Interview with Gaetano Fortunato, General Manager at Eolo Marine: “Here are the first tests aboard Eolo 9”
Eolo 9, the latest jewel from Eolo Marine, has been unveiled and, as expected, has amply fulfilled the expectations of dealers who, in a preview, had the pleasure of carrying out the first in-water tests.
Reliable, sturdy, fast, elegant… Adjectives are wasted in talking about this Daily Line which, with its sinuous lines and eclectic spirit, is essentially suitable for all occasions. In just 9 meters, Eolo Nove synthesizes the whole spirit of Eolo Marine, which on the one hand is a soul made of precious details, choice of fine materials and lots of comfort, but on the other hand is also very gritty and performance-oriented: a family line for wonderful days with friends, a sporty boat for a trip with friends or a fishing trip, but also very elegant and charming.
A model much awaited by the market and equally wanted by the company, as Gaetano Fortunato, Eolo Marine General Manager & Member at Confindustria Nautica, tells us.
“Let’s start by saying that Eolo 9 is clearly a continuation of the work we did with the other models, primarily Eolo 830. We were asked for an upgrade. Another reason is related to the fact that in this range, so between 9 and 10 meters, there are not many shipyards that make this type of boat: we are few, in short, to offer this type of size, which is somewhere between a yacht and a medium-small boat.
The boat positions itself in a medium-high price range, about 200,000 € with full equipment, and we expect a very good market feedback: we can count on many dealers in Europe, and recently we also have a new one in Canada. We are confident, in short, about the model and the product, which is perfect for this kind of market”.
When will the first sea trials take place?
“We carried out the first trials with dealers, and we are continuing our tests. The first boat show where the boat will be presented will definitely be Genoa.
I personally tested the boat recently for the first time, and it was a brand-new experience. It has impressive stability underway, probably due to its increased length.
The test went really very well. Powered by two 250HP engines, the boat reached 43 knots in rough seas. We succeeded in doing a great work: the structure of the boat is sturdy, and it doesn’t make a noise, a creak, despite the fact that we stressed it so much on the wave.
It is really silent and fast. With a cruising speed of 25 knots and a top one of over 40 knots, it’s really fun, but at the same time you just have to slow down a bit to fully enjoy all the relaxation it offers, inside and out. In my opinion, those who will test Eolo 9 will definitely be very impressed, as well as buyers will definitely be satisfied”.
Speaking more generally about the market, where is the demand most oriented today?
“The most important demand is definitely for our biggest models. AS Marine’s GL line, which includes the 22, 23, 26 and 28 models is having great success. We have had good demand for these boats and we continue to have strong demand with the Day Line, so 590, 650, 730 and 830.
Eolo 9 inaugurates a new generation of boats, so it will be soon followed by Eolo 8, Eolo 7, Eolo 6: we are getting a makeover. We really decided to start from the biggest boat for the new line, a little bit like in the automotive world”.
Speaking of the future, is there any project you would like to anticipate or any innovation coming up?
“There is a number of incentives pushing for innovative models, and right now the innovation that the market, or better the environment, is asking us for is electric.
The idea is then to create an electric version, probably of Eolo 7, but the challenge is still very tough to achieve the performance desired. At the moment I don’t see the conditions yet, although of course we hope that the obvious technical issues will be resolved.
Guarantees on battery disposal are needed, otherwise we risk polluting even more than with classic Diesel engines. Less bulky elements that do not take up too much space in the boat are also needed. And then of course performance. The boat has to at least get up on plane and allow some kind of cruising speed, at least 16 knots, as well as a range of at least 30 nautical miles.
Right now they work well on lakes, there are several interesting charter services, but on boats that reach 8 knots at most, and for a quiet charter on a Sunday afternoon is fine, but if I think about buying a boat, I think at the moment it is not enough.
In any case we are rooting for progress, and when the right conditions occur we will certainly be there”.
Is there a message you would like to leave our readers before saying goodbye?
‘Yes of course. I hope that Eolo 9 will give us a way to make ourselves known in this market sector as well, and that it will bring us closer to all those who want to approach our wonderful and varied Made in Italy reality. For us, Eolo 9 is like a final goal, the completion of a long redesign work, of which we are very proud.
I hope you enjoy it and have fun’.
Technical Specs
LOA | 9 m |
LH | 8.74 m |
Max Beam | 2.96 m |
Unladen Displacement | 3050 Kg |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 400 l |
Eolo 9 Sea Trial – Performance detected with two Suzuki DF250APs:
RPM | Speed in kn | Consumption (l/h) | Range in nm with reserve at 20% |
600 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 230 |
1500 | 7 | 14 | 160 |
2000 | 8 | 24.4 | 104 |
2500 | 10.1 | 36.7 | 88 |
3000 | 14 | 47.2 | 95 |
3500 | 24.5 | 51.6 | 152 |
3800 (cruising speed) | 28 | 60 | 150 |
4000 | 29 | 65 | 142 |
4500 | 33 | 80 | 132 |
5000 | 37 | 107 | 110 |
5500 | 40 | 130 | 98 |
6000 (max) | 44.2 | 170 | 84 |
