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Welcome to the special Classic Boat Archive section, where Boats by Motor opens for you its paper archive where hundreds and hundreds of boats we have tested, presented and reviewed in the magazine’s more than 35-year history are kept. Technical data, original boat data sheets, including engines and performance. In short, a database (constantly being updated) that contains everything you need to know about Classic Boats.
2011 saw the arrival of the Tornado 50 Classic, which, in addition to beautifully combining aesthetics and technology, introduces important evolutions, starting with the IPS pods, which, despite skeptics, turned out to be highly appropriate for its hull.
Taken from Motor Boats 2011, no. 1, pp. 92-100.
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Brand new model that is also the natural evolution of the very successful 38, a boat that, with its more than 400 examples, practically all still sailing, has made the fortune of the Tornado shipyard, but also the joy of a large group of owners, who have linked to its lines, as traditional as they are powerful, beautiful sailing memories. All true but there is more: the Tornado 50 marks another qualitative leap for the Fiumicino shipyard, which takes the opportunity of a larger measure to introduce important evolutions in its established production.
Tornado could not give up what is now its trademark, namely, that halfway line between classic and modern that characterized all American fast commuters in the 1980s. Besides, why do it? The Tornado is beautiful as it is and it is right that the extra meters have been used to expand the volumes, give more space to the various rooms, but fundamentally the boat has been kept the way her fans want her: deep V, important deadrise work, large esplanade on the foredeck and a huge cockpit, protected by a sturdy but profiled windshield. The entire design is signed by Francesco Guida, who was awarded this year’s best designer by the Italian Designers Association.
Again, nothing new, as the hundreds of 38 sailors advise. The hull is made of solid laminate using mats, mat and biaxial fabrics that contribute to structural rigidity. Reinforcements consist of a network of marine plywood stringers and spars, properly welded to the hull. The sandwich lamination technique with pvc core is used for the deck, while the areas most subject to stress, such as the entire perimeter where bollards and any stanchions are attached, are reinforced with marine plywood. Isophthalic resin is used for lamination, which results in proper protection against osmosis.
When I arrive on the docks of the San Felice Circeo marina it doesn’t take long to spot the Tornado 50 Classic: its unmistakable line, with that massive deadrise, the contained forward momentum and the large sundeck at the stern, make it quickly identified. Nothing has changed one would say, and I am almost glad because to that type of “offshore cruising” I am very attached, they are an important piece of yachting history, and the Tornado is there to prove it, they are impervious to fashions and far from outdated, indeed, at sea. The strength of simplicity would come to mind when looking at the sundeck and, in quick succession, the large open dinette and, on the other side, the dashboard, which is appreciated for its clean lines and rational arrangement of instruments. At its stern, thus still on the starboard broadside, extends the galley unit and the hatch for access to the sailor’s cabin, penalized, however, by the owner’s choice to mount the refrigerator under the driver’s seat (and thus with the clutter inside the sailor’s compartment) instead of in the galley unit as the shipyard would like. If I have to be honest, I don’t like the sailor’s cabin solution either; the 50 Classic is a boat that you can easily carry yourself and this volume could be used to give additional space to the interior. In fact, it should not be forgotten that this Tornado, as is the tradition of the shipyard, is also tailor-made for its owner, so ample room can be given to the creativity of the designer and, of course, the owner himself. However, the galley cabinet is well sized and I think it is a must to equip it with a grill so as to be an alternative to the interior galley and to complete the livability of the deck for that matter also guaranteed by the large dinette table. In the bow the space to dedicate to the sundeck is really a lot but, in this case, the owner did not want it, preferring a flush deck of undoubted impact. In any case, an alternative solution is provided, where the cushions are still recessed in the molding, so they do not protrude too much and spoil the profile of the boat. For the passage to the bow, the walkways are convenient and the two handrails on the deckhouse are useful. The real novelty, however, I find under the sundeck, that is, in the engine room, with the two Volvo Penta IPS 600s. The curiosity to test how the combination of a traditional deep-V hull and the latest in transmission technology works becomes really great.
I decide to be patient a little longer and go below deck. Having said that about the sailor’s cabin and the extensive customization possibilities (which some people keep referring to as “customization” with a cringe-worthy Englishness), I can’t help but appreciate what the test boat has to offer, and that’s no small thing. Maybe it’s my love of minimalism, but I really like the interior design of this 50 Classic: nice the solution of the interior lights and also the furniture choices that know how to be rigorous and comfortable at the same time, without lapsing into the banal. Moving the engines aft thanks to the Ips transmissions creates excellent interior volumetry, which I do not see fully exploited here, however. The dinette on the port side is of generous size, as is the galley, which is perhaps far too large, also in view of the fact that a boat like this is lived outdoors a lot and a well-equipped kitchenette on deck, as we pointed out earlier, can solve many situations. The master cabin is on the bow, classic in its layout, which echoes the style of the boat, thus never giving in to overly elaborate solutions. The toilet room is on the starboard broadside, with access only from the saloon, also justified by the fact that it is unique, but of generous size and with a separate shower stall. Opposite is the guest cabin, somewhat sacrificed, with overlapping bunks: the upper one can use more space and is more comfortable. Another version available is with the guest cabin amidships. All in all, I find it more rational, and more interesting solutions could be developed by merging the space occupied by the sailor’s cabin.
Simplicity and rationality are the defining elements of the entire layout on board. The engine room is easily reached by folding down the sundeck, and the space it offers inside allows maintenance operations without any difficulty. The fuel reserve, 1,600 liters, is also generous in view of the economies guaranteed by the Volvo Ips, just as water also has a good supply: 500 liters.
We certainly don’t discover the IPS 600s today, but I am surprised to find them on a boat that I considered to be more tied to tradition; after all, the advantages in terms of fuel consumption and performance are well known, and the choice of the Roman shipyard is to be appreciated for the intelligence of the realization and the ability to innovate without failing to the Tornado style.
The San Felice Circeo marina seems tailor-made to test the maneuverability of the Ips right away: they are doing so well that they don’t even make the news anymore. Instead, I’m curious to see them at work at sea, because the waves are starting to be significant and I want to see how the Tornado ‘s proverbial seaworthiness matched the new transmissions. I am immediately satisfied: the glide is quick and without the slightest help from the flaps: only 7 seconds for the boat to fly over the waves and then the progression is continuous, confirming that the motorization is absolutely up to the task. The glide is then maintained at only 1650 rpm, at a speed of about 11 knots, with a consumption of less than 30 liters/hour. The hull suffers from having been in the water a few days without antifouling and the 37 knots touched in the previous tests I do not reach, in fact we are about 250 rpm short and we are not able to rise above 3300 rpm. On the other hand, when I try to tack, the feeling is of great handling and also of total safety, even considering the sea conditions that are continuously worsening. A few bumps on the wave are unavoidable, but they only serve to confirm that the Tornado ‘s marine qualities are all there on this size as well; even in full tack, with the boat lying on its side, the reaction is offshore-bred and there is never a feeling of overdoing it. I return to port satisfied, the 50 Classic is just a beautiful marine boat that IPS has further evolved, a Tornado that looks to the future.
| Feature | Data |
|---|---|
| Overall length | 16,10 m |
| Hull length | 15,20 m |
| Width | 4,36 m |
| Draft | 1,20 m |
| Displacement | 13,800 kg |
| Maximum engine size | 2 × 435 HP |
| Fuel tank | 1.600 L |
| Water tank | 500 L |
| Sleeping places | 4 + 2 |
| People capacity | 12 |
| People capacity | 12 |
| Built by | Tornado Marine |
| Price in 2001 | 460,000 |
by Alberto Mondinelli
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