Agapi 800 Preview﻿

If you read last year’s Southampton Boat Show issue, you may recall the review on the unusual yet impressive Agapi 950. Hot on the heels of the 950, Agapi have just launched the 800, which is destined for our shores in early 2019 and looks just as serious as its bigger sibling. It is also set to be tested shortly by PBR.

This Swedish yard might be relatively new to the game, having been around for only a decade or so, but already it has clocked up a few international awards. Its construction plant in Poland has 25 years’ experience of producing high-quality craft built for demanding use in Baltic waters. Consequently when I first stepped on board the 950 last year, I was not too surprised to find myself surrounded by high-quality fittings and mouldings. Like the 950, the 800 is topped by a carbon-fibre composite T-top, and to keep weight down and strength up, the hull has a lightweight sandwich construction. One thing that struck me about driving the 950 – its sure-footed handling aside – was its ability to make light work of the rough seas off the Needles without the slightest complaint.

Designed by Håkan Södergren in conjunction with OXAS [u1] Design, the 800 has a great design heritage as Håkan Södergren is a leading Scandinavian designer of high-performance boats. It is somewhat unconventional in its looks with its raised Orca Hypalon forward tube sections, but these do a good job of providing a dry ride, while masking, to a degree, the existence of a cabin. The T-top is an option, but from my experience of the 950, an option worth having. Being carbon fibre it is light, and it enables a set of covers to be quickly fitted, providing total continuity with the windscreen. The helm looks suitably protected by the wrap-around high screen, and is served by a double bench seat, under which you can have an optional galley/fridge. This, as on the 950, is easily accessed by the folding seat arrangement, so if you want to overnight, cold drinks, brews and butties are definitely on the menu.

The cockpit is designed for maximum effect. I say this because it uses a clever design feature that enables the helm bench seat to be quickly reversed, creating an aft-facing sunlounger. Alternatively, it can be extended further aft with extensions to create a double sunbed. Bathing platforms flank the engine, which, when the sunbed is not in use, provides two deep areas for access. A table can be dropped into the cockpit, providing dining space for supposedly six people.

Below, the accommodation comprises a large double bed, and side seating that can convert, courtesy of the cockpit table, into a second double bed – certainly too snug for two couples, but a young family could overnight if need be. There is under-seat storage and the option of a sea toilet – though not in a separate compartment, so for daytime use only. Power options are either a 250hp Yamaha or a 300hp Yamaha outboard, providing a claimed 44 and 49 knots, respectively.