There are regular boats and special boats. The Hermes Speedster clearly falls in the latter category with its sleek lines, sleek leather interior with Porsche accents. It is a jet-powered cult boat, the ultimate playboat, a vintage Cabrio in a sailing package.
The story of the Hermes (Greek god of trade) began in Great Britain, where Greek designer Nikolas Politis worked on boats with a low-resistance hull. In his home country, he wanted to build a pleasure boat for himself with his acquired insights. There he met an acquaintance who built Porsche 356 Speedster replicas. The hull design and the design of the cars appeared to mix beautifully and that is how the Hermes Speedster was created.
Anyone who looks at it will see the link with Porsche. The two air vents on the back, the low curved windshield in chrome surround, everything exudes the fifties design of the iconic sports car. But make no mistake, this is a brand new boat with modern technology and the ‘look and feel’ of a classic.
The hull is made of seven layers of polyester, with honeycomb cardboard as an intermediate layer. The trailerable Speedster weighs 675 kilos ready to sail. The outer layer is made of vinyl ester, which protects the laminate against penetrating moisture. Optionally, the boat can be sprayed in a car paint color of your choice.
Below the aft deck is the engine room with a 150hp Weber-Textron TC-155 petrol engine with jet drive. The two-cylinder, 846cc engine block weighs 100 kilos and is also used in jet tenders, personal watercraft, and even ultralight aircraft.
The boat is furnished like a car, with two beautiful low bucket seats in the front and a double sofa in the back. The dashboard, seats and the sides of the cabin are beautifully finished with real leather, an option of € 5,295 above the basic price of € 107,500. The dashboard is phenomenally designed with round clocks and even the buttons look retro. Speakers, window frames, lighting and cushions are also designed in Speedster style. Conveniently, the boat has a rearview mirror on the windshield. In this boat you really have the feeling of being in a beautiful classic convertible. The hood can easily be stored on the back of a cover.
The advantage of jet propulsion is that there are no rotating parts under the boat and you have a small (26 cm) draft. The underwater ship is excellent and you notice that because the boat is planning quickly and not accelerating. A jet drive is very different from a conventional drive. You have a small leather-covered sports steering wheel and you immediately feel the power of a sports car. When the hood is closed, you hear a deep hum, just like in old sports cars. Enthusiasts love it, others may be bothered by it. When the hood is down, the noise is significantly reduced.
On the open water we drive the engine up to 7500 rpm and record a top of 64 km / h. 70 km can easily be achieved on flat water. If you are used to steering, you notice that the boat can turn around the axis and is easy to moor. Ergonomically it all fits, the seat is good, the footrest is pleasing and the windshield with stainless steel frame protects well against cold and rain. This Speedster only has no windscreen wipers and they would come in handy on the gray test day. Fortunately the lighting is great with standard docking lights and underwater lighting at the swim platform. There are not many concerns about fuel consumption. At 5000 rpm you sail 25 km / h and you use 5.7 liters per hour.
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The Hermes Speedster is a beautiful boat that is excellent built with an eye for details. The sailing behavior is fine after a short familiarization period and the price matches the level of construction and finish. In short, a stylish appearance with modern technology in eye-catching retro design.