Yachting reviews the Aquila 45 Sport: "It knows what it is"

Sea trialed off Florida's west coast in rain and a cold northeast wind

Yachting magazine put the Aquila 45 Sport through a full sea trial off Florida's west coast. Rain and a cold northeast wind meant writer Sam White got to see how the boat handles rough water, not just how it looks on a calm day. 

The performance numbers led the review. On twin 600 hp Mercury Verado V12 outboards, White recorded 0 to 30 knots in eight seconds and a top end just under 50. He put the 45 Sport's range at 242 nautical miles, enough to reach Key West from Florida's west coast or cross to the Bahamas from the east.

Beyond the speed, the review works through the thinking behind the boat. The 45 Sport was designed by Aquila in partnership with Clearwater, Florida-based Yacht Design Works, and the styling borrows from sports cars rather than cruising cats. The fold-down terraces open the cockpit into a beach club. And one piece of equipment isn't aboard at all: there's no generator. A lithium-ion bank runs the air conditioning at the helm and belowdecks for up to 18 hours instead.