131 Motor Yacht
The Sunseeker Manhattan 70 is a 73-foot luxury motor yacht with a flybridge that was produced by British yacht-building firm Sunseeker between 2008 and 2010. The flagship of the Manhattan line of yachts when launched, the Manhattan 70 filled a market niche for stylish vessels with the sort of capacity and luxury you would expect from a super-yacht, while still being compact and nimble enough to be piloted by owner-operators. A best-seller across its three years of production for Sunseeker, this graceful yacht continues to be in high demand on the used and charter markets thanks to its proven seaworthiness, masses of outdoor space and opulent interiors.
The open-air flybridge on the Manhattan 70 is large enough to boast three distinct seating areas across its teak-lined deck, with a sunlounge to the rear with stern-facing views sitting neatly underneath the radar arch. At the center of the bridge there is a hand-stitched U-shaped leather sofa surrounding an extending timber dining table, while at the very front there is a full-beam sunpad and a loveseat protected from spray by a tinted Venturi-style windscreen. Yet that’s not all you will discover up here, as an L-shaped wet-bar console to starboard comes fitted with a Gaggenau electric grill, an icemaker and Vitrofrigo refrigerated storage, while the upper helm with its own seats provides a superb place for al-fresco piloting.
Enjoy the breeze while you sunbathe out on the foredeck’s three-pad modular sunbed with adjustable headrests, or, for more sheltered entertaining, head to the aft-cockpit, where a transom sofa will offer you hours of refined comfort. Side steps back here lead to a full-beam hydraulic swimming platform with a passarelle that can also be used to safely store a Williams jet tender.
Sliding glass doors lead you into a sedate main deck salon with panoramic side windows, upholstered wall panels, leather seating and surfaces in your choice of glazed teak, lacquered cherry or atmospheric dark American walnut. There are sofas galore in here, along with coffee tables, cabinets and a hidden HD TV display that pops up at the touch of a button. The front half of the internal cockpit has been broken up into a series of dramatic and practical spaces, with a dining table for up to eight sitting by the port-side tear-drop windows, and a partially enclosed galley with granite surfaces, a four-zone hob, an American fridge-freezer, a convection oven and a stainless-steel sink to starboard. The main deck helm sits in a private wheelhouse, and features Furuno or Raymarine electronics, hydraulic steering, trim-tab controls, Side Power bow thrusters, NavNet 3D, Besenzoni helm chairs, a walnut fascia dashboard and superb visibility.
On the lower-deck there is room for up to eight overnight guests across four exquisitely appointed en-suite cabins, including a bunk berth, a twin room and a master double stateroom to the bow with a skylight. The pick of the bunch down here, however, is the full-beam owner’s stateroom, where a king-sized bed, a side sofa, a work-desk, hanging closets and mullioned scallop-shell windows await, along with a sizeable bathroom that impresses with stone flooring, steel Hansgrohe fixtures and a waterfall shower cubicle.
The Sunseeker Manhattan 70 can reach top speeds edging over 35 knots thanks to a pair of MAN V12 diesel inboard engines, while at cruising speeds of 18 knots you can expect a range of over 330 nautical miles. A GRP deep-V hull tested on the turbulent waters of the English Channel proves balanced and efficient at speed, while a set of Side Power stabilizers eliminate roll while at anchor.
