HIGH SPY: The optional tuna tower is so elevated-75 feet off the water-that you can spot fish in the next time zone.
COMMAND CONTROL: With electronic displays to rival those of Navy battleships, plus comfortable settees and a drink box to prevent any mutinies, the flying bridge is the place to be to savor the strikes.
HIT THE DECK: With 218 square feet of space, the cockpit is the star attraction. It includes plenty of fishbox capacity, an available live well and icebox, and a transom door and walk-through gate.
WRENCH ROOM: A Delta-T ventilation system, cockpit access, labeled through-hull fittings and more than seven feet of headroom clearance make these spaces an engineer’s dream.
BUILT TO LAST: Viking craftsmen combine four decades of building experience with state-of-the-art materials and components to produce a high-caliber sportfishing yacht.
INSIDE JOB: Exquisite details like teak joinery, an entertainment center with 50-inch plasma television and a four-stateroom layout make the 74 fit for a king-and his court.
| |LOUNGE AROUND: Kick back on the mezzanine lounge between bites and enjoy a respite from the sun while staying within steps of the trolling action.| Contrary to conventional sportfishing wisdom, the brawny 74 Convertible from Viking is not too big to be fishable-it’s fishable because it is so big. Sporting a beam of 19 feet, nine inches and 218 square feet of cockpit space, this lavish sportfisher meets anglers’ high expectations from Costa Rica to Cape May and in between.
Performance
|| |—| |Length 74′ Beam 19′ 9″ Draft 5′ 7″ Deadrise 15 ¿ Fuel 2,400 gals. Price $3,877,000 w/ twin 2,030-hp MTU 2000-V16 M91 diesels| The optional MTU engines let our test boat cruise at 28.6 knots and top out at 33.6 knots with a full load of fuel. It spins well for its size, and has the legs to put you on the spot before the others in any sea. An optional 3,000-gallon fuel capacity can provide world-class range.
How It Fished
|| |—| |Test Conditions Los Suen¿os, Costa Rica Sunny 85 ¿ Winds: Light and variable Seas: 1-2 feet Target: Sailfish| The 74 handled a full spread and pitch-bait rods with room to spare. Seven sailfish releases for the day, including one double, helped keep our Game On in the thick of the race during the red-hot Los Sue-os Signature Billfish Series in Costa Rica. Viking Yachts, (609) 296-6000; www.vikingyachts.com
