The latest breed of new sportsfishers for sale might bare a striking resemblance to older yachts, but that's no bad thing.
This is a highly specific area of the yacht market, with designs honed for a specialist use, as such, function rules over form, creating some archetypal yacht styles.
Happily, function has also created some beautiful yachts. The smaller, dayfisher market runs from 5m-10m and is split between open, centre-console boats with flared bows and outboard engine power, and cheerful wheelhouse craft with generous decks and some useful interior accommodation. This type offers a range of inboard and outboard power, the lighter outboards being preferable if you want to trail.
The offshore market can be even more stylised, and just as impressive. Yesteryear trawler yachts have evolved into rakish, fast flybridge models with tuna towers, powerful flared bows and slender sterns. Interiors can be luxurious with a nod to maritime traditions, with generous salons and cabins.
Away from these impressive North American derived yachts, you will find European sportsfishers that are just as capable, albeit in a more understated way. Flybridge designs are still common, but tuna towers and 30-knot speeds less so. These yachts are not designed to chase fish as much as wait for them to swim past.
Like the simple spacious decks, interior accommodation errs on the side of function but is still very usable.
All of these bigger, 10m-plus sportsfishers will come with specialist fishing specifications and run on shaftdrive inboard engines.
