Catalina 26
The Chris-Craft Launch 35 GT is a 37-foot luxury runabout yacht that was launched by Michigan’s iconic boat-building company Chris-Craft in 2020. A classic bowrider form with a flared entry and a tumblehome feel to aft takes direct inspiration from the classic day-boats of the 1930s, while lavish on-deck materials include teak brightwork, mahogany surrounds, bespoke steel fixtures and plush diamond-stitched upholstery. Though the looks may be sedate and demure, the performance is pulsating. A fiberglass deep-V hull, modern electronics and your choice of powerful stern-drive or outboard engines give this yacht a speedy and sporty dimension that most heritage-styled vessels cannot match. Ideal for a spin around Capri or a blast down the Hudson River, you will also see this classic-contemporary model eating up the yards on inland lake settings.
A walk-through pane in the tempered glass windshield affords access into a sleek bow-lounge defined by comfort and panache. Ease back into the hand-stitched, leather-effect and hook-shaped sofa that traces the contours of the bow-lounge itself, and enjoy integrated cup-holders and hidden speakers linked to the yacht’s Fusion stereo system. There are cushioned backrests attached to the gunwale, while a trio of sloping backrests, and the addition of a filler-cushion, mean this area can be utilized as three elegant chaise-longues. There’s hidden storage beneath the cushions for sporting gear and a chill-box for your drinks, adding to the sense of convenience out here.
Back in the seagrass or teak-lined cockpit there is a plush L-shaped transom sofa with an extending timber-topped dining table and an under-seat fridge, while across from this there is a twin love-seat and a wet-bar station with amenity options like a sink and a grill. The aft portion of the sofa, meanwhile, operates as a rumble seat with a sliding backrest that connects to a stern-facing sunpad to increase your adaptable seating options. A single step down then leads to a full-beam teak-lined bathing platform with a swim ladder, a ski pylon, a sports lazarette and a polished flag-pole.
Old-world touches at the helm give a sense of opulence, with a glossy mahogany-lined fascia, a mahogany and leather steering wheel, chrome-lined gauges, a steel trumpet horn, a sinuous dashboard and leather-clad piloting seats on offer. Modern electronics include an Axius Helm Master or Penta joystick, a Yamaha CL7 touch-screen, an oversized Garmin touch-screen with bundled instrumentation, bow thruster controls, power-assist on the wheel, a high-speed compass and digital throttles. Add a surf package to this boat to enjoy a ten-inch Volvo Wake Sport Glass Cockpit with Wake WorX surf-tabs linked to a Volvo forward-drive engine for a dash of sporty finesse.
There are also some hidden amenities across the deck, including a starboard dive-door and entrances built into the helm console that lead down to a lower-deck cabin with a sofa that doubles as a bed, and a private head compartment with a toilet, a mirror and a ceramic bowl sink, perfect for catching some rest or freshening up, respectively.
Top-of-the-range engine options include a twin-set of 425HP Yamaha outboard motors, triple Mercury Verado V8 outboards or a pair of 430HP Volvo V8 6.2L diesel stern-drives. Expect top speeds not far off the 50-knot mark, with silky smooth cruising speeds in the high-20 knot range. A 185-gallon fuel tank has been optimized to keep you out on the water all day long, a while a deep-V hull with a 22-degree transom deadrise delivers a dry and balanced ride.
