It’s been some time since Absolute was in the sportscruiser game but the 48 Coupe marks the start of a new era for the Italian marque. MBY deputy editor Jack Haines takes it out on the water to see how it stacks up...
The 2021 Cannes Yachting Festival saw Absolute launch two brand new models and though one was a 60ft flybridge and the other this 50ft sportscruiser they both share similar design language and a mission to be released from the shackles of what we consider to be traditional cockpit design.
This means that the customer effectively starts with a blank canvas on the aft deck where Absolute will either supply modular and very attractive furniture all of its own or fit some supplied by a manufacturer of the client’s choosing.
The other key feature is how open the cockpit feels thanks to the glazed transom, which does a fine job of creating the feel of a waterside terrace, with unbroken views across the water.
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A vast storage void, accessed via three individual hatches in the transom, provides ample space to stow watersports kit as close to the waterline as it’s possible to be.
At anchor, the hi-lo platform becomes the perfect waterside play area, with the “terrace” above where those not in the water can relax and spectate.
The layout possibilities of the modular furniture appear almost endless as each squab can be turned into an armchair or, by taking the arms off their bases, pushed together to create a sun pad.
It’s possible to create a dinette in whichever orientation you choose, be that in the traditional position with a bench running across the transom or why not turn the benches 90 degrees and treat everyone around the table to a view out over the water?
It’s a feast of modularity that offers impressive flexibility for a sub-50ft production boat. The other side of the coin with this design is that there isn’t a huge amount of privacy in this open cockpit if you’re moored stern-to in a marina, so it might have been an idea to create more of a socialising space on the foredeck.
Read Jack’s full review of the Absolute 48 Coupe in the November issue of MBY, out October 7.
Absolute 48 Coupe specification
LOA: 48ft 11in (14,9m)
Beam: 14ft 10in (4.52m)
Draught: 3ft 8in (1.17m)
Displacement: 21.2 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 1,600 litres
Water capacity: 530 litres
Test engines: Twin 480hp IPS650
Top speed: 28.5 knots
Cruising speed: 14.8 knots
Range: 189nm
Fuel consumption: 100l/h
Noise: 68dB(A)
RCD category: B for 14 people
Design: Absolute Yachts
Starting price: €770,000 (ex. VAT)
Price as tested: €1.09m (ex. VAT)
