house, and maybe even a speedboat submarine. But, do you have a dayboat-sized Jet Ski? Netherlands-based Vanquish Yachts is betting not, but they know you want one.

Vanquish Yachts calls its luxurious, all-new Vanqraft VQ16 “a crossover between a superyacht tender and a water scooter.” We call it a boat-sized Jet Ski. It’s not quite a dayboat and not quite a waverunner, but rather a weird amalgamation of the two. With the capacity to haul one pilot plus four friends, it bears a resemblance to a compact sporty dayboat. Twin seats at the bow offer the best views in the house, while the pilot straddles a Jet-Ski-like helm in the middle, and two padded seats are mounted at the rear.

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Jet-Ski-inspired controls, however, give it a distinct look and ride that’s clearly built for speed. Vanquish outfitted the new performance watercraft with a 1.8L Yamaha engine with jet propulsion pushing 200 horsepower. That’s good for 40 knots (46 miles per hour for landlubbers) in the standard model and a blistering 50 knots (57 miles per hour) in the supercharged Veloce version. It’ll even track in reverse if you wind up somewhere you’re not supposed to be.

Vanquish worked closely with Dutch naval experts at Studio Delta and Guido de Groot Design to refine the build and aesthetic. The result is a modern design that slots nicely into Vanquish’s catalog of aggressive, angular, futuristic performance yachts. The sharply raked hull is also built from fiberglass to keep weight to a minimum. So, it’s not only fast but great on gas as well.

Custom pricing for the Vanqraft V16 is available upon request. Rumor has it the base model retails for a very-un-Jet-Ski-like price of just under $90,000. For that money, you could score a well-equipped 2020 Corvette Stingray and two Jet Skis with beer money to spare.

If you’re in the market for a luxury dayboat that’s sleeker, quieter, and more eco-friendly yet still able to make a statement, check out the Q30 electric yacht from Finland’s Q Yachts.

Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He’s kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South… Read Full Bio

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Car, Transportation, Vehicle

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Auto Racing, Car, Formula One

My first vehicle was a 1988 Ford Ranger. It was small, reliable, and the perfect first car. However, I wasn’t allowed to park it in the driveway at home because it went through as much oil as it did gas. The leak was bad enough that I had to check and refill the oil once a week. The same cadence as the gas tank. That was where I learned the importance of fluids for cars. McLaren hits the Formula 1 tracks across the globe with that importance at the forefront of mind as they compete for the championship, and will now be teaming with Motul to take their collaboration for the world’s most reliable lubricant to the world of endurance racing. From the high stress of speed in Formula 1 to the endurance of long-distance racing, the perfect bespoke lubricant is on the way.

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