Sunseeker Predator 55

The current Predator 55 was launched at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September 2024, alongside a sportsfly-hardtop sibling, the 55 Sport Yacht. Both are built on the same GRP hull, beam and drivetrain as Sunseeker's Superhawk 55, a dayboat that debuted in 2023; the Predator and Sport Yacht share an identical hull and window line but carry different deck and superstructure mouldings, with a fully enclosed, single-level main-deck saloon rather than the Superhawk's open walkaround layout. Length overall is 17.14 m, beam 4.93 m, and draught 1.48 m; Sunseeker's own specification sheet lists a half-load displacement of 28,700 kg (YachtBuyer separately quotes a lighter 26,100 kg dry displacement figure, a different weight basis, not a contradiction of the yard's half-load number).

The saloon opens to the cockpit through sliding patio doors, and a full carbon-fibre-framed sunroof over the forward saloon can retract to merge the two spaces, echoing the larger Predator 65 and 75 in the range, of which this model is a true sistership. Buyers can specify the galley up or down; a galley-up layout frees the lower deck for an optional third, twin-berth ensuite cabin, in place of the standard two-cabin arrangement with a full-beam amidships owner's suite and a forward VIP. The tender garage, reached via the hydraulic aft platform, takes a Williams TurboJet 325.

Propulsion is twin Volvo Penta D11 diesels on IPS950 pod drives, rated at 725 hp (533 kW) each for a combined 1,450 hp, giving joystick control and, per Sunseeker, a top speed of up to 36 knots; Yachting Magazine's test recorded just under 35 knots in deteriorating weather and about 37 knots at half load in calmer conditions, with a quoted cruising range of around 250 nautical miles at 25 knots. A Seakeeper gyrostabiliser is available. Sunseeker markets the model as the 30th anniversary iteration of a Predator lineage stretching back to 2001, distinct from both the original 2005-2009 Predator 55 (a heavier, surface-drive boat built on the Predator 53 hull) and the 2020-2023 Predator 55 EVO; despite the shared name, none of the three share hull, engines or layout.

Reviews have been positive about ride quality and interior finish: Yachting Magazine measured 64 dB(A) at the helm at an 18-knot cruise and praised the quiet, comfortable ride, while YachtBuyer's assessment called it a more grown-up, easier-to-handle package than the original 55 without losing the marque's sporting character.