48 Pilothouse

The Vitesse 48 is an Asian-built pilothouse yacht whose tall profile, attractive price, and comfortable accommodations made her a standout design in the under-50-foot motor yacht category. (Note that she was called the McKinna after 1996; prior to that she was also marketed on the West Coast as the Lien Hwa 48.) The 48 is heavily built on a solid fiberglass modified-V hull, and her relatively wide beam—combined with a full-width salon—delivers a spacious and wide-open interior whose dimensions rival those of a much larger boat. The light ash (or teak) interior and large cabin windows only add to the overall impression of interior space, and visibility from the raised helm is excellent. While a two-stateroom floorplan was standard in early Vitesse or Lien Hwa models, the McKinnas were offered with a standard three-stateroom layout with the galley on either the salon or pilothouse level. Additional features include an extended flybridge with room for a dinghy, deck access door at the lower helm, transom door, and a recessed foredeck sun lounge. Twin 375hp Cat diesels cruise the Vitesse 48 at 17–18 knots with a top speed of just over 20 knots.