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BOATREPORT --sPoNSoRS g

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7it)Fantastically versatile and clever, this mid-sized

coupd covers all eventualities with its engine optionsText: Dave Marsh Photos: Lester Mccarthy

hat is Marex up to? ThisScandinavian boatbuilder isfamous for designing sportyaft cabin cruisers such as its320 and 370 that provide amiraculous fully functioning

stern cabin in boats as short as 10 and 12 metres. Sowhat is it doing producing a 39ft ( t2m) sporry hardtopcruiser that has abandoned its signature aft cabin infavour of an aft cockpit? Isn't that going to put Marexhead to head with mainstream hardtop sportscruisersfrom the likes of Princess and feanneau, builders whohave economies of scale that Marex can only dream of.

Well, after two days testing the 375 under Oslo's sunnyskies, it became clear that Marex has nothing to fearfrom these two builders and their ilk. Nowadays, Marex'sboats are surprisingly keenly priced; in theory ano-extras 375 can be had for as little as L282,000. Andalthough I would never describe Princess and feanneauboats as impractical, on the Marex function positivelylords it over form; it's as if the designers are striving towin the award for the boat with the most practicalcruising features ever. Even putting aside its less-sportylooks and fully enclosed deck saloon, the 375 doesn'treally inhabit the same world as a V39 or a Leader 40.

Nowhere is Marex's sturdy practicality more evidentthan outside. The deck is all h.fty teak tables andhandrails, substantial deck fittings and deep toerails,plus a sense of solidity that is worthy of a boat half as bigagain. I did pull-ups using the handrails at the back ofthe unsupported hardtop structure and could not detectany flexing whatsoever (although I did detectconsiderable personal feebleness).

The pictures you see here tell most of the story, butthere are two features worthy of a special award.canopies form such a significant part of the boatingexperience in temperate climates, and the 375's curtaincanopies are pure genius. How does under two minutesfrom fully stowed to fully buttoned down sound? Howdoes no fiddly rope guides to contend with, no annoylngfolding or rolling, and zero stowage issues sound? Howabout being able to easily stow or deploy the canopiesfrom inside or outside the cockpit, or even when you areunder way and the weather suddenly turns nasty? ourvideo shows their workings far more clearly than words,but in short they are released from their vertical stowagecompartments, pulled out rapidly along overheadstainless steel tracks like curtains in a bay window, andthen swiftly clipped onto the hooks around the cockpit'sperimeter. That's it. Suffice to say that they're superior toany cockpit canopies I've ever tried.

Dedicated metal fender baskets are nothing new, butMarex has gone one step further and incorporated fourfender lockers into the side decks (see closer Look). Thisfrees up space, and leaves half the fenders tied onpermanently so they can all be launched at a moment'snotice, ideal for short handed crews and trickysit'uations. Deck stowage is impressive too. Even withouthelp from the anchor lockeq there's space for anotherfour fenders in the flush locker on the bathing platform,which leaves the big raised locker alongside free forother cruising paraphernalia and seat duties. In thecockpit, owners can choose between seats which sit onstainless pillars or a glassfibre moulding that providesyet more storage. Plus, the engineroom is easily spaciousenough to house some big plastic storage containers.

INSIDESTORYNow, I'm not the tallest of blokes, but I stillappreciate good headroom and generouslysized beds. One of these - the mid cabin double- is so vast that I could sleep across the widthof the bed! The smallest critical dimension Imeasured was the 6ft 3in (1.91m) headroom inthe heads, but that was modest compared withmost other key dimensions such as the 6ft 10in(2.08m) long forward berth. With the oneexception of the limited room to manoeuvrearound the foot of the forward berth, this is aboat that breathes very easily.

On boats this size, it's invariably the forwardcabin that reigns supreme. On the 375, the midcabin takes the honours. Strictly speaking, itsfloor area is no larger than its companion, butin practice it feels far more spacious thanks to amore workable layout and the two large shipside windows that visually open up the spaceno end. It also boasts an improbable amount ofstowage comprising four lockers, one wardrobe,five drawers and four usefully fiddled shelves.

The dark satin walnut joinery you see heregracing our test boat is right on trend. Thatsaid, I'd implore you to examine the alternativeteak finish before deciding. Even allowing forthe fact that the final finishing touches on ourprototyp e 375 had obviously been rushed, soconvinced was I that the joinery wasn't up tothe same standard as the joinery on board theteak finished, aft cabin 370 I'd tested, that Ichecked all my photographs and notes fromour |anu ary 2010 test. In fact, it is all-butidentical, even down to minutiae such as thedetailing of the ventilation slots and the liftinglocker lids under the forward berth. So it seemsthat subjectively at least, the lighter and morelustrous teak finish that Marex offer is maybemore in keeping with the moulded countertopsand exposed glassfibre parts that you wouldn'tfind on a walnut-clad Princess. Teak is also themost durable timber of them all, so if longevityis a concern, you cannot do better.

PO\,VER TO THE PEOPLEPropelled by the most powerful engine optionof twin D4-300hp sterndrives, we clocked atwo way average top speed of 36.7 knots. It'sworth noting that the Volvo diesels on ourprototype boat were brand new - fewer than 3hours on the clock - and that they were under-rewing to the tune of 50rpm. So I think it'srealistic to expect a similar top speed withlooser engines and more finely-pitched freer-rewing props, even when 375 owners takeadvantage of its very considerable storage.

Marex offers a remarkable range of engine

options, nine in all, including shaftdrive andsterndrive, single and trarin, with power ranging

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;t Generous reversible seat between the navigator's spot and the dinette,s} can accommodate two with space to spare

from a00hp to 600hp. There's even a twin 270hpV8 petrol version, presumably for Americans.

At first glance, the choice seems straightforward;sterndrive for fuel efficiency and sportyhandling, shaftdrive for resolute handling andeasier and cheaper servicing, small for lessspeed and noise, big for more of both, andfinally a single if you're a sensible Scandinavianand twins if you're any other flavour.

In the case of the 375, it's not that simple.Æthough our sterndrive boat did indeed dishup the sporty ride we'd been expecting, theshaftdrive version of this boat is also extremely

responsive and provides all the agility you

could ever wish for, even with the weight of the370's aft cabin to lug around. Moreover,

Marex's shaft drive boat is inordinatelyefficient. For example, at its absolutely most

fuel efficrent26 knot cruising speed, oursterndrive 375 managed 1.85mpg - at the samespeed, the 31 knot single 435hp shaft drive 370we tested achieved just under 2mpg. Finally,Volvo's D3 diddy diesels present a furtherdilemma. These lovely engines are particularlylight and compact, and exceptionally smoothand quiet; certainly far smoother and quieter

than the 4-cylinder D4s which are the mostraucous of the bunch. Plus, thanks to their .lower torque and 220hp power output, the D3sare connected to far smaller sterndrive legs, theslender and slippery DPS rather than the

bulkier DPH legs that the D4 and D6 need. Sothe twin D3-220hp sterndrives may be downon power but they fight back with lower dragand reduced weight, plus less noiså andvibration, and even better service access thanthe already reasonable twin D4 installation.

So what to go for? If you want out and outspeed, nothing will catch the 36.7 -knot twinD4-300hp sterndrive boat. However, if youtake advantage of the efficiency gains of singles

over twins, or the myriad pluses of D3installation, and instead fit either the singleD6-400hp sterndrive or the twin D3-220hpsterndrive, as long as the Duoprops that Marex

select rev freely to full RPM, I'd be surprised ifyou lost more than 4 knots off the top speed.

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BOAT REPORT

WITH DAVID MARSH

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GENIUS CANOPIES

The two canopiesstow inside verticalcompartments in thesuperstructure, andcan be fully rigged inaround two minutes,even when you're

under way.Genius.

FENDER LOCKERS

Four of the principal

fenders can be lefttied on to the cleatsthen launched withinseconds - brilliantfor short handedcrews and single

handed boating.

SOLAR PANELSSuch are the recentadvances in solar

technology thatMarex found thatthree panels canpower the f ridge and

freezer without anyhelp from batteries

THE ENGINEROOMOur engineroomsported the biggestoption of twinD4-300hp, so just

imagine how muchroom the 375 will

provide with thesingle D6 sterndriveor shaftdrive, or thesmall22Ohp diesels.

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THE RIVALS

GRANDEZZA 39CAPrice from S,38ZOOOSlightly largerScandinavian design

with a similar focuson outstanding

NIMBUS 365 COUPEPrice from S,3OO,OOOGalley-up design is closerto the Marex than thega I ley-down Grandezza.

Side door is a huge bonus.practicality plus oodles BUY THE TESTof useful storage. mby.com/nimb

SEPTEMBER.''r ,,,,59

=t-_:,,',..i'w-t:.;Seating ,','':- s 3l-oLrnd three sides of the cockpit, including an rnf ill overthe transc'-- i:ie providing plenty of space for eight or more to sit

An abundance of ctrr,rnkyharrdrails rnakes it very

easy to nrove around the 375,ti even on deck and under way

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lmpressive deck storagethanks to the big deck

locker and the flush fenderlocker on the bathing platform

THE DATA 'LENGTH OVERALL 39ft 4in (11.99m)

BEAMllft Brn

(3 55m)

Marex offers nine different mix-n-matchengine options: single & twin, shaftdriveor sterndrive: 4OOhp to 6OOhp

FUEL CAPACITY

165 imp gal (750 litres)WATER CAPACITY

75 tmp gal (340 litres)DRAUGHT

3ttzin (0 97m)RCD CATEGORY

B (for 12 people)

DESIGNERS

Marex

DISPLACEMENT7.7 lonnes (empty)

8 7 tonnes (f ull f uel & water)

All of the 370's dimensions are generous, but especially the midcabin berth; 6ft 7in x 5ft lOin (2.01m x 1.78m)

BOAT REPORT

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That would still leave your 375 with a potential30 knot fast cruising speed and all the otheraforementioned advantages. As for the threeshaftdrive options, the big a35hp single makesso much sense, with the intrinsic advantages ofshaft-only magnified in single form. The 370comes with a bow thruster and an optionalstern thruster, and it is an incredibly easy boatto handle and manoeuvre at close quarters,even single handed, so the single doesn'tpresent any handling challenges whatsoever.

VERDICTÆthough the 375 has replaced the aft cabin ofits closely related sibling (the 370) with an aftcockpit, its underlying appeal is very similar

A deep fiddle alongE the front of thedash would provide anextra space for securingodds and ends

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THE COSTS & OPTIONSPrice from 9282,000 (single 435hp shaftdrive)Price as tested S,312,500 (twin 300hp sterndrive)

- it is a superb jack of all trades that has fewobvious rivals. With its intrinsically high levelsof on-deck safety and security, it is a familyfriendly cruiser that could easily be used insingle shaftdrive form to potter along theinland waterways. Yet 375 owners can alsohappily head offshore, either in shaftdrive guiseor in potentially 37 knot sterndrive form, safein the knowledge that its sturdy construction,fully enclosed upper deck and excellent drivingenvironment makes it suitable for intrepidvoyages too. Marex really ought to call this boat'the 375 versatilel [WContact Wessex Marine.TeI: +44 (0)1202 700702Web: www.marex.no

, The mullions compriseslender stainless plates,

not chunky glassfibre columns,so the view out is excellent

Even with the aft doorsand the sunroof f ully open,

the opening side windowsusefully improve the ventilation

BOAT REPORT

SPONSORS

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PERFORMANCETEST ENGINES Twin Volvo D4-300 DPR sterndrive.3OOhp @ 3,500rpm. -cylinder 3.7 litre diesels

MBY FIGURESRPM 2,100 2,300 2,500Speed 16 0 19 6 22.9LPH 48 56 62GPH 106 r23 136MPG 1.52 1.59 168Range 200 210 222

souND LEVELS dB(A)Helm 74 74 74Cockpit 80 83 81Saloon 74 74 74

ECO FAST2,740 2,900 3,100 3,30026.1 29.4 325 34.964 77 90 103L4.r 16 9 19.8 22.71.85 r.74 1.64 r.54245 229 2r7 203

6hp bow thruster6hp stern thrusterTeak-laid saloon floorFull teak-laid decksAft cockpit canopies3.5kW generator1,800W inverterlntegral fender storageVolvo Joystick controlHeater + windscreen demisters

= Options on test boat

II74 74 74 7577 80 82 8274 74 74 75

standard93,960

standard&7,204

standard912,099

&1,271

standards,16,375

standard

Speed in knots. GPH & MPG figuræ use imperial galbns. Range in nautical miles and allows for 20Va reseve. Calculated ftgures based on Mdingsfrom onboard fuel gauges,

Wurtiguresmaywryconsidenbly. AllpricesincludeUKVATT5%fæL25Vo water,3crew, nostoresortenderorlifemft,23?"C airtemp, F2 + tlery lightchoptuspeedtrials

Thoughtful design meansowners only pay for their

boat in a marina, not for theiroverhanging pulpit too

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One size fits all: thewheel is adjustable, the

seat slides fore and aft, andthere's a hinging bolster too

PAI\TAEIYIUS$ail & f"lct$r Yacht lnsurail{e

Europe's top insurance providerNo matter where you cruise,Pantaenius will be there to coverand support you with its worldwidenetwork of experienced surveyors.Call us for a quote and find out whywe specralise in marine insurance.

Tel +4 4 (0)1752223656Web www. pantaeni us.co. uk

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