Highfield Boats is the world’s leading aluminum-hulled RIB manufacturer. Established in 2011, the company offers a line of rigid-inflatable hull boats featuring high-tensile, powder-coated aluminum hulls from 6 to 30 feet. Built in China and with dealers and distributors in 46 countries, Highfield Boats has sold 54,000 boats worldwide over the past 14 years.
But just last week, at Boot Dusseldorf in Germany, the builder launched its all-new Highfield ADV7, a fiberglass-hulled crossover, the first in a new adventure line. With a plumb bow, tubes that stay well clear of the water and a center console, the ADV7 looks less like a RIB and more like a Scandinavian adventure boat with tubes, which isn’t a bad thing at all.
The ADV7 seats up to 8 people and has social areas at the bow and stern that convert to sunpads, full tubes for safety, high freeboard, a kitchenette with a fridge, stern swim platforms to port and starboard, twin seating at the helm and a wrap-around glass windshield with a T-top. Powered by a 250-horsepower engine, the ADV7 is capable of 50 knots and has a range of 200 miles at 25 knots. A console-controlled electric windlass and a toilet inside the console are options.
The 22-foot, 10-inch hull has an external beam of 8 feet, 9 inches, an internal length of 17 feet and an internal width of 6 feet, 7 inches.
She will make her U.S. debut at the Miami Boat Show in a couple of weeks.
