So luxurious it's almost criminal

The Bandido 66. Photo / Supplied.

It is perhaps indicative of the global nature of the boating world these days the subject of this article is built in Taiwan by an English-sounding company, has a Spanish model name and is being marketed in New Zealand by an Australian business.

Quite why the Kaohsiung-based Horizon Motor Yachts decided to name their latest range of luxury passagemakers after a Mexican bandit is not clear. But, given the almost outrageous level of luxury they manage to pack into a relatively short waterline, it is clear they believe that crime not only pays, it pays extremely well.

The Horizon Bandido 66 is described as the "baby" of the five-model Bandido range, which includes a 75, 90, 110 and 148. It is one heck of a baby. Measuring 20.72m LOA and 18 LWL, it has a beam of just over 6m and a lightship displacement of 76 tonnes. Now none of that, apart from the heavy displacement, seems overly large for 20m boat, but it is.

When Kiwi boaties traditionally think of a 66-footer, they usually imagine a large flybridge launch (a Senior, a Salthouse or a Formula) or perhaps one of Bill Upfold's distinctive mid-pilothouse designs. In most cases, it would be pretty similar to a standard 12m or 13m launch, just a bit bigger. Its dimensions would be about that of the Bandido 66. It's displacement, however, would be about a third of the Bandido's.

There really is nothing in most of our experiences to prepare us for a mini-superyacht like this. The Bandido 66 not only boasts about twice as much useable space as would normally be found on a conventional Kiwi vessel of this size, the standard of opulence is also light years away from what we would expect (and, to be fair, probably want) in one of our boats.

Horizon Motor Yachts claims to be the seventh largest yacht builder in the world and has a massive model range, of which the Bandido offerings are but a small part. The Bandidos are also a relatively new addition to their line-up, apparently designed for those who can afford to spend several million dollars on a boat but don't necessarily want to keep shelling out to keep it fuelled. In other words, the range is aimed at those not concerned at blasting about the place at a vast rate of knots; at those who would rather cruise at a more leisurely pace and perhaps cover a lot more ground.

In essence, the Bandido is a small ship, albeit one with an almost ridiculous level of luxury. Although just 20m long, it is designed to passage-make its way around the globe and has been designed to carry crew (as opposed to guests) in their own, segregated quarters. Again, not an unusual concept, just one not normally found on a boat of this LOA.

Those crew quarters (and the large engine room) are reached immediately off the marina level boarding platform, meaning those working down below need have little interaction with those enjoying themselves higher up. If that makes the crew quarters sound somewhat second-class, they are - but only in comparison to the level of appointment elsewhere on board.

The accommodation includes a double and twin-single cabin, both with TV, stereo, air-conditioning and a high level of appointment (padded wall and ceiling panels and walnut and teak woodwork). There is also a substantial work area..

The best way to describe the Bandido's interior decor is to use large numbers of superlatives most of which will be scarcely adequate anyway. It is not just the fact that it is opulent, luxurious, incredibly stylish and all the rest (after all, many of the world's superyachts have interiors that would at least be its equal), it is that this level of appointment is found on a boat of this size.

The saloon, for instance, resembles one of those penthouse apartments one sees in the more stylish home magazines. The galley is separated off at the for'ard end of the saloon, with just a servery window to join the two. A nice touch: three classy swing-out chairs on the saloon side turn this opening into a breakfast bar without in any way impinging on the saloon proper.

Another unusual feature is the formal dining table is not part of the saloon, rather it is in an area of its own on the same level as the pilothouse.

One can drive the Bandido 66 either from this superbly-appointed pilothouse or, when the weather is kind, from the flybridge. This latter is part of a massive top deck that not only plays home to all the water toys, tenders and the like, but also doubles as a superb entertainment area. Features include a massive u-shaped eight-person "sun umbrella" dining setting, a two-person forward facing lounge, a u-shaped galley complete with servery and swing chairs, and a separate barbecue.

There is, of course, also a helm station but it is not always obvious. Complete with a two-person helm seat and almost an exact replica of the main station in the pilothouse (in terms of electronics and controls) this station can electrically recess back into the surrounding module.

Like most vessels of this sort the passagemaking Bandido range is built for comfort, not speed. In the case of the 66, the standard engines are twin 460hp Caterpillar C7 ACERT diesels, although a popular upgrade is to a brace of 560hp MAN D2876LE402 diesels. These give a top speed of about 12 knots with economical cruising speeds of 8 to 10 knots.

There are also bow and stern thrusters, so this is a boat that can be easily handled by a husband and wife team.

They will, however, need to find A$4.9 million ($6.4 million) first.

Horizon Bandido 66

LOA: 20.72m

LWL: 18.01m

Beam: 6.1m

Draft: 1.85m

Displacement: 76 tonnes (Lightship)

Max Speed: 12 knots

Cruise Speed: 8-10 knots

Construction: Solid GRP hull / foam core topsides

Price: $6.4 million

Want to know more?

Check out a full review of the Bandido 66 in the September/October issue of Pacific Motoryacht magazine.