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Sea Trial: HCB 65 Estrella

• By Kevin Koenig
• Updated: June 6, 2019

This had to happen. Ever since the Great Recession shook the world some 10 years back, and many yacht owners felt pressure to tamp down ostentatious displays of wealth, center-consoles have replaced convertibles and larger vessels on the waterways. In a way, the 25- and 30-footers represented a degree of humility that fit the zeitgeist.

But then the creep set in.

What used to be expressly runabout-type boats became 35- and 40-footers with berths and full heads. The nearly unavoidable summation of this trend — to this point — is the HCB 65 Estrella , the largest boat ever in its class and perhaps one of the most talked about models in recent memory. She’s a literal showstopper. I’ve witnessed multiple people halt in their tracks to gawk when they see her on the boat-show docks.

When I got on board the Estrella early one morning off Islamorada in the Florida Keys, the sky was torn-denim blue, the seas were flat calm and the engines were freaking ridiculous. This monster sportboat is powered by a cadre of equally monstrous 627 hp Seven Marine outboards — five of them. The all-­aluminum powerplants with 1.9-liter TVS supercharged and intercooled induction systems have had outboard enthusiasts gaga since they were introduced in 2015, with good reason. At slower speeds, they rumble and roar like lions. Drop the hammer, and they morph into a whining swarm of mosquitoes the size of eagles chasing you at upwards of 56 knots.

But the Estrella is not simply a linear athlete. At 36 knots, I took her hard over in a single boat length, briefly creating a miniature maelstrom in the flats. Sightlines from the helm were quite good, even coming out of the hole, and the high-gloss teak helm pod and steering wheel added more than a dash of panache. The ZF controls and joystick allowed for smooth and ­confidence-inducing handling.

There is helm seating for five, and when the boat is not underway, the seats can rotate to face the five-person sleigh seating aft (with a table) to create an alfresco dining area for 10, all beneath the overhead hardtop.

In fact, the 65 Estrella has lots of exterior space that allows her to be a first-class cruiser — in agreeable climes — and a serious fish boat. Her bow has U-shaped seating with a hydraulic table that lowers, making the settee a sun pad for at least two people. Abaft that are two forward-facing lounges that are sublime places to sit when the boat is running at full force. If I’m not driving, that’s where you’ll find me, every time.

Read More: HCB 65 Estrella Security

Handrails on the gunwales at amidships help facilitate passage to the boat’s (yacht’s? At 65 feet, I guess we have to call this center-­console a yacht, which feels strange but is nonetheless accurate) cockpit. That’s where the sporting accessories are found. Inward-opening dive doors are to port and starboard. Twin 80-gallon livewells in the transom accompany three in-sole fish boxes and a fighting chair for serious angling. Mezzanine seating with sinks on either side are the best place to watch the fishing action.

Down below, the 65 Estrella has an honest-to-goodness salon with a U-shaped dining settee to port that converts into a berth. A Pullman berth above that means the common area can sleep three. That setup is across from a wet bar and Insignia television. A $10,000 option, that TV transforms into a mirror when turned off, as with similar TVs on superyachts.

Forward of the common area, the 65 Estrella has a master stateroom with a double berth. The head is abaft the salon with a shower that’s 3 feet by 3 feet, 6 inches, and that has 7 feet of headroom.

And that headroom shouldn’t be a surprise. Most everything about this boat feels oversize and right for the moment. She may become the beginning of a new trend. One day soon, we may look back at the 65 Estrella as a stepping stone — perhaps even a reasonable one — to something even wilder.

Take the next step: hcbyachts.com

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HCB Center Console Yachts 65 Estrella Review

• By Randy Vance
• Updated: March 20, 2019

Colossal center-consoles have trickled into the marine market over the past few years, but this 65-footer is the first of such commanding size, and the only one powered by more than 3,000 outboard horsepower. Its length and beam can intimidate, but its all-electronic/hydraulic helm controls have made it a sweet baby to handle in any conditions.

HCB Yachts calls the Estrella a production model, but the company will customize it any way you want. My test boat came seriously outfitted as a fish boat, but it was filled with cruising comfort too. Ready to fish well offshore, the 65 can race across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas in an hour and provide luxurious accommodations once you get there.

Run, Baby, Run! On the docks in the Florida Keys this past December, I approached the Estrella from the stern quarter. The row of five Seven Marine 627 outboards seized my attention. While I ogled the motors, I realized it took several more paces to draw up even with the vessel’s ­sumptuous, crowd-pleasing foredeck.

The size of that deck is the only thing that can overshadow the massive horsepower. Don’t worry about grabbing a workout when you visit the Bahamas — 40 laps around the center console equals a mile, and you’ll enjoy a better view than in a stinky gym.

The outboards come with ZF ­transmissions and electronic throttle and shift. With that and the integral power steering, controlling these wooly mammoths seems simple. The double-lever ZF controls feature a short stroke but firm feedback, making it easy to make minute throttle adjustments. HCB positioned the trim controls overhead in a five-button panel so the helmsman can fine-tune trim for each engine at any throttle speed.

In my test, once the 65 came up on plane and I trimmed it for 40 mph, I found little need for adjustment unless I chose to drop the power and spin the helm into a hard turn. I did that too, carving crisp circles, and ­tightening them up by adding more throttle.

But here’s what was ­astonishing in my test: This beauty weighed 65,000 pounds with five engines. So when I pressed the throttle levers forward and the boat launched to plane in 8.9 seconds, I was impressed. I clocked the boat to 30 mph in just 13.4 seconds.

The Estrella settled down quickly, giving me a commanding view forward from my standing position at the helm.

I could’ve sat at the helm and still enjoyed a panoramic on-plane view over the bow, and sometimes I did. The five-across custom helm seats felt firm but forgiving, absorbing the landings as the hull cleaved and crushed our ­doubled-up wakes.

These seats will not easily ­bottom out in seas because the foam is ­injection-molded to a specific shape. The foam will resist water absorption too, keeping the seats in top condition for decades with reasonable care. The 65 also comes with a sleigh seat aft of the helm row for five additional ­forward‑facing riders.

That Ahhhhhh Moment When you design a 65-foot sport-­fishing center-console yacht, the platform can do far more than provide competitive fishability. And when you sink into one of the dual forward lounges or snuggle into the queen-size air-conditioned berth belowdecks, an inevitable, audible “ahhhhhh” says everything about the luxury wrapped around the fish-battling features.

Take the fine mahogany wood­working in the ladder-back trim on the helm seats, the custom polished-teak helm pod and the hand-carved teak fighting chair. The finish on these parts is so tough, deep and lustrous, you have to look hard to ­convince ­yourself they’re wood. They are, though. So is the teak sole — smoothly sanded, tightly laid and comfortable underfoot. A matching covering board surrounds the boat atop the gunwales. At the transom, the covering board thickens and widens to protect the dual 80-gallon livewells beneath.

I found more teak at the step to the mezzanine seating. Beneath the step, HCB installed hatches for tackle boxes and a pair of refrigerated drawers.

Besides the mezzanine seating and the enormous luxury lounge ahead of the console, large lounges rim the bow. The teak sole between these lounges features an electric jack that raises the flooring to either complete a sun pad or create a table.

If you’re into outdoor cuisine, the helm-station sole can electrically rise to form a table between the sleigh seating and reversed helm-station bucket seats. The factory can even convert the mezzanine to a full outdoor kitchen with an electric grill, sink and fridge.

The cabin below offers a large shower in the roomy head compartment. There’s an abbreviated galley, but plenty of room to make coffee or even breakfast. A mirrored one-way glass backing the counter reveals a TV, but only when the appliance is switched on.

Custom Layouts My tester could’ve come equipped with an aft lounge instead of the dual livewells, flanked by Frigid Rigid coolers with jump-seat cushions nested on either side. If an owner opts for the lounge, HCB would plumb the forward coolers as livewells.

Read Next: Building the World’s Largest Center Console

Shotgun, gunwale and hardtop rod holders seem so numerous that it takes less than a glance to holster a stick in a hurry. On my test boat, that hardtop also featured outriggers, controllable from below.

Cockpit side doors port and ­starboard allow anglers to boat a big fish, and in-floor boxes — 150 gallons each — boast freezer plates to chill fish without carrying weighty ice. The coup de grâce, for me, was the standard Seakeeper gyro stabilizer, ensuring a stable deck to keep any outing pleasurable.

Standout Options

• Teak sole: $135,000
• Pullman bunk over stateroom lounge: $14,000
• Satellite TV: $5,000
• FLIR M625XP thermal camera: $16,700

Performance Power: Five Seven Marine 627 outboards Load: 460 gal. fuel, 100 gal. water, four crew Top Speed: 55.5 mph @ 6,100 rpm Time to 30 MPH: 13.4 sec. Best MPG: 0.3 mpg @ 40.4 mph (4,000 rpm)

Hull LOA: 65 ft. Beam: 16 ft. Deadrise: 18 deg. Dry Weight: 65,000 lb. w/ power Draft: 3 ft. Fuel: 1,500 gal. Max Power: 3,135 hp MSRP: $3.9 million (w/ five Seven Marine 627s)

HCB Center-Console Yachts Vonore, Tennessee 800-635-3186 hcbyachts.com

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A few years ago, a 65-foot center-console boat would have been an outlier in the market. Today with center-consoles getting bigger and bigger, HCB rolled out the 65’ Estrella, currently the world’s largest center-console boat.

Calling it the first ever Mega Center Console Yacht, HCB debuted the 65-foot long, 16-foot wide beast at the Fort Lauderdale International Boats Show in November. To understand how massive the 65’ Estrella is, check out the wet weight of 65,000 pounds with quint Seven Marine outboards. With 1,500-gallon fuel capacity, the traditional V-bottom can go deep offshore for fishing excursions.

Going big is the theme on the 65’ Estrella with seating for five at the helm seat overlooking three full-size Garmin screens. Up to 10 people can sit under the hardtop, which can be converted to an express dining area.

An usual feature on a center-console boat is a cabin that can sleep up to five people. The 65’ Estrella features a master stateroom with a bathroom and a separate walk-in shower. The headroom is excellent in the cabin.

A boat this big doesn’t come cheaply. The 65’ Estrella retails for more than $3.5 million with the Seven Marine outboards producing a combined 2,500 horsepower.

The Florida builder expects to build just 65 Estrellas a year because it is such a large boat, said Mike Yobe, vice president of product strategy for HCB Yachts.

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