Predator 55
- LOA: 17.14 m (56 ft 3 in)
- Beam: 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in)
- Draft: 1.48 m (4 ft 10 in)
- Engines: twin Volvo Penta IPS 950, 2 x 725PS (1,450PS combined)
- Top speed: up to 36 knots
- Fuel capacity: 1,800 litres
- Cabins: 2 (3 optional), up to six guests
- Built in Poole, current generation launched 2024
The Predator name reset at 55 feet
The Predator badge is one of Sunseeker's oldest and most loaded, worn by fast sportscruisers since the 1990s. This 2024 model draws the name down to a compact 17.14-metre coupe that sits in the builder's Performance group alongside the Superhawk 55. It is the entry point to the sporting side of the range, below the 75 Sport Yacht and the larger Predators. For an owner who wants the marque's driving character without superyacht scale, it makes a natural starting boat.
Its closest relation is the Superhawk 55, with which it shares a hull and much of its engineering. Where the Superhawk is an open walkaround, the Predator answers with an enclosed hardtop and a coupe profile. That gives Sunseeker two very different day boats on one platform, and it lets a buyer choose between shelter and open-air theatre. The Predator 55 is the more weatherproof of the pair, and the easier one to use across a longer season.
A carbon roof that opens the whole coupe
The defining feature sits overhead. A glass and carbon-fibre sunroof measuring around 2.5 by 3 metres slides aft at the touch of a button, turning the enclosed helm into an open cockpit in seconds. The low coupe hardtop keeps the profile clean and purposeful, with deep hull glazing feeding light into the accommodation below. It is a shape that reads as fast at rest, which has always been part of the Predator appeal.
The single-level cockpit is arranged for social use at anchor. Aft seating can be repositioned to meet a fixed table amidships, opening space for six under an electric sun canopy. A large sun pad sits over the tender garage aft, with adjustable headrest bolsters and a view over the wake. The bathing platform and garage handle a Williams jet tender, so the day-boat brief is covered without eating into the cabins.
A carbon roof that turns an enclosed coupe into an open cockpit in seconds.
Three cabins from a 55-foot hull
Below decks the Predator 55 works harder than its size suggests. The standard boat has two cabins, with a three-cabin layout offered for owners who need the extra berth. The owner's cabin runs full-beam amidships, with room for a dinette or sofa alongside the berth, and the forward VIP uses scissor-action berths that split into twins or join as a double. That flexibility lets a single hull serve a couple one week and a young family the next.
Sunseeker uses the tender garage to justify the interior choices. Because the garage replaces crew quarters, the third cabin can connect either to a private en-suite or to a utility space with laundry and stowage. Fit and finish follow the current house style, with pale timbers and full-height glazing that keep the lower deck bright. For a 17-metre sportscruiser the sense of volume is unusually generous.
IPS pods and up to 36 knots
Power comes from twin Volvo Penta IPS 950 units, each a D11 diesel rated at 725PS, for a combined 1,450PS. Sunseeker quotes a top speed of up to 36 knots, which places the boat firmly in sportscruiser territory rather than outright raceboat. The IPS pods bring forward-facing propellers, joystick control and the option of Volvo's dynamic positioning, all of which make close-quarters handling far less demanding. Fuel capacity is 1,800 litres.
The IPS package is the engineering story here. Pod drives free up volume aft that a shaft installation would consume, which is part of how the garage and the full-beam cabin coexist. They also trim fuel burn and cabin noise at cruise, helping the Predator feel civilised on a longer passage. For a boat pitched at hands-on owners who dock without crew, the joystick and positioning systems earn their place.
For the owner-driver who wants shelter
The Predator 55 is aimed at the hands-on owner who runs the boat themselves and prizes the act of driving. It suits day cruising and coastal hops, with enough accommodation for occasional overnights rather than long expeditions. Against Italian rivals in the 55 to 60-foot sport class, its pitch is British build and a genuinely convertible roof, backed by the reassurance of the IPS drivetrain. The shared platform with the Superhawk gives a shopper a clear either-or decision.
In market terms it anchors the accessible end of a range that climbs to 40 metres. It carries a badge with real recognition, which supports residual value in a crowded segment. Buyers cross-shop it against the usual sport-cruiser names, and the deciding factor is often whether they want the enclosed coupe or an open cockpit. For many the retractable roof settles the question on its own.
Design
- Exterior: Sunseeker (in-house design team)
- Interior: Design Unlimited
- Naval architecture: Sunseeker
Who it is for: For the hands-on owner-driver who wants a British sportscruiser with a genuinely opening roof and crew-free IPS handling.