With excitement levels still vibrant from the Geneva Motor Show, Italiaspeed would like to pass mention on the unveiling of yet another exclusive ‘Alfa Romeo’, this time the AR 233 SL by a new Dutch company, AR-Yachts.

The 23.3 foot speedboat portrays a real masterpiece of design and craftsmanship. Dubbed 'Christine' it was unveiled last month by her owner, the well-known Dutch actor and Alfa Romeo enthusiast Huub Stapel, at ‘Boot Holland’, the annual Dutch boat show at the Frisian Expo Center in Leeuwarden. In fact the boat marked the opening of the show, being prominently displayed at the entrance of the FEC.  

The story started several years ago as a dream of Alfa Romeo and speedboat enthusiast, Evert Koopmans from Sneek. Personal friend and believer in Evert’s dream was Willem Schulpen and it was together, two years ago, that they started to realize the project. The AR-Team grew considerably over the ensuing years, with every team member having similar enthusiasm and a true ‘cuore sportivo’. Eventually, the team counted more than 60 members when the project partners are included.  

The AR 233 SL is a testament to everything Alfa Romeo stands for, and in particular the Superleggera Touring bodied sportscars produced between the 1930s and 1950s. The speedboat is also powered by a modern Alfa Romeo heart: the new 20-valve 2.387 cc JTDM engine that powers the Alfa 156, 166 and the recently unveiled Alfa 159 and Brera models.

The Alfa Romeo engine was supplied through Alfa Romeo Nederland, just one of the many proud partners involved in this fascinating project.  

The Alfa Romeo 2.4 JTDM engine had to undergo a number of modifications prior to installation in order to make it usable as a marine engine. Firstly, the intercooler had to be converted from air-to-air to air-to-water, but other changes focused on the transmission, remapping the ECU, modifying the wiring loom and the fitment of an open air filter element. As with the standard Alfa Romeo 2.4 JTDM unit, the revised boat engine also delivers 175 bhp. For a finishing touch, the engine was resprayed in red to help protect it from salt water.  

The Superleggera construction, hence 233 ‘SL’, makes use of Sealium (ultra-lightweight aluminium) to provide a total weight of only 1,100 kg. Although aluminium only makes financial sense for boats longer than 30 feet, the AR 233 SL breaks the rule due to its philosophy as a no-compromise ‘runabout’. Despite this, certain owners of Riva and Boesch boats have been surprised by the relatively low price of the AR 233 SL. 
 

The first boat took thousands of man-hours to realize and due to the complexity of its rounded form and aluminium construction, highly skilled labour was employed throughout the development.

After defining the form of the boat in three dimensions, a 1:10 scale model was CNC milled at Ritmeester BV, a ship interior design company based in Alblasserdam.

Work on the first boat started in earnest, with the aluminium hull showing extreme levels of complexity and beauty. In fact, the form of the naked framework gave the sculptural impression of many Alfa Romeo grilles placed behind one another, a point noted by director of Alfa Romeo Nederland, Jack Pruijssers.

Due to the use of aluminium material, the hull had to be MIG-welded, however, the cramped conditions within the forepeak made this very difficult. Fabricating the stern of the boat was also another hurdle that could only be overcome by using skilled labour; it's particularly beautiful shape includes no straight lines whatsoever.

The shape of the hull is reminiscent of traditional Italian wooden speedboats, despite the avant-garde construction technique. The front incorporates a unique ‘scudetto’, the shape differing in terms of curvature (convex instead of concave) due to the obvious form of the hull. Following a recommendation from Alfa Romeo Nederland, Christine was finished in Rosso Alfa.

The interior of the boat is a combination of traditional mahogany with black leather and stainless steel. The philosophy of the timeless design called for simplicity within the interior, whereas a combination of curvature and angular forms was achieved to create an all-round design. Accommodation in the interior is 4+1, with the rear seats allowing for reclined or upright seating. The captain and first mate seats are both fully adjustable, and can be swiveled to face the rear seats.  

The final mahogany dashboard is a real work of art, the curved form translating the interiors of traditional Italian sportscars without being in the slightest bit contrived. Six solid stainless steel tubes on the ‘waterfall’ dashboard give an indication towards the classical Alfa Romeo grille, but apart from the Superleggera badge, this is the only ornamental addition to the otherwise clean design.  

Last week saw the AR 233 SL being displayed at the HISWA boat show at the RAI in Amsterdam. Public interest has so far been very strong, with particular praise towards the boat’s beautiful shape, interior and “the most beautiful red colour.”

AR-Yachts can offer the AR 233 SL to tailor-made specification, which includes any colour. The base price is €125,000 excluding VAT.

By James Granger