DALE Classic 45 - Press Reports
Motor Boat and Yachting Test Report
Introduction
It only takes a few moments of gazing across the pontoons at
Dale’s new Classic 45 to suss out what this lovely boat is all
about: it’s a gentleman’s plaything, a whimsy, an object of
beauty to be admired more than used in earnest. And there’s
surely nothing wrong with that notion. Even more than second
homes and flash cars, our boats are indulgences – probably the
greatest extravagances of all. Why should we need any
justification other than aesthetics for spending your hard-earned
on a whimsy?
Step on board though, and that initial presumption begins to
crumble. The 45 seems to be extraordinarily sturdily built for a
gentleman’s plaything. Not only is the build quality exceptional. but the engineering installation is clearly designed by people
who have ventured far offshore and have prepared the 45 for the rigours of life at sea. Further evidence of this comes in the form of the 45’s RCD rating: it is one of the very few boats built to Category A, despite its Sunday-on-the-river looks. That elevates it into the next category up from the B-rated Fairline Squadron 74, for example...
Motor Boats Tested Best of British
Dale's Classic 45 and Oyster's OM43 have been revamped, allowing
us the chance to celebrate them all over again.
If you strip out the big guns from the UK's boatbuilding industry - the likes of Fairline, Princess, Sealine and Sunseeker - you find a wonderful second layer which, just like a favourite box of chocolates, is every bit as tempting...