POWERBOAT DESIGNS
	Art on the Water--The Cherubini Classic 24 Built by: CHERUBINI YACHTS Factory and sales: 51 Norman Ave. Delran, NJ, 08075 Tel: (856) 764-5319 http://www.cherubiniyachts.com The first Cherubini Classic 24, morphed from a Classic 20. Start with two odd bits of Cherubini Classic 20 and build a 24'er. That's exactly how this new classic speedboat design came to be. I personally had little input on the specifics of this new boat except for a few telephone conversations with David Cherubini, owner of Cherubini Yachts, about weight, balance, and power. The final design guidelines were: mold some parts, build it, and see what happens. Well, last August, after business hours one evening as my wife and I were fixing dinner, I got an excited phone call from David: "Eric, the Classic 24 runs fantastic! Ziggy is speechless." With an off-the-shelf prop (happened to be the only one they had on hand) on a Bravo I outdrive pushed by a Mercruiser 496 cu. in. 375 HP gasoline V-8 spinning at 5,000 RPM, they hit over 60 mph! Ziggy is Zygmunt Neidzialek, Cherubini's master boatbuilder who executed the craftsmanship to build the Classic 24 out of a Classic 20--literally marine surgery! The fatefull day in August 2008 with the Classic 24 in prototype colors and outfit during her first seatrials--just to make sure she worked. One has only to look at the lines of the Cherubini Classic 20 and realize there is not a straight line anywhere on her where a simple splice can be made. Piecing these "odd bits" together was a real trick. Two halves of a Classic 20 molded with a slanted joint sat on a trailer on a cold winter day waiting for their chance at life as a new model Classic 24. The final assembly of the hull, however, shows that her lines are practically flawless, as revealed in this photo, taken across the diagonal of the camera in order to fit it into the screen. The Cherubini Classic 24 hull parts in finished molded form with the seams blended in. The same had to be done with the deck molding, actually, expanding its lines to 24' and making sure that it would fit the expanded mating flange on the 24' hull--again, no straight lines. The Classic 24 deck not long out of the mold and extended. From these naked beginnings, Ziggy and mechanic Jeremiah Masey put their Cherubini skills to work and came up with Art on the Water. The deck overlay is all glued mahogany and soft maple sealed and finished in Cherubini's proprietary varnishing process. The stainless steel hardware is customized for the Cherubini label. The power can be either gasoline or diesel in the neighborhood of 375 to 400 HP. Hull color, of course, can be to the owner's choice. The Classic 24 has a family-friendly arrangement for a pleasant day on the water. The Classic 24 cockpit--Sunlight and Jewelry. David Cherubini spent the winter months in Florida showing the Classic 24 to potential customers and featuring it in the winter boat shows. On his way back to New Jersery, he stopped off in St. Augustine to let me look over the boat and go for a ride. What a treat! We lauched at the Vilano Beach boat ramp for a cruise through the harbor, then brought it back to my house to clean her up for the road trip north. The Cherubini Classic 24 in St. Augustine, preparing to launch. One of my concerns on the Classic 24 was what may have changed on the hull planing surfaces that could affect the ride, particularly when accelerating. Also, how was the handling in turns? David pointed out that the bottom does have an extended straight chine for a proportionally longer part of the hull than what appears on her smaller sister, the Classic 20. A good shot of the chine and bottom proportions on the Classic 24 in this profile shot. Chine and bottom shape turned out to be a non-issue. When David got us out of the ramp channel and into open water, he put the hammer down and the whole boat lifted bodily upward with very little change in trim and just shot straight ahead. The boat accelerated and planed beautifully. It was a wonderful feeling. When I took over the helm later, the boat had considerable authority in turns, banking nicely to the inside every time, port and starboard. The 20-degrees deadrise bottom proved its correctness without intermediate lifting strakes or trim tabs. And the center of gravity is perfect for good planing trim. Everything is done well. The Classic 24 engine compartment has good service room for the engine and electrics. Back at the house, we cleaned up the boat with fresh water and a chamois, and I was able to get a good shot of the engine compartment. It is a clean and simple installation. A sunset photo of the Cherubini Classic 24--always a good way to end an article. Here in the US, naval architects typically draw their boats with the bow pointing to the right. Elsewhere around the world, boats are drawn with the bow pointing to the left. A good measure of a well proportioned and artistically styled design is to look at it in the opposite direction from the way you typically draw it. If the boat looks good, the design is good. The photo above is a great shot--the proportions are right, the colors and contrast good. I think this is a great design, if I do say so myself (and I do say so myself!). For more information on the Cherubini Classic 24, or the Classic 20, and the current pricing, you may contact Cherubini Yachts at their address at the top of the page, or visit their website: http://www.cherubiniyachts.com.
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