The X40 Express is a modern, robust, and luxurious interpretation of the classic express design. One glance at the raked, wrap-around windscreen and flush deck forward make it clear that Reliant Yachts partners Dave MacFarlane and Jim Ewing have produced something different in this custom 40-foot, 40-knot speedster.
The X40’s profile makes a statement with its plumb bow and straight, clean lines, accentuated by the cambered teak deck. Framing that deck is an extraordinary, uninterrupted, low-profile cap rail painted the same metallic silver as the hull. Yet the X40 makes another statement entirely when the carbon-fiber hardtop is removed, turning a coupe into a convertible.
When a boat is a limousine, it must ride comfortably and deliver its live cargo efficiently and safely ashore and then back again to its mothership. The passengers should enjoy a luxurious ride if the weather is fine or not, and observers will take notice as well.
Welcome to the X40T Limousine Tender, a unique custom 40-footer envisioned as a modern Venetian water taxi by Reliant Yachts partners Dave MacFarlane and Jim Ewing. The X40T is one of a trio of tenders for a new superyacht, and the Tender has the same clean lines and powerful hull shape as its sistership, the X40 Express. All three boats, including the surprisingly versatile X40L Lander, share a 40-foot overall length, an expanse of teak (or Flexiteek) deck, and metallic silver paint jobs accented in black.
A 40-foot utility boat in the service of a superyacht must above all be practical, always ready to load and deliver bulky, heavy stores and equipment. Yet it can become much, much more than that, which is what happened with the X40L, a tender that can serve as a working craft in the morning and a luxury SUV in the afternoon. Invite a crowd of your friends aboard for an afternoon at the beach and later, motor to a secluded inlet for cocktails and al fresco dining.
Designed for a client with a superyacht under construction, the X40L evolved in the imagination of Reliant Yachts’ partners Jim Ewing and Dave MacFarlane in collaboration with their client. The design brief required that the boat function as a landing craft and be able to carry considerable loads, including an automobile.