Some striking yachts are moored on a single, relatively long L-shaped jetty in the harbour basin. In the background of the predominantly white silhouettes, one skyscraper stands next to the other, and directly behind the boats, a house with an oversized glass front and curved roof catches the eye. If you let your gaze wander further into the distance, you can see the densely overgrown green hills on the coast.
We are in Kaohsiung, the third largest city in Taiwan. Horizon Yachts invited its sales representatives, several customers and a few journalists to its home town. The Taiwanese yacht builders also presented their new V77 on site. Horizon wants to use it to conquer the American market in particular. "We are standing on a Sportfish-style superyacht," said Austin Lin at the open house event in Kaohsiung. Lin manages the Vision Shipyard, where Horizon yachts between 52 and 80 feet in size have been built since 2001.
Horizon V77: Modern interpretation with many layout options
The new V77 is based on the older V68 and yet shows the variance of the yachts built by the shipyard. The versatility of the V series from the computer of American designer Jonathan Quinn Barnett is evident in the details: due to their width, Horizon's V yachts are spacious and therefore offer a wide range of layout options. Nevertheless, the flowing lines and flexible interior layout give the rather classic design a modern interpretation. In addition, the V77 has a far less radical hull shape than many other yachts geared towards sport fishing. Above all, the V in the bow does not extend as deep as on thoroughbred Sportfisherman designs.
Over the almost 23.50 metre length of the V77, the Taiwanese from Horizon have distributed a total of four cabins on the lower deck: in addition to the suite for VIPs, there are two guest cabins, a spacious owner's cabin amidships and a compact crew cabin behind the engine room. Naturally, customers also have creative freedom here and can have the rooms divided up entirely according to their preferences. The owner sleeps on an XXL bed on the V77 construction number ten available to us, while a 43-inch TV provides multimedia entertainment. Another special feature is the walk-in wardrobe, which is otherwise rarely found on ships in the 75-foot range. The design of the bathroom is characterised by the white marble floor and an impressive amount of space.
Many cosy lounge areas
A special attribute of the revised Horizon model are the four large dining tables on board, where the New Zealand owners can enjoy their meals with up to eight guests. The skylounge at the very top not only includes the helm station with two captain's chairs, but also a cosy seating area on an L-shaped sofa. The all-round view is excellent thanks to the large window panels. The adjoining upper aft deck with its bar, two bar stools and a barbecue provides the perfect ambience for relaxed evenings in a small group. The V77, which cost around 4.2 million euros, offers a variety of cosy lounge areas where small groups can relax. This also applies to the foredeck, where a large sunbathing area has been planned alongside a table and sofa.
The saloon is spacious, which is particularly noticeable when you enter through the large darkened door from the cockpit. A cosy seating area on the starboard side welcomes guests, with the open-plan galley directly behind it. A white marble counter with bar stools serves as a room divider. Lunch or dinner is taken at the very front, with a U-shaped sofa providing seating for eight people. Dark walnut wood dominates the furnishings at the owner's request. On the port side of the saloon, there is a staircase at the front to access the lower deck; opposite, seven steps lead to the skylounge and the helm station. The 835-kilowatt Caterpillar C18A engines, which reliably push the 55-tonner across the sea, are controlled from there. The diesel tanks have a capacity of 4542 litres, which enables a range of around 570 nautical miles at a moderate cruising speed of ten knots.
Fishing rods stand in eight holders, two saltwater tanks hold live bait
The aft deck of the Horizon V77 was designed for sport fishing
Great importance was attached to sport fishing in many areas of the V77 layout. There is a fish tank on the aft cockpit so that the swordfish and tuna caught can be stowed away properly. There are eight holders for fishing rods, which can all be used simultaneously for trolling thanks to the different angles. Owners who are after larger fish can have fighting chairs installed on the aft deck. Two live bait tanks are of course a must on board.
When a fish bites, the tailgate is lowered so that the catch can be hoisted on board more easily on the resulting platform. Horizon has also installed a crushed ice machine at the stern so that the fish caught can be cooled quickly and stored on ice. The open-plan aft deck offers plenty of comfortable seating, making it the favourite place on board - very close to the water.
Technical data Horizon V77
- Length over everything: 23,47 m
- Length (hull shape): 21,45 m
- Width: 5,93 m
- Depth: 1,64 m
- Displacement: 55,27 t
- Material: GRP
- Motors: 2 x Twin CAT C18A
- Engine power: 2 x 835.53 kW
- Speed (max.): 23.6 kn
- Speed (travelling): 10 kn
- Generators: 2 x Cummins Onan 29 kW
- Fuel: 4542 l
- Water: 1136 l
- Navigation: Garmin
- Construction: Horizon Yachts
- Exterior design: Horizon Yachts, Jonathan Quinn Barnett
- Interior design: Horizon Yachts
- Class: CE "A"
- Shipyard: Horizon Yachts, 2023
- Starting price: from 4.18 million euros
