Original Article Published: 3/22/2023 | By: Bill Springer | Article Courtesy: forbes.com | Please click here for original article.
Above: Valhalla 55 center console underway | Valhalla Boatworks
I’ve been to a zillion press conferences that have been held to introduce new boat models over the last 25 years or so. So, please believe me when I say, nobody, absolutely nobody, in the boat business introduces new semi-custom sportfishing models quite like Viking Yachts President and CEO Pat Healey.
He smiles. His voice carries. He talks about how much his customers mean to him. He reminds the group of assembled journos how much he and his team “love to fish and build boats.” And he really means what he says when he describes how proud he is of the boats his New Jersey-based, family-owned company have built in the past, and how excited he is to introduce two new flagships Viking Yachts have developed to meet the demands of some of the most demanding boat owners in the world—offshore sportfishermen.
Above: The new Viking Yachts flagship Viking 90 | Viking Yachts
And he should be proud. The new Viking 90 sportfish and Valhalla 55 center console that were introduced last month in Miami and will be on display at the Palm Beach International Boat Show are…well…I’ll let him explain.
“Both of these boats are badass,” he says. “They will not only become the leaders in their respective classes, but they’re also going to dominate for years to come. They’re that good. We just keep pushing, following our mantra of building a better boat every day. It’s a thrill to be the head coach of this incredible team.”
Above: Viking 90 accommodation plan is big and comfortable | Viking Yachts
Both are completely new designs. The 90-foot-long Viking 90 delivers the same spacious accommodations–including six staterooms, seven heads and two salons–as its predecessor the Viking 92. Powered by twin 2635 MHP 16-cylinder MTU engines, the Viking 90 Sky Bridge (SB) hits a top speed of 38-plus knots. “With our open bridge model, we anticipate gaining another knot on the top end,” Healey says. The 90 SB cruises at 32-33 knots. At this speed it has a range of nearly 600 nautical miles.
Above: The interior is massive onboard the Viking 90 | Viking Yachts
The 90-footer I saw features an enclosed bridge topped by an open sky bridge. Viking also offers the 90 with an enclosed bridge or open bridge – with or without a custom Palm Beach Towers tuna tower.
Meanwhile the cockpit that measures 224 square feet is comfortable thanks to three different aft-facing seating areas, and its 203-gallon transom fishbox/live well and a pair of full-length 103-gallon insulated in-deck fishboxes (with refrigeration optional), and reinforced fighting chair is all business when it comes to catching the biggest game fish.
Then Healey moved over to introduce the “smaller” Valhalla 55 center console that has become the flagship of the Valhalla Boatworks V Series luxury center console lineup.
Above: Valhalla 55 center console | Valhalla Boatworks
According to Healey, The Valhalla 55 will thrive in a variety of roles – offshore tournament contender, high-performance sport yacht, fish-and-cruise express, or tender to a Viking or superyacht. The Valhalla 55 was designed and built specifically for Mercury’s V-12 600-hp outboards (four or five engines) with a resin-infused one-piece stringer grid that supplies the structural strength needed for the tremendous torque and power of these outboards. The quad power package pushes the V Series flagship to a top speed of 63-64 mph, with a range of 450-500 miles cruising from 40 to 50 mph. With five 600s, the V-55 hits 73-74 mph, with a higher cruise speed and the same range.
Above: The Valhalla 55 is part of a new breed of center console boats that are getting bigger and faster and more luxurious | Valhalla Boatworks
The Valhalla 55’s ride is so smooth, stable and dry–even in rough conditions–its speed is deceptive. “People have been amazed,” says Viking’s Ryan Higgins, who has conducted more than 30 sea trials with owners. “It may feel like you’re going 35 mph, but you’re actually running well over 50 mph. They don’t believe it until they look at the GPS.”
Pat Healey you’re right. These boats are badass.
