Cigarette Racing posed an intriguing question at Miami – Why five?

by Bob Wonders on 27 Apr 2012 For the answer, we turned to Cigarette Racing CEO Skip Braver.

'Simple,' he said, 'because six wouldn’t fit.'

Skip was referring to the astonishing Cigarette on the company’s always-impressive Miami International Boat Show display, the all-new 42’ (12.80-metres) Huntress.

What made this vessel the talking point at Miami was spread across its transom, no less than five (you read it right!) 350hp outboard engines courtesy of Mercury Racing.

It takes a bit of work to be rated as the primary talking point among all the glitz and glamour usually associated with the Miami International Boat Show.

Nevertheless, that most iconic designer/builder of high-performance powerboats, the Cigarette Racing Team achieved that status at this year’s show with the magnificent 42’ Huntress.

For those who might view five massive outboard as well, intimidating, Cigarette Racing does offer an alternative in the form of a 42’ Huntress with ‘only’ four Mercury Verado outboards.

Needless to say, those opting for the five engine configuration will have to get used to spending time at their local fuel pump; at wide open throttle, 6400rpm, those five black beauties will consume 150 US gallons (567-litres) every hour!

Just as well the 42’ Huntress boasts a 500 US gallon (1892-litres) fuel tank!

To add to the ‘bowser pain’, the Mercury Racing outboards demand premium fuel; when I was in the US in February, premium fuel was 'threatening:' to reach US$5 a gallon.

If that became the case, the 42’ Huntress would be costing its proud owner in the region of US$ 750 per hour!

Of course, throttle back to, say 3500rpm and fuel usage drops to a more respectable 8.7 US gallons (33-litres) per hour, per engine, a total of around 198-litres or 52 US gallons total.

That’s a ‘mere’ US$260 per hour.

Well, I guess those who can afford such a magnificent ‘beast’ won’t be all that concerned about fuel prices.

In truth, ‘magnificent’ does not really do the 42’ Huntress justice.

It’s an awe-inspiring rig from stem to stern, in many ways boasting all the detail that has made Cigarette Racing Team such a legendary home of high-performance boating.

Entry to this incredible craft is via an inward-opening side door which, true to its reputation for overlooking nothing, Cigarette designers have made it heavily-engineered, its hinges and handle built in to the gunwale.

As usual, the helm is visually stunning, a standard Cigarette Racing Team feature and it boasts fabulous bolster seats with pull-down seats to enable driver and navigator to stand or sit as required.

The console accommodates three full-sized Garmin chart plotters, all touch-screen, dual process GPS units, with their displays networked through a Mercury conversion system to reveal speed, battery voltage, oil pressure, trim angle, engine temperature, and fuel burn.

With a dash of highly-machined, double-anodised billet aluminium, the overall appearance of the helm is extremely high-tech; analogue gauges have custom-built and tailored pods.

The entire dash panel’s appearance is enhanced and corrosion resistant with all switches designed for simplicity and ease of use; there’s even a watch built into the dash.

Other helm features include controls for the windlass anchor and the audio system, including an iPod connection.

Multiple air conditioning vents and a windscreen de-mister maintain comfort for skipper and passengers while a bow thruster makes for easy docking.

The all-new ‘T-Top’ of the 42’ Huntress is a meticulously-engineered aluminium structure with solid supports attached to the vessel’s stringers below, providing the incredible strength a high-performance boat needs when negotiating offshore conditions.

It may well be a ‘brute’, but the 42’ Huntress delivers a dose of luxury and comfort as well.

The cabin area below is accessed by a solid hydraulic, lockable door on the port side which reveals a companionway leading down to what could only be termed a 'large scale' area with 6’6' (1.98-metres) headroom and complete with sumptuous sofa, flat screen television, Blu-ray player, mini-galley with microwave and ‘fridge and a spacious head a vacu-flush toilet.

As Cigarette claims, the cabin offers a new dimension of comfort in high-performance power boating.

The amazing 42’ Huntress was not the only stand-out on the impressive Cigarette Racing Team’s display at the Miami International Boat Show.

Other news models introduced included a 39’ (11.88-metres) Top Fish Sport, the Mercedes AMG-inspired 50’ (15.24-metres) Marauder and the 39’ Top Gun Open centre console.

Stand by and keep reading, we’ll reveal the other Cigarette ‘masterpieces’ in due course.

Cigarette Racing website