Cockwells will show the Duchy Sport, now fitted with a galley and wet bar below, alongside the twin-cabin Duchy 35 ‘Betty’ at the Southampton International Boat Show from 15 to 24 September 2023.
It is not every day that a show preview from a boatbuilder on the south coast of England mentions Sydney, but this one does, so let me start there. Cockwells’ line-up for Southampton this year (15 to 24 September, stands M101 and M102 in the marina) is the Duchy Sport and a Duchy 35 called Betty, and in describing the 35 the yard notes that the model has lately gone on sale in Australia and found buyers at Sydney’s international boat show. That is our patch: the first Australian Duchy 35 arrived in Sydney in May, which is the launch Cockwells is referring to.
Duchy Sport: a year on from its world premiere
The Duchy Sport had its world premiere at this same show last year, and it returns so visitors can see how it is being specified for the clients who have ordered since. The notable change is below deck: a galley with a wet bar has gone into the cabin, which relieves the cockpit table of kitchen duty, and a hatch in the cabin now opens to form a double bed. The cabin is heated as well as air-conditioned, so there is somewhere warm after a wakeboard set and somewhere cool after an hour on the sunbeds.
As well as having fun on the water, you can now eat and sleep on the Duchy Sport, which appeals to clients who wish to add even more functionality to this dazzling day boat.
Henry Ward, Design Director, Cockwells
The rest of the boat is familiar: a hull shaped to throw a surfable wake, several towing points for boards and inflatables, sunbeds, a cabin forward with heads and a hot shower, and a large Bimini with removable awnings for weather protection. The seat backrests swing to face the table or to face aft so the spectators can watch, or film, whoever is on the board. Steps lead down from the aft deck to the bathing platform and its big swim ladder, the side decks are deep and the rails high, and the aft deck can be opened into one area or closed in if the weather turns. If you missed last year’s launch, my write-up of the first boat fills in the detail.
Duchy 35 ‘Betty’: dark grey hull, two cabins
The second boat on the stand is Betty, a Duchy 35 with a dark grey hull and a twin-cabin layout, the configuration to consider if you regularly carry guests overnight. Cockwells says more than 70 Duchy launches have now been sold across the range, and the 35, which has collected its share of awards, keeps growing in popularity year on year. For a sense of the boat under way, Aquaholic’s Duchy 35 review is a good place to start.
Where the Duchy range sits
Duchys are semi-production boats. The range runs from about 6.4 to 18 metres (21 to 60 feet), the concept is the gentleman’s launch of an earlier era with modern styling and a modern standard of finish, and each boat is fitted out from a long options list so that no two are quite alike. Cockwells makes the point that the same hulls are used on lakes, canals and fjords as well as open water, which is reassuring for anyone planning to split time between the Harbour and the Hawkesbury.
A warm welcome awaits you at stands M101 and M102 in the Marina and we can’t wait to discuss your requirements whether you long to speed across estuaries with water toys in tow, cross oceans or cruise inland waterways.
Dave Cockwell, Founder and Managing Director, Cockwells
The Cockwells team will also have information on the new Hardy 50DS, launched recently, for anyone whose plans run to longer passages.
Seeing a Duchy in Sydney
Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches. We import the boats and handle delivery and commissioning in Sydney, and with a Duchy 35 now in the country, seeing one on Sydney Harbour can be arranged rather than on a screen. The Duchy Sport can be ordered through us in the same way, specified to your own layout. Get in touch to arrange a demonstration or to talk through a build, including finance.
Cockwells’ Southampton preview is on cockwells.co.uk.
Frequently asked questions
What is new on the Duchy Sport for 2023?
Cockwells has moved cooking below deck with a galley and wet bar in the cabin, so the cockpit table is no longer needed for food preparation, and added a hatch in the cabin that opens to create a double bed. Heating and air conditioning are fitted in the cabin. The towing points, sunbeds, Bimini and bathing platform remain.
What is Duchy 35 ‘Betty’?
Betty is the Duchy 35 Cockwells is showing at Southampton in 2023. She has a dark grey hull and a twin-cabin layout, as opposed to the single master cabin arrangement, and she is on stands M101 and M102 in the marina alongside the Duchy Sport for visitors to board from 15 to 24 September.
Is the Duchy 35 available in Australia?
Yes. Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer, and the first Duchy 35 for Australia was sold in December 2022 and arrived in Sydney in May 2023. Cockwells notes the model has already found buyers at Sydney’s international boat show. We import each boat and handle delivery and commissioning in Sydney.
How many Duchy motor launches have been sold?
Cockwells puts the tally at over 70 Duchy launches sold so far, across a range that runs from 21 to 60 feet, roughly 6.4 to 18 metres. They are semi-production boats, so each owner chooses from a long list of options to suit how the boat will be used.
Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches, Hardy Motor Yachts and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders. To talk about a new build, a demonstration on Sydney Harbour or a pre-owned Duchy, call Sam Davis on 0408 864 111 or send an enquiry.
About the author
Sam Davis is the Director and Lead Broker at Davis Marine Brokerage, Fergusons Marina, Mosman. Brokering on Sydney Harbour for over a decade, he is a NSW State Councillor of the Boating Industry Association and the Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy, Hardy and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders.
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