{"id":46461,"date":"2015-05-13T11:24:58","date_gmt":"2015-05-13T10:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/?post_type=review&p=46461"},"modified":"2019-07-08T15:24:04","modified_gmt":"2019-07-08T14:24:04","slug":"linssen-grand-sturdy-52-9-review","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/reviews\/steel-boats\/linssen-grand-sturdy-52-9-review","title":{"rendered":"Linssen Grand Sturdy 52.9 review"},"content":{"rendered":"

In many ways, the new Linssen Grand Sturdy 52.9<\/strong> flagship is just like every other Linssen you are likely to have seen during the last decade.<\/p>\n

Sturdy steel construction, substantial headroom and berth lengths, exceptionally safe decks to move around on, and a top speed that only eclipses ten knots when the wind is in the right direction.<\/p>\n

However, this particular Linssen also comes with a far-reaching reworking of the Dutch company\u2019s usual aft cabin formula.<\/p>\n

Although this boat is only 1.3 metres longer than its Grand Sturdy 500 sibling, the extra length has allowed Linssen to reserve the roomy mid-height saloon exclusively for lounging duties, and then site the galley and the adjacent dinette further aft, between the owner\u2019s en-suite cabin and the saloon, rather than in its usual position forward.<\/p>\n

\"Linssen<\/a>

Linssen Grand Sturdy 52.9 AC Wheelhouse saloon<\/p><\/div>\n

The designers have left both areas open to the saloon above, and it\u2019s notable that in scale this spacious galley is in a different league to its predecessors. The only significant loss to ponder is the view out from the dinette.<\/p>\n

There are a couple of portholes alongside, but they\u2019re only small, so they can\u2019t even begin to provide the view that you would get from a dinette sited upstairs in the saloon \u2013 for that panorama you need to head out into the 52.9\u2019s dinette in the cockpit.<\/p>\n

The fit out itself \u2013 joinery, head-linings, panelling and so on \u2013 is comparatively unsophisticated for a boat costing north of a million pounds, the real joy comes with the practical goodies such as double glazed windows and under-floor heating.<\/p>\n

For those inclined to swap the sunroof and hardtop of the wheelhouse version that we tested, there\u2019s the crowning glory of Linssen\u2019s optional electric folding roof \u2013 the Variotop \u2013 which turns the pilothouse into a completely open air affair.<\/p>\n

Performance<\/h2>\n

Flat out, we achieved a whisker under 10 knots with the standard issue 180hp Volvo D4 shaft drive engines. However, it\u2019s far better to lose a couple of knots and cruise at around 8 knots, at which point the noise from the engines becomes a whisper and the fuel consumption plummets to give the lucky driver a range exceeding 700 miles.<\/p>\n

\"Linssen<\/a>

Linssen Grand Sturdy 52.9 AC Wheelhouse master cabin<\/p><\/div>\n

Every now and then, when a boat builder jumps a single rung up with a new model, nothing much happens. The cabins and all the other compartments receive a little boost in size, but sometimes there just isn\u2019t quite the space inside to achieve anything of note, let alone something impressive.<\/p>\n

In this case, though, although Linssen\u2019s new 52.9 is only 9% longer than its outgoing flagship (the Grand Sturdy 500) the result has been a spectacular reworking and expansion of the interior spaces.<\/p>\n