BOLD BRAZILIAN COMING FROM PERHAPS A SURPRISING PLACE, THIS SCHAEFER 510GTS PROVED IT HAS THE GOODS TO GO AGAINST THE BEST OF THEM STORY ALLAN WHITING PHOTOS SUPPLIED
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chaefer Yachts’ 510GTS is the latest iteration of the Sport 51ft family that was released in 2017. Our test boat featured the company’s three-cabin, threehead internal fit-out that offers generous below decks accommodation for a big sports cruiser. Schaefer Yachts are designed and manufactured in Brazil, which is a not generally recognised economic giant in South America. Derided in childhood ‘Biggles’ books as, “the place where nuts come from and nuts go to”, Brazil has a GDP larger than Australia’s and the country is a major food and manufactured goods exporter — examples are Mercedes-Benz and VW automobiles, and Schaefer Yachts.
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Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show 2022
THE BUILDER Founded in 1992 by yacht designer Márcio Schaefer, Schaefer Yachts is the builder of world-class luxury sport yachts up to 25m in length. In late 2016, Schaefer signed an ongoing styling agreement with Italian design studio, Pininfarina, famous for designing some of the world’s most beautiful Ferrari cars and in 2018 released an intriguing ‘wheel-less’, joystick-only 580 model. The company employs more than 1000 specialists and uses state-of-the-art production equipment, exemplified by a giant Bermaq SG-22 computer-controlled milling machine. This five-axis machine produces precision boat plugs, from which highly
accurate moulds are made. The shipyard also uses vinyl ester resins in state-of-the-art vacuum infusion equipment, which makes the boats lighter and more robust than polyester construction. The main powertrain supplier is Volvo Penta and Onan turns diesel into electricity.
CONSTRUCTION From the drawing board — or, more appropriately these days, CAD-CAM screen — the 510 sports and flybridge models are based around the Volvo Penta IPS poddrive system. In the case of this hull, the IPS orientation goes as far as realigning conventional engine positioning.
