"Please don't go so fast," warns our companion, who is worried about her back. But her worries are unfounded. For one thing, the test area, the Bay of Kotor, is almost always free of waves, and for another, we are moving almost nine tonnes through the water over a length of 11.40 metres. The "Antagonist", which translates as "opponent" or "adversary", literally cuts through the water like a knife through warm butter.
The rev counter now moves steadily to the right. At 2000 rpm, we exceed the 10-knot mark, at just under 3000 rpm it is 15 knots and at 3500 rpm, at a steady glide, it is already 34 knots. The 275 kW Yanmar diesels (8LV-370) turn up to 3800 rpm, the "Antagonist" is now travelling at 40 knots and consumes 145 litres per hour.
In terms of performance, construction and design, the new dayboat from the Serbian shipyard Art of Kinetik
its bigger sister, the almost 20 metre long "Hedonist" (see issue 1/11). The Belgrade shipyard presented its unconventional concept with this boat almost three years ago: Boats from the Balkans, built from mahogany and with a martial design that makes many men's hearts beat faster; shipyard manager Nikola Jancevski already employs almost 60 people for this: "The owners have been waiting to see if we can survive on the market. Now we are even producing tenders for a large Heesen."
This first "Antagonist", on the other hand, is used by its owner as a shuttle between the hotspots in the Bay of Kotor. There is enough space on board for seven passengers, who even have access to an air-conditioned slip cabin with shower in the bow. Sun protection is provided by an extremely UV-repellent sail, which remains firmly lashed down even at full speed; and in the marina, we were very impressed by Yanmar's Easy Operating System when casting off. We have cautious criticism of the use of a little too much stainless steel in the cockpit (hot, dazzling) and the restricted view from the passenger seat.
