Cobra Nautique 9.5m PRICE £135,000 TOP SPEED 53 knots 0-40 KNOTS 5.7 seconds


enough to thrill with a top speed comfortably over 50 knots and plenty of mid-range grunt for instant acceleration, this is a wonderfully accessible sportsboat with more than a hint of luxury about it. The hull is an evolution of the original


G


Picton Cobra design that has been lengthened to 9.6m and sharpened from an already deep 23° transom deadrise to a properly sharp 26°. The result is a really comfortable, usable hull that still has room on board for all the usual seating and lockers you’d expect of a family oriented boat. Stepping straight from the


iven that the Pascoe sits at one extreme of the RIB family and the Shearwater at the other, then the Cobra sits somewhere between the two. Fast


as the right-handed throttles, not least because there is nowhere obvious to brace your wrist while adjusting the twin throttles in a lumpy sea. The good news is that the hull feels very


Goldfi sh into the Cobra was quite a culture shock, not least because of the wildly different engine characteristics. Whereas the Goldfi sh’s diesel inboard takes a while for the turbo to kick in, the twin 300hp Yamaha outboards provide instantaneous shove the second you apply the throttle. The other surprise is that unlike most of


everything from watersports to joy rides or lengthy cruises


rounder, it’s the perfect tool for


A rapid all-


forgiving in almost any sea with a nice soft ride and a securely planted feel. On the run from Ventnor to St Catherine’s Point, it felt most comfortable running at a steady 40-45 knots, leaping off the back of the chop and fl ying straight and true with little more than a rise in the exhaust note as evidence of its transformation from boat to plane. It may not have the top-end pace of the lighter, slimmer, stepped- hull boats but 52 knots is plenty fast enough for most needs and from 0-40 knots it’s the fastest of the lot. Just as importantly it has a


really well thought out deck design with multiple lockers, comfortable seats whether standing or sitting and a nicely executed helm design that is both stylish and good


to use. We’re not sure about the optional tan coloured tubes but it does demonstrate the yard’s ability to customise its craft. This one even had twin 400-litre fuel tanks for an extended cruising range. As a rapid all-rounder the Cobra Nautique


the boats I drove, the throttles are positioned in the middle of the console to the left of the helm (although you can opt to have the wheel set to port if you’d prefer a right- handed throttle). I’m sure you’d soon get used to it but during my time at the helm it never felt quite as natural or easy to control


9.5m is the perfect tool for everything from watersports to joy rides to lengthy cruises with an impressive standard of fi t and fi nish to back up its solid performance. As a stepping stone between a small family sportsboat and an out-and-out performance machine it makes perfect sense. Hugo


Central throttle but wheel can be mounted either side


THE DATA SPECIFICATIONS


LENGTH 31ft 6in (9.6m) BEAM 8ft 6in (2.6m)


DRAUGHT 2ft 0in (0.6m)


WEIGHT 2,700kg


FUEL CAPACITY 400 litres


ENGINES Twin 300hp Yamaha


MAX SPEED ON TEST 53 knots 0-30 KNOTS 2.6 sec 0-40KNOTS 5.7 sec


PRICE FROM £105,000 inc VAT


PRICE AS TESTED £135,000 inc VAT


CONTACT Cobra. Tel: +44 (0)1202 612712 Web:www.cobraribs.com


Tube colour is one of many customisation


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