Marine

Cigarette Racing and AMG turn out 42-feet of comfort and speed

Cigarette Racing and AMG turn out 42-feet of comfort and speed
"Why five engines? Simple, because six wouldn't fit," says Skip Brewer, CEO of Cigarette Racing
"Why five engines? Simple, because six wouldn't fit," says Skip Brewer, CEO of Cigarette Racing
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The Huntress' deck has plenty of comfortable seating and lounging areas fore and aft, and the newly designed T-Top provides a bit of protection from the sun
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The Huntress' deck has plenty of comfortable seating and lounging areas fore and aft, and the newly designed T-Top provides a bit of protection from the sun
The T-Top of the 42-foot Huntress is a beautiful and sturdy structure to keep off the sun
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The T-Top of the 42-foot Huntress is a beautiful and sturdy structure to keep off the sun
A view of the helm and dash from starboard
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A view of the helm and dash from starboard
Five Varado 350 SCi outboards from Mercury Racing are an intimidating lineup for anyone following the Huntress
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Five Varado 350 SCi outboards from Mercury Racing are an intimidating lineup for anyone following the Huntress
The bow of the boat invites lounging, save perhaps when travelling over 70 mph
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The bow of the boat invites lounging, save perhaps when travelling over 70 mph
The entryway to the cabin
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The entryway to the cabin
The Huntress is available with hardwood decking
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The Huntress is available with hardwood decking
Side view of the helm, showing the intricate decorative surface of the dash
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Side view of the helm, showing the intricate decorative surface of the dash
The AMG-like steering wheel
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The AMG-like steering wheel
A view of the stern, including the in-board appearance of the entry door
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A view of the stern, including the in-board appearance of the entry door
Fore view of the Huntress' cabin
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Fore view of the Huntress' cabin
Five Verado 350 SCi Mercury Racing outboards provide the push that propels the Huntress at 78 mph
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Five Verado 350 SCi Mercury Racing outboards provide the push that propels the Huntress at 78 mph
The Huntress and the AMG G63
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The Huntress and the AMG G63
"Why five engines? Simple, because six wouldn't fit," says Skip Brewer, CEO of Cigarette Racing
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"Why five engines? Simple, because six wouldn't fit," says Skip Brewer, CEO of Cigarette Racing
Bow deck of the boat
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Bow deck of the boat
The helm of the Huntress invites thoughts of dicey undertakings
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The helm of the Huntress invites thoughts of dicey undertakings
Aft view of the Huntress' cabin
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Aft view of the Huntress' cabin
The Cigarette Racing/AMG Huntress planing through the water. Note the side entry door
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The Cigarette Racing/AMG Huntress planing through the water. Note the side entry door
AMG Gelandewagen 63 (Photo: AMG)
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AMG Gelandewagen 63 (Photo: AMG)
View gallery - 19 images

Cigarette Racing and AMG have collaborated on the newest version of the Huntress performance boat, which was officially unveiled this week at the Miami International Boat Show. A little more roomy than classic go-fast boats, the 42-foot Huntress is ten feet high, has an 11-foot, 9-inch beam and a cabin below decks providing luxury accommodation for two. Oh, yes – it also comes with a 500 gallon (1982 l) fuel tank and five Mercury Racing outboards that can push it up to 78 mph (125 km/h or 68 knots).

The classic go-fast boat is designed with a long narrow platform and a planing hull. Originally called “rum-runners” during America's experiment with Prohibition, the term was later replaced by "cigarette boat" when used to smuggle tax-free cigarettes from Canada. While the Huntress won't keep up with full-blown go-fast boats, it will be a lot more comfortable.

AMG Gelandewagen 63 (Photo: AMG)
AMG Gelandewagen 63 (Photo: AMG)

The new Huntress is the third boat design to come out of the Cigarette Racing/AMG collaboration. While the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG Luxury SUV is touted as the inspiration for the Huntress, this writer has considerable difficulty seeing a direct relationship, save for the state-of-the-art engine and transmission, and the luxury interior. The Huntress is a vision of speed and elegance, while the G63 looks like the military light armored vehicle from which it was developed. I just don't see it.

Five Verado 350 SCi Mercury Racing outboards provide the push that propels the Huntress at 78 mph
Five Verado 350 SCi Mercury Racing outboards provide the push that propels the Huntress at 78 mph

The source of the remarkable performance of the Huntress is five Verado 350 SCi Mercury Racing outboards (technically the Huntress is available with four Mercury 300 Verados, but we all know how it should be equipped). Each of these supercharged 24-valve double overhead cam in-line six-cylinder engines has 158.5 cu in (2.6 l) displacement. Somehow they manage to produce 350 horsepower (263 kW) without blowing up when running at 6400 rpm. The five of these bad boys at full tilt drink 2.5 US gallons (9.5 l) of premium gasoline each minute, limiting the 500 gallon (1892 l) fuel tank to just over three hours at top speed, giving a racing range of about 260 miles (415 km).

The Cigarette Racing/AMG Huntress planing through the water. Note the side entry door
The Cigarette Racing/AMG Huntress planing through the water. Note the side entry door

The Huntress has a twin step deep-V hull with classic lines. The overall weight of 18,900 pounds (8590 kg) has been trimmed to offset the size and luxury of the craft through use of a lightweight composite structure and framework. The thought given to detail is illustrated by the inward-opening side door, made near-impregnable by hinges and handles which are built into the gunwale. The handling of the Huntress is assisted both by the twin step hull design and by the electro-hydraulic steering built into the Verado outboards.

The helm of the Huntress invites thoughts of dicey undertakings
The helm of the Huntress invites thoughts of dicey undertakings

The stunning helm is ergonomically designed with a CNC double-anodized dash panel whose controls are grouped together by function. The dash can be equipped with three Garmin GPS screens and four Garmin Digital Marine Instrument displays to keep track of the engines. Radar and sonar can be added to the Garmin GPS systems if desired.

The helm includes pull-down bolster seats which allow the driver and navigator to stand or sit. The cockpit includes a high-end audio system and multiple air conditioning vents, as well as controls for a bow thruster for easy slow speed maneuvering.

The Huntress' deck has plenty of comfortable seating and lounging areas fore and aft, and the newly designed T-Top provides a bit of protection from the sun
The Huntress' deck has plenty of comfortable seating and lounging areas fore and aft, and the newly designed T-Top provides a bit of protection from the sun

The deck of the Huntress is well designed for a racing run or for a day's holiday out on the water. Although listed as a center console by Cigarette, the console actually forms a peninsula which is attached on the port side, thereby leaving free a roomy traffic lane between the bow and stern decks. Speaking of which, the seating and lounging areas do show the influence of the G63, as they are elegantly upholstered with stitched patterns.

The newly designed "T-Top" of the Huntress is hardly an add-on. Rather, the intensely engineered aluminum structure is attached directly to the vessel's stringers, providing additional torsional stability to the boat. Such added strength is needed when throwing the boat around in choppy conditions.

Aft view of the Huntress' cabin
Aft view of the Huntress' cabin

Special attention was given to the cabin, which could be raised to unexpected levels of luxury owing to the increased beam of the Huntress. The door to the cabin is on the port side of the deck within the peninsula of the console. A companionway leads down to a remarkably large scale cabin. Sporting more than six feet of headroom, the cabin includes a large sofa which converts into a double bed, a mini-galley, flat screen television, and a sink outside a head with vacu-flush toilet and shower facilities.

Fore view of the Huntress' cabin
Fore view of the Huntress' cabin

Overall, Cigarette Racing's new Huntress is a remarkably well conceived and carried-out bit of nautical engineering. As with all such vessels, however, there is a serious, but not unexpected, difficulty – the price. In its basic configuration, the price for the Huntress has been announced at US$750,000 (€565,000) ... then there's the US$2500 (€1900) to fill the fuel tank!

Source: Cigarette Racing Team

View gallery - 19 images
5 comments
5 comments
Tim Jonson
...so running this boat for 15 minutes would destroy me financially...
Bill Bennett
Brian, your last sentence? priceless!
Slowburn
I will never understand why someone would use aluminum near seawater.
Dakoroman, Sydney
The use of outboard motors is a big problem. The perfect/ ideal solution is ROMANOZ PROPULSION SYSTEM It can easily beat the propellers.
Er. A.K.Mittal
Reacting to the comment " .... then there's the US$2500 (€1900) to fill the fuel tank! " .... I am reminded of an age old saying . " If you can count your millions , you are not a billionaire " .... A good car costs less than 100 grand . No ? And this baby puts you back by more than 800 . Right ? So for whom is it meant ? Not for those who count gallons . Certainly not . She is for those who already own over 150 foot mermaids ! To say the minimum. Over all , a beauty of an overnighter-for-two and lounge for 6 to 10 boat , a great article .