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Suzuki, the Japanese engine giant, had set an important goal when in 2017 it launched the Suzuki DF350A, the most powerful outboard ever produced by the Hamamatsu-based company, namely to go after those market slices that were usually the preserve of inboard engines. Almost a year after its launch, the success of the DF350A is now a given: in just a handful of months, more than 2,500 have been sold, including more than 100 in Italy alone. These are very important numbers for such a powerful engine, especially since in the Suzuki world the DF350A represents the top of the line in outboards.
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We tested the Suzuki DF350A to understand the origin of this success in combination with a Ranieri Cayman 38 Executive, one of the latest projects of the Calabrian shipyard. Two DF350As with a total of 700 horsepower were put on this 11.70-meter-long and 3.80-meter-wide dinghy, which sleeps four in two cabins. The first thing that strikes you about this outboard when sailing is related to its being extremely quiet: at 20/25 knots the noise on the bridge is only 88 decibels.
This engine is not only the most powerful outboard ever made by Suzuki, but also the only one in the world to be equipped with a dual counter-rotating propeller, which is responsible for reducing regress and cavitation in tight turns. As soon as we start to accelerate, the feeling is always that of having total control over the vehicle as the speed increases. Launched at 40 knots, the Cayman remains perfectly stable, total fun. After reaching and sailing at full speed for a few minutes we slow down and stop for a bath. The stern of the Ranieri Cayman is a paradise for those who like to dive in and out of the water-ideal after a 40-knot adrenaline rush.
In economic cruising speed, at 23 knots with the engine at 3688 rpm, fuel consumption is about 36 liters per hour, slightly lower than average. In fact, the DF350A is designed to be able to maximize all the power it has, so that fuel consumption is also reduced.
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