SEAFIGHTER SFR 48 - Twin V12 600hp Verados

Focchi 620 – Suzuki DF150hp

ΖΕΝ 39S – Twin 5.7L V10 350hp Verados

Focchi 620 – Suzuki DF150hp

ΖΕΝ 39S – Twin 5.7L V10 350hp Verados

SEAFIGHTER SFR 48 - Twin V12 600hp Verados

By Thomas P.

SFR 48 is the latest model and the flagship of the Seafighter shipyard that was first presented at the Athens Boat Show in December 2023, attracting all eyes and winning the admiration of almost all the visitors.
Luxurious and fully functional, with the quality of construction and finishing reaching a very high level, there is no doubt that SFR 48 will take a well-deserved place in the elite class of the world inflatable boat market.

SEAFIGHTER SFR 48 - Twin V12 600hp Verados

With almost two decades of experience, the founder of Seafighter Petros Karamichalis continues with an inexhaustible passion to constantly evolve and upgrade all the models of the shipyard, characterized for their offshore orientation, combining very successful, ergonomic and functional decks, "built" on particularly seaworthy hulls.

Producing 9 different models from 28 to 48 feet, the Seafighter yard has an excellent range of boats covering a wide range of uses and aimed at buyers who demand high quality, seaworthiness and safety at sea.

From the first glance, SFR 48 captivates you with the design harmony of all its parts that make up a wonderful whole, while maintaining the character of an authentic inflatable boat, despite its large and luxurious cabin that in no way undermines its aggressive line.
With high quality materials and accessories, and designed with complete freedom of movement on deck in mind, SFR 48 can accommodate and travel many people being not only a standalone and family holiday boat but also a luxury yacht tender.

Three wide steps, the last of which is 42cm wide, lead to the bow area which is coated with high quality and finished teak wood. The hard nose is particularly wide and ensures comfortable access to the boat, while the telescopic cleats are correctly positioned at its ends without posing any risk of injury. In its roof there is a hatch that leads to the locker that houses the windlass and the chain of the anchor, which exits from the entrance of the bow and fits perfectly in its stainless slot.

Further back is a big hatch that gives access to an individual and very useful storage space.
A large sunbed with a total length of 2.90 meters is formed on the roof of the cabin, capable of comfortably accommodating two people.

In the console area the width of the deck reaches 2.55m, while the sliding door to the starboard has an opening of 52cm. Two steps lead to the cabin of the boat which, apart from being particularly comfortable, is characterized by the high quality materials that have been used for its configuration.
The head has a maximum height of 1.85m while its total length reaches 2.25m, providing two very useful sofas to its port and starboard.
Further forward is the large cabin’s bed that has a total length of 2.55m and a maximum width of 1.65m, hiding two large and individual storage spaces under its two cushions. On the sides of the head and the bed there are very useful cupboards which, made of high quality wood, can accommodate the entire equipment of the cabin.

To the port of the cabin entrance, there is the individual bathroom area which is 1.46m long, 0.97m wide and 1.85m high. Equipped with very good quality accessories, it has an electric toilet, a sink and the corresponding storage spaces, while a large window to the starboard ensures abundant natural lighting.

The instrument panel has plenty of space for placing large navigation screens and any kind of device we desire, while it has an ideal angle for easy and direct reading of the instruments in any driving position.
There are 3 individual helm seats behind the pilot station that have a height adjustable cushioning mechanism, while also providing very good lateral support.

The helm seats are adapted to the front surface of the wide outdoor kitchen, which is equipped with a sink, oven and electric fridge, and has a large storage space inside. On the rear surface of the outdoor galley is a three-seater sofa facing the stern, 1.37m wide, which in combination with the stern sofa and the free deck space between them that measures 2.50m x 0.95m, form a huge gathering area or a large multi-person dining one.

Behind the backrest of the aft sofa which is 1.50m wide, is the large stern sundeck which with dimensions of 1.50m x 1.75m is ideal for relaxing and sunbathing and can accommodate up to 4 people. The four-seater sofa and aft sundeck are fitted with a polyester superstructure, which lifts up with an electric mechanism to reveal the boat's largest storage space. The sundeck can also be raised separately, hiding underneath a very useful locker where we can store many items of immediate use such as fenders, life jackets and lines.

Further aft we find the swimming platform, which extends to the right and left of the engines, ensuring a large, free and clear surface for our marine activities, which is largely due to the space savings offered by Mercury's V12 engines due to their rotating gearboxes.

Another element that we particularly liked is that from the swimming platform we can move very quickly and easily to the hard nose in the bow area, due to the large passageways that are formed around the sundeck of the stern, the outdoor kitchen and the cabin, typical of a pure walk around boat.

At Sea

SFR 48 of our test was equipped with Mercury's beastly 7.6L V12 600hp engines which with a maximum rpm limit of 5600-6400 and a 2.50:1 gear ratio were turning Mercury's 35 inch of pitch dual propellers.
Displacement and horsepower may be the distinguishing features of V12 engines, but the two-speed automatic transmission and steerable gearcase are the innovative features that truly change the future of outboards.

The V12 Verado outboard, which as we have pointed out is essentially the end of inboard engines era, is designed to provide massive torque, easy docking and low maintenance costs. With its steerable gearcase, two-speed automatic transmission, contra-rotating twin propellers and 7.6 liters, this truly technological achievement of Mercury delivers amazing performance while having the smoothest and quietest operation of any large outboard we have ever tried.

After waiting a few minutes for the engine oil to warm up, I pushed the throttles and revved the engines from 4000 to 5500 rpm trying to get a first feel of handling the 1200 horses out from the SFR 48's hull. The Rib cruised with an excellent riding angle and showed us that it can safely handle much higher horsepower, while I was in complete control even when finishing the throttles up forward. Of course, you clearly felt that you were driving a large boat, which, however, was quite flexible for its dimensions and responded quite immediately to the sudden changes in our course.

In the Strait of Patroklos we encountered waves of one meter that in no way were capable of disturbing the sailing of SFR 48, which was cutting the tops of the waves very softly, completely ignoring their existence.

On the day of our sea trial, the weather conditions were very good, so we did not have the opportunity to evaluate the behavior of the hull in high wave height, which of course I had no doubts about since we know her offshore specifications very well.
With 700 liters of fuel, 200 liters of water, 2 crew and all the equipment on board, the throttle response was very good, SFR 48 got on plane very quickly with no tendency to raise her bow, she was standing on plane at 2600 rpm with a speed of 15 knots, while accelerating up to 30 knots in 10 seconds and up to 40 knots in 13 seconds.

At 3000rpm, and while we were running at 20 knots, 2nd gear was automatically engaged without much notice, and our speed climbed to 24 knots with a fuel consumption of 4.5 liters per nautical mile, which was also the most economical we recorded.
The V12's two-speed automatic transmission initially uses a larger reduction ratio (2.97:1) to increase the required torque to get heavy boats on plane more easily, then automatically engages second gear with a reduction ratio of 2 ,50:1, when the load on the engine has been significantly reduced.

At 3500 rpm, the fuel consumption rose to 4.8 liters per mile while cruising at 30 knots.At 4000 rpm we were running with 34 knots, and at 4500 with 39, with consumption remaining constant at 4.9 liters per mile. At these speeds, which seem very low, the boat travels very pleasantly without even having to hold the steering wheel, enabling us to cover very long distances comfortably and quickly.
At 5000 rpm we were cruising with 44 knots consuming 5.3 liters per nautical mile, while at 5500 rpm our speed was 50 knots with the engines starting to get thirstier, swallowing 6.6 liters per mile.
At full throttle, SFR 48 reached a magnificent 61 knots with the engines revving to maximum recommended by their manufacturer.

The detailed numbers we recorded can be seen in the table below:

Perfomance data by e-Ribbing

Taking a closer look at our measurement table, we see the very high slip values we recorded across the entire rpm range, which is inconsistent with the performance of twin and contra-rotating propellers that can provide maximum stern lift and overcome all those forces which tend to slow down the vessel.

This means we can experiment more and maximize the ride quality in terms of throttle response and maneuverability of the boat in bad weather conditions by trying shorter pitch propellers with possible lower engine height by one hole.

...keep Ribbing!