Motor Boat & Yachting’s first look at the Duchy Sport describes an 11.2 m semi-walkaround platform with twin 370 hp Yanmar 8LV sterndrives, a top speed near 40 knots and a 30-knot fast cruise.
Before the first Duchy Sport went into the water, Motor Boat & Yachting (MBY) published a first look based on the details Cockwells had released, and Cockwells has now republished that piece on its own site. With the boat having since made its public debut at Southampton, this is a good moment to go back through what MBY reported and set out the numbers and the layout in one place for buyers in Australia and New Zealand. Everything below comes from that first look, restated in my words.
Duchy Sport at a glance
- Length 11.2 m (36 ft 9 in)
- An all-new platform, not a stretch of an existing Duchy hull
- Semi-walkaround deck with a wraparound windscreen and a radar arch
- Standard power: two Yanmar 8LV diesels of 370 hp each, driving through sterndrives
- Top speed close to 40 knots when lightly loaded; fast cruise of about 30 knots
- A cuddy cabin forward: the vee-shaped dinette converts, and the heads is a separate compartment on the port side
Why a wakesurfing brief shaped the whole boat
MBY’s account of the boat’s origin is that it was created to answer one buyer’s request for the ideal wakesurfing day boat. That is an unusual starting point for a Cornish yard best known for launches and tenders, and it explains the layout the magazine goes on to describe, which is organised around the cockpit and the transom rather than the accommodation. Cockwells chose to build it on a platform of its own rather than adapt a hull already in the range.
Helm and cockpit
The helm carries three seats: pilot, co-pilot and an observer seat, the last being the position normally given to the spotter on a tow boat. Behind the helm the cockpit holds a small dinette, a wet bar and sunpads, and it finishes in an open stepped transom that leads down to the swim platform. Movement along the sides is by the semi-walkaround arrangement, with the wraparound windscreen and the radar arch defining the profile when the boat is viewed from the dock.
The cuddy cabin
Below, MBY describes a cuddy rather than full accommodation. The dinette is vee-shaped and converts, and the heads is in its own compartment on the port side. For a boat whose purpose is a day on the water, that gives you somewhere to change, somewhere private, and the option of a night aboard, without the weight and cost of a true cruising interior.
Engines and speed
Standard propulsion is a pair of Yanmar 8LV diesels, each producing 370 hp, on sterndrives. MBY’s expectation is that a lightly loaded boat will run close to 40 knots flat out, with a relaxed fast cruise of around 30 knots. The magazine also notes that the standard specification is already high, and that options such as a gyro-stabiliser are available on top of it.
What it means for a buyer in Sydney
Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches, Hardy Motor Yachts and Cockwells SuperYacht Tenders, and we import Duchys to Australia and handle delivery and commissioning in Sydney from Fergusons Marina, The Spit. From an Australian perspective, the figures in MBY’s first look line up with how a boat like this is used here. A 30-knot cruise puts Pittwater and Broken Bay within easy reach of the harbour for a day of watersports, and a top speed near 40 knots is as much as most owners will ever want on open water. The twin-diesel sterndrive set-up is a known quantity for local servicing, and the cuddy cabin with a separate heads is the difference between a boat the whole family will spend a long day on and one they tolerate for an afternoon.
The gyro-stabiliser is the option I would discuss first. On Sydney Harbour, where wash is constant, it earns its keep at anchor more than under way. The other conversation is the balance between tow sport and day-launch use, since that shapes how the cockpit is specified. Either way, the way Cockwells builds the Duchy range is the same, and we can walk you through the specification and finance for a new build before an order goes to the yard.
Where the first boat stands
When MBY wrote its piece, the first Duchy Sport had already been sold and was under construction at Mylor Creek, the Cockwells yard near Falmouth in Cornwall, with a spring launch as the target. That boat is now in the water and has been shown at Southampton, so the first look has turned into a boat you can stand on, and Cockwells has kept the article on its press pages for the record.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Duchy Sport?
Motor Boat & Yachting lists the Duchy Sport at 11.2 metres (36 ft 9 in), built on an all-new platform rather than an existing Duchy hull. The deck is a semi-walkaround design with a wraparound windscreen and a radar arch, and there is a cuddy cabin forward with a convertible dinette and its own heads.
What engines does the Duchy Sport have and how fast is it?
The standard engines are twin Yanmar 8LV diesels of 370 hp each on sterndrives. MBY expects a top speed close to 40 knots when the boat is lightly loaded, and a comfortable cruising speed of around 30 knots, which is enough for a quick run from Sydney Harbour to Pittwater for a day of watersports.
Does the Duchy Sport have a cabin and toilet?
Yes. MBY describes a cuddy cabin containing a vee-shaped dinette that converts, with the heads in a separate compartment to port. It is day-boat accommodation rather than a cruising interior, but it gives a family privacy, a place to change and the option of an overnight stay at anchor.
Can I buy a Duchy Sport in Australia or New Zealand?
Yes. Davis Marine Brokerage is the exclusive Australian and New Zealand dealer for Duchy Motor Launches. We agree the specification with you, place the build with Cockwells in Cornwall, and manage the import, delivery and commissioning in Sydney. Call Sam Davis on 0408 864 111 to discuss a Duchy Sport.
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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