Give or treat yourself to a subscription to Boats in Motion print + digital and for only 39 euros a year you get the magazine at home plus read it on your PC, smartphone and tablet. With a sea of advantages.
The weekender, the quintessential boat on the boating scene, is somewhat of a keystone of many people’s summers. Compact, agile and versatile, they are boats designed to respond to a wide variety of uses, making them usable in the short daily outing, as well as in “extended” use, allowing one or more nights to sleep on board. Boats, in short, of all types and designs, daughters of a winning concept born in the “economic boom” years. Here, then, are 5 ante-litteram weekenders, the originals, if you will, 5 outstanding Classic Boats that have personally succeeded in making the very concept of “weekender” great.
A marriage of the large industrial production typical of American shipbuilding with the Italian craftsmanship of the 1960s and 1970s, the Riva 25′ Sport Fisherman is the keystone of Italy’s transition to the weekender. Indeed, we are now in the late 1960s and Riva, under license from Bertram, is thus producing a motorboat that is innovative in its own way and strong in facilitating ease of movement, now intended to provide ample breathing space, rather than limiting users to the role of passenger only.
Elaborating on the original Betram design, Riva adapts the spaces here to Mediterranean needs, creating a boat closer to local boating and its consequent uses. The cockpit thus takes advantage of the two engine hoods – V Drive uprights – and carves out a practical and comfortable sundeck that, when not in use, can be folded back on itself, leaving the cockpit clear. As for the interior, in addition to the wheelhouse on deck, there is space for a double forward cabin and dinette, the latter comfortable for four people and convertible into a sofa or double berth, should the need arise, bringing the total berths to 4.
A child of the American shipbuilding avant-garde, on a par with Bertram and Chris Craft, Owens was a great source of supply and inspiration for Italy, and, precisely among them, the 27 Sport Fisherman was one of the most successful models, especially in terms of lines and fashion. The lines in fact, needless to say, will long remain characteristic of the homegrown Fisherman segment, creating a panorama of boats that has survived to the present day. And so much for the interior, which, in layout, is not that far from some contemporary boats.
In addition to the outdoor spaces, which are strong with a large cockpit and flybridge, this small 8.2-meter boat in fact offers a classic open-space configuration, with double forward berths, an indoor kitchenette, bathroom facilities and dinette with sofas, which of course can be converted into an additional bed, thus bringing to 4 the number of guests who can sleep on board.
It was 1972 when Mochi Craft introduced an 8.40-meter boat destined to become a classic, the Mochi Craft Super 8 M, a stunning twin-engine weekender whose class and performance would make the Adriatic shipyard famous. Today Classic Boat undeniable, it was from the start a boat destined to become “big,” complicit in style, on-board comfort, remarkable performance, and comfortable 4 berths below deck.
Looking at the volumes, and again contextualizing the decade of design and production, the Mochi Craft Super 8 M was undoubtedly an elegant hull, characterized by aggressive lines for the times, balanced by the elegance of the slender lines and, at the same time, emphasized by the design of the superstructures. A small masterpiece among the big boats that populated the 1970s. Small yes, but already still capable of reaching top speeds in excess of 30 knots.
Undoubtedly, among the cults of the 1970s, a small “miracle” of mass production, a boat for everyone and capable of taking Italians on vacation, the Chris Craft Catalina 28, produced in Italy as the Super Catalina 28, fits into the Classic Boat segment. At 8.6 meters long overall and 3.1 wide at maximum beam, the (Super) Catalina 28 was a small revolution, a versatile boat characterized by a sleek hull with a shallow V-shaped hull and capable of good performance, with speeds even exceeding 20 knots.
On deck it is distinguished by a large cockpit protected by the deckhouse and a high windshield, often complete with supports for a bimini and behind which is the wheelhouse. The long deckhouse, in turn, provides space for a sunbathing area complete with a handrail, while the interior houses a first main area designated for the galley, dinette, and lounge area. Pragmatic and well-maintained spaces in which as many as 3 beds are obtainable. This is then completed by a double forward cabin and a toilet room.
Sunbathing deckhouse, a large cockpit for fishing or dining with friends, comfortable interior and fly. A formula that, combined with a modern and dynamic design, proved to be an immediate success in the late 1970s, here in the form of the classic Mochi Craft Dominator Flying, a 10-meter cabin cruiser and capable of anticipating the trends of the following decade. Italy’s answer to the dominance of the then-popular U.S. shipbuilding industry.
Offered with maximum motorization consisting of a pair of 210-horsepower Renault RC 210Ds, enough power to give it a top speed of over 27 knots and a cruising speed of 22 knots, the Dominator Flying combined performance with a versatile and well-regarded interior. Below deck, in fact, the spaces were fully children of a new modernity, closer to our standards today than to its contemporaries. As soon as inside, one is greeted by a salon surrounded by large windows and furnished in light colors where the wheelhouse, galley block and a sofa convertible into a berth are located. On the starboard side, however, are the toilet room and dinette, which can be converted into a double bed. Continuing toward the bow, however, is the master cabin, consisting of two V-beds, which can be converted in turn into a single large double.
We have created for you an online archive of YOUR Classic Boats in which you can enter your boat and its history, while at the same time allowing you to browse through many others, like a great encyclopedia of the history of motor boating. Here’s how it works! If, on the other hand, you would like to find out about all the articles related to Classic Boats, here is a
link
to the dedicated portal.
NAVIGATE INFORMED!
To stay up-to-date on all the boating news, selected by our editorial staff, sign up for the Motor Boats newsletter! Just click the link below, accept the Privacy Policy, and click the “Subscribe Me” button. You will then receive the best powerboat news on your email, twice a week! It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time, no obligation! CLICK HERE.
Sign up for our Newsletter
Powerboats, its stories, from small open to motoryachts. Sign up now for our free newsletter and receive the best news selected by the editorial staff each week. Enter your email below, agree to the Privacy Policy and click the “sign me up” button.
On the occasion of the upcoming boot Düsseldorf 2026, scheduled for January 17-25, the Pesaro-based shipyard will present the world premiere of its latest project, the Santasevera 42. This new model fits into the range by taking up the stylistic
For the first time, we will see a catamaran from Aquila Boats, an American shipyard and world leader in motor catamarans, at the upcoming Düsseldorf Boat Show (Jan. 17-25). While most manufacturers have converted from the sailing world, Aquila started
For the twenty-sixth consecutive year, Azimut Benetti Group has been confirmed at the top of the Global Order Book, the international ranking curated by Boat International. This ranking, which has been monitoring the world production of megayachts since 1992, has
The Boot Düsseldorf 2026 is preparing to become a major stage for the world of “adventure boats”: fast, versatile boats designed for those who want to push themselves beyond the classic Sunday outing. Among the new additions are four models
