Owner's logbook: Powerboat champion Tim Ciasulli on the upcoming delivery of his Sunreef 88 Ultima

Every month, superyacht owners reveal where they are in the world and share their future plans. This month, BOAT speaks to powerboat champion Tim Ciasulli about the lessons he learned from yacht ownership and why he's looking forward to high speeds on his upcoming Sunreef eco-cat.

Tim Ciasulli

Yacht: Sunreef 88 Ultima
Length: 26.8m
Year: 2025
Location: Dubai

Are you looking forward to taking delivery of your new catamaran?
I can’t wait. This is going to be an exciting adventure between speed and economy. I’ve raced catamarans and been over 300 kilometres per hour in them. The design lends itself to superior speed and stability. And with this model we also get the living space. So when you combine 400 square metres of living space and a boat that can go over 40 knots, it’s a pretty powerful combination.

There’s also a heavy eco component, too...
The entire hull is sheathed in solar panels. So when you want to go on “eco” mode, you can almost run indefinitely. And of course, when the sun isn’t shining, throw the gensets on and away you go. Solar’s not taking you to 40 knots, but it’s helpful for sedate, quiet cruising.

Where will you take it when it’s delivered?
So we’re going to take it from Dubai all through the Med around Greece, Turkey and Croatia and, of course, Italy, France and Spain, and then to the US and the Bahamas.

You previously owned the first hull in Benetti’s Oasis 40M series. Have you applied any learnings from that to this boat?
The Ultima does have some Oasis-esque design cues, like the drop-down sides and a big open beach area. But I like to go fast and the Oasis wouldn’t let me do that. The big difference with this boat is the speed.

How are you achieving that speed?
It’s a water-jet boat with two big MAN diesels, delivering 4,400 horsepower. So I’m very excited to see the top end on this hull. It’s also built in carbon fibre and we’ve really stretched Sunreef to build us the lightest, most powerful and most comfortable boat possible. It’s been a challenge but I’m confident it will be worth it.

First published in the February 2025 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.