Cheetah builds for full spectrum of angling market
Following a hugely successful Southampton Boatshow, Cheetah Marine is celebrating 21 years in catamaran production with the launch of two 9m sportsfishing Cheetahs.
Final Fling and Shandy II are the latest additions to Cheetah's Portfolio of 9m catamarans. Both Cheetahs are built for angling and although the model and application are alike, the fit outs are surprisingly different.
Launched on the last days of our September summer, Final Fling will be based in Portsmouth for several months of Autumn fishing before new owner Jim Baker takes her round to her new home at Dover. Meanwhile, Shandy II with a full sportfishing fit out is heading south by road, enroute for Barcelona for final shipment across the Balaeric Sea to Menorca. The two catamarans demonstrate Cheetah Marine's ongoing commitment to building boats to each individual customer specific requirements.
With full permateek decking and interior carpets, Shandy II is every part the luxurious gamefishing cruiser. The long wheelhouse overhang has been extended to provide protection from the fierce overhead Mediterranean sun whilst the cabin features full day facilities. Outside sink and tackle storage has been fitted into a locker outside the cabin with multiple shiny flat surfaces for a nice cool gin and tonic.
In contrast Final Fling, provides full wheelhouse facilities for escaping the brunt of the North Sea and cooking up your favourite sausages. The standard overhang protects from the driving rain and the deck and wheelhouse floor is battleship grey with shot blast grit non-slip. Joking aside, Cheetah's standard deck finish has been renowned by commercial fishermen who work lobster pots and self shoot. Effectiveness is measured by how many pairs of insulated wellies have to be purchased each year. One fishermen reportedly saying to Sean 'the deck is great and the pots don't wear through the gel but I'm up to half a dozen pairs of wellies a year'
As with all keen anglers, fishing is the absolute name of the game and if there is one thing new owner Jim Baker doesn't want to be involved with is maintenance. After selling his last Lochin in 1999, Jim had toyed with the idea of buying a new fishing boat, looking at various monohulls. Jim spent some time shooting and boating with fellow Cheetah owner, John Bidwell aboard his 7.9m Top Gun from Sothwold, which prompted Jim 'to have a crack at the Cheetah concept'
When Jim collected his new Cheetah at the end of September he said 'I decided to try a new concept of a catamaran. With superior stability, cockpit space and low maintenance afforded by modern materials, I plan to spend all my boating time actually fishing.'
Both Cheetahs feature the new 250hp Honda outboards providing top speeds of 40 knots and cruising speeds at 20 – 30 knots. Details of a third 9m launched at the end of September will be posted shortly.
| Statistics |
|---|