In just over eight metres, the yard has condensed everything that is required for a comfortable and pleasant trip
by Niccolò Volpati – photo by Andrea Muscatello
Mar.Co X27 isn’t just a simple revisiting of the 26, given that the hull is also entirely new. Even though it isn’t one of the largest models the yard produces, the build quality is the same. The hull can be made using infusion moulding or traditional lamination, and buyers can choose from many customisation options. Those include having a T-Top rather than a rollbar. So, selecting the desired options from the beginning of construction is possible. And there is also plenty of choice when it comes to power.
The seat forward of the console and the U-shaped cockpit sofa offer numerous solutions for accommodating passengers while sailing.
The minimum is 350 horsepower, 400 is the recommended amount, and the highest is 450. And you can opt for one engine or two. With that, you can even get to as much as 600 hp. Mar.Co hulls have always proved reliable, especially when fitting powerful engines. The sea that awaited me outside the harbour wall at Genoa was not too difficult, with around 30-centimetre waves, and I had two 225 hp Mercury V6s on the transom. The acceleration was fierce: the hull got out of the water in two and a half seconds, and to reach the top speed of 46.2 knots, we needed 18 seconds. I slowly eased back on the throttle to determine the minimum planning speed, and the result was surprising. At 9.1 knots, the X27 was still out of the water. Snapshot fuel consumption was less than 18 litres per hour, so two per nautical mile. The hull didn’t want to come back down, however much I reduced the gas, which was an unusual feeling. It was like being on a hydrofoil. Being at the helm at high speed also felt good.
The X27 moves exceptionally well. The hull is soft, and never slammed on the waves, or even on the wakes left by passing ships. And it is also easy to handle. It turns sharply, without ever losing control. The efficiency of the waterlines isn’t just reflected by the feel and the speed, but also by fuel consumption. It uses 43 litres per hour at 25 knots, and 58 litres at 30 knots. It is not only the value in absolute terms that counts, but also constancy. At any cruising speed, consumption varies between less than two and just over three litres per mile. The regularity of fuel consumption is significant between 14 and 25 knots, staying unchanged at 1.7 litres per mile.
Details make all the difference, such as the wing holders on the aft platform, which are practical and always within reach.
The quality of Mar.Co boats can be appreciated both above and below the waterlines. The deck layout delivers everything needed for a day on the water. The foredeck is entirely given over to a sun pad, and you can set up a four-strut awning to get shade. The cockpit has a U-shaped sofa, with lockers below it. The table completes the aft sun pad. There is a sink under the couch for the skipper and mate, and a cooking hob and a lower-down fridge can be added if wanted. Nothing has been left out, not even the wc, which is reached frontally and under the console. The set-up is lavish, but you can get around easily on board. That is also because of some solutions that are currently traditional for Mar.Co, such as the back of the stern sofa that folds down to become a practical opening to get to the cockpit, which means that not even a square inch of the area available is wasted, in contrast to boats with central walkways or sidedecks that link the bathing platform to the cockpit. And the usable surface in the stern is also considerable, with one platform hiding the swimming ladder and the other a perfect locker for fins, masks or the spare anchor.
Engine data
Two 225-hp Mercury V6s push the X27 to a top speed of over 46 knots. The minimum installable power is 350 horsepower, and the recommended is 400.
MAR.CO MARINE COSTRUZIONI
Via Edison, 64
I-20835 Muggiò (MB)
T. +39 039 2787336
[email protected]
www.mar-co.com
PROJECT
Shipyard technical department
HULL
LOA 8.32m • Max beam 3.08m • Tubular diameter 0.48/0.56m • 6 compartments • Dry weight 1,950 kg • Fuel tank volume 375 l • Water tank volume 105 l • Maximum power rated 450 hp
MAIN PROPULSION
2x Mercury V6 • Outlet mechanical power 167 kW (225 hp) • Swept volume 3.4 l • 6 V-cylinders • Compression ratio 1.85:1 • Maximum rotation speed 5200-6000 rpm • Weight 215 kg
EC CERTIFICATION
CAT B
PRICE
From 109,000 € + VAT (excluding optional extras) with 2x 225 Mercury from 41,700 € + VAT (without electro-hydraulic steering)
*The price refers to June 2025
(Mar.Co R-Evolution X27 – A surprising hull – Barchemagazine.com – Excerpted from Barche, June 2025)
