What a frank and honest review. It has some nice points but also some challenges. I think I prefer a lot of the older production boats you have presented. Great video, Thanks Tim!
Great review. Loved your forthright comments regarding what is good, what needs improvement, and what is out of place. Your humor and your courage are the reasons I subscribe.
When this boat first came out, its price was €72000 in a basic version. I'm always amazed when I see that a 72000€ boat can cost 300.000 after many extras added (incl. 2 air con !)
If you are not belonging to the six figures income fraction this boat will be a good chance to despitely fulfill your dream of sailing on your own new vessel! A solid and quite modern basis for upgrades by time ... e.g. when expanding your radius of cruising to "more blue" water ;-) ... and in my opinion it´s beautiful! There is also a limited Black Edition with a more sporty sail plan and some extra goodies, but for nearly twice the price! Great, compact and informative review!
I have been taking sailing classes in one of these a wee ago. - The 30 hp Yanmar is actually very quiet. VERY. Even without any additional insulation. - Craftsmanship is soso at best. Doors cut to different sizes. Toilet leaking. Doors flinging open when sailing. Upholstery unergonomically shaped, fabric wears easily. (Cushions shown in the video were different) Table too high for average sized people, not adjustable. Complete lack of wastebin. Matraces thin and soft. Lack of hanging lockers. Very little shelfing. No usable worktop in galley. Diagonal shrouds block way along the deck. Also block use of genoa. Foresail blocks out navigation lights. Companionway steps offer no foothold, easy to slip off when heeling. And then no handholds. Not enough space to stand behind the wheels. No foothold behind the wheels. Awkward sitting position to the side of the wheels. Hard to see where you are going with the sprayshield very effectivley blocking view for sailors of different sizes. Only parts of the deck with antislip moulding. Bad visibility steering up to MOB. High hull makes it difficult to grab MOB. Printed paper fake veneer wears easily and breaks off at corners. Soleboards did not line up. Cutouts apparently done freehandedly without bothering to geht right angles. Flat bottom makes her slam hard. Gasbottle difficult to access, you need a dwarf to climb into the cockpit locker. Dynema aftstays hum and vibrate in the wind. If the dockhight is not perfecly matched to the boat it is difficult to enter from both ends because of the deep cutout at the stern and the long bowsprit. The list goes on. Here in Europe the Viko is the cheap option with a listprice of 116.000 Euros incl salestax. US-prices are ridiculous. She sailed well (with the high mast option) and easily reached hullspeed of 8 knots with the second reef in 6 gusting 8 and tracked like a freighttrain. Owners comment: He wouldn`t buy one again and recommends getting a used boat insted. I concur. Greets Ralf C. Kohlrausch
That’s a LOT of gripes with a new boat. Also I’m sure the import tax and cost to transport is what makes them so expensive here. Guy from Texas just drove to Canada to buy a TES yacht as it was cheaper to drive 3,000 miles (4800km) round trip rather than pay the taxes and delivery fees to get it here…
This is great on lakes or day sailing trips for fun. Would you going a week at water with 5 another 🤣? This 3 cabin layout is only about rental companies to buying?
Their website has a starting price of around $104,000 US for the S35. Quite a difference from what is being listed on Yachtworld. I'm hoping they learn a bit from this Viko 35 and put that into their upcoming Stratos 43. That they have listed as starting at $185,000, which would be great, and just the size I'd be interested in. But as we all know, what a manufacturer touts as the base price is not a boat you can actually buy, so we will have to see what the Stratos actually books out as, and whether it improves over the issues you noted in the S35. I'm hoping they can, as the Stratos will be entering it's 2nd year of production (assuming it makes the 2025 target they're looking at) around the time I'm looking for a Caribbean cruiser. Crossing my fingers.
The panel between the platform and the cockpit is for a well that is for a life raft. On deck storage for new boats is now a race requirement. Us old old guys remember raft at bottom of companion way stairs
Viko is polish manufacturer. Their boats are very affordable. Sail okay. I would never ever get them for private use but max 2 to 3 season of charter. They are made for this purpose
I can confirm that a 20hp engine on a 13k pound boat is underpowered as that’s what I have in my Baba 30 that weighs the same… apparently the Polish are up and comers as sailboat builders, at least that’s what I was told by someone here who drove to Canada to buy a new Polish built TES Yacht.
I am glad that a not so main stream vessel was introduced. However a little better research could have placed this vessel better in the market. Viko 35 was introduced six years ago as the cheapest European alternative for this category. The pricing started below 60k, then 73k, and still way under 100k from the factory today. So ordering all kind of options for a budget vessel makes no sense, everyone who wishes nicer, better moves to more recognized brands. So if an American distributor comes in asking ridiculous money for the cheapest thing available, that's their problem. They will NEVER sell these for $200k-. Probably the bigger ones (43 and 50) will do better on the U.S. market when they come out.
I saw this one at the Annapolis sailboat show last months. It is a good looking boat. The deck is inviting. And the display price was good. I was more interested in the 30 footer on display.
Sounds like an Old Salt needs to design a sailor friendly boat that is easy to maintain....but, the prettiest girl at the prom will always get the initial sale...so that design never happens.
Looks like they wanted to touch all the buzz words. We got three sleeping areas. Wouldnt 2 more comfortable berths be better? Its really a 35 footer,but 40 feeter sounds Bigger.. They have not thought the out well.
Another new boat I would never buy. Not sure of the price but the build quality looks pretty cheap. Few good ideas but in my opinion not a good cruiser maybe a weekend club racer. Hard Pass for me…
Depends what you expect from the boat.. Vico I've seen (smaller older models) - are very budget built boats for surprisingly good price, good performance, but not really liveaboard yachts. A lot of plastic and fiberglass (what's shown on this video is already a perked Vico). Yet - an affordable, yet fast weekender it looks good. With this model seems Vico tries to enter different market, I'm curious how it goes
This boat is rubbish. In Europe, a GO-Fast is a car speeding on the highway, dashing tolls, until its destination. They are mules carrying yeyo, using up to three cars to open the way.
First of all, this is like a cheap knock-off of Beneteau/Jenneau. This is something that you only recommend to your in-laws. Furthermore more, to call this "three cabin" is being a little literarily free or even dishonest. Let's be honest, they're not cabins. They're quarter-berths with doors. I've sailed on many yachts with quarter-berths. Recently, I was race crew on an Olympic 40 (designed by Bob Miller / Ben Lexen) and she had quarter-berths of this size. Whilst it was a comfortable sleep, it did entail the same awkward climb in to the berth that a quarter-berth inherently has. Putting privacy doors in front does not a cabin make. I would argue that if you have to do the quarter-berth climb to get in, that is effectively a quarter-berth. It's almost an argument for what defines a quarter-berth.
What a frank and honest review. It has some nice points but also some challenges. I think I prefer a lot of the older production boats you have presented. Great video, Thanks Tim!
Thank you for this review! This is a very competitive market they're stepping into with highly refined designs. It's clear they have a way to go.
Great review. Loved your forthright comments regarding what is good, what needs improvement, and what is out of place. Your humor and your courage are the reasons I subscribe.
When this boat first came out, its price was €72000 in a basic version. I'm always amazed when I see that a 72000€ boat can cost 300.000 after many extras added (incl. 2 air con !)
If you are not belonging to the six figures income fraction this boat will be a good chance to despitely fulfill your dream of sailing on your own new vessel! A solid and quite modern basis for upgrades by time ... e.g. when expanding your radius of cruising to "more blue" water ;-)
... and in my opinion it´s beautiful!
There is also a limited Black Edition with a more sporty sail plan and some extra goodies, but for nearly twice the price!
Great, compact and informative review!
I have been taking sailing classes in one of these a wee ago.
- The 30 hp Yanmar is actually very quiet. VERY. Even without any additional insulation.
- Craftsmanship is soso at best. Doors cut to different sizes. Toilet leaking. Doors flinging open when sailing. Upholstery unergonomically shaped, fabric wears easily. (Cushions shown in the video were different) Table too high for average sized people, not adjustable. Complete lack of wastebin. Matraces thin and soft. Lack of hanging lockers. Very little shelfing. No usable worktop in galley. Diagonal shrouds block way along the deck. Also block use of genoa. Foresail blocks out navigation lights. Companionway steps offer no foothold, easy to slip off when heeling. And then no handholds. Not enough space to stand behind the wheels. No foothold behind the wheels. Awkward sitting position to the side of the wheels. Hard to see where you are going with the sprayshield very effectivley blocking view for sailors of different sizes. Only parts of the deck with antislip moulding. Bad visibility steering up to MOB. High hull makes it difficult to grab MOB. Printed paper fake veneer wears easily and breaks off at corners. Soleboards did not line up. Cutouts apparently done freehandedly without bothering to geht right angles. Flat bottom makes her slam hard. Gasbottle difficult to access, you need a dwarf to climb into the cockpit locker. Dynema aftstays hum and vibrate in the wind. If the dockhight is not perfecly matched to the boat it is difficult to enter from both ends because of the deep cutout at the stern and the long bowsprit. The list goes on. Here in Europe the Viko is the cheap option with a listprice of 116.000 Euros incl salestax. US-prices are ridiculous.
She sailed well (with the high mast option) and easily reached hullspeed of 8 knots with the second reef in 6 gusting 8 and tracked like a freighttrain. Owners comment: He wouldn`t buy one again and recommends getting a used boat insted. I concur.
Greets
Ralf C. Kohlrausch
Thanks Ralph. THIS is a review. Actually sail on it and see what squeaks, breaks or falls off.
That’s a LOT of gripes with a new boat. Also I’m sure the import tax and cost to transport is what makes them so expensive here. Guy from Texas just drove to Canada to buy a TES yacht as it was cheaper to drive 3,000 miles (4800km) round trip rather than pay the taxes and delivery fees to get it here…
So , basically you are a beginner since you were taking sailing classes. Your competence in judging is quite outstanding;-)
Always trying to learn more about all of the different layouts and features of modern sailing boats.
This is great on lakes or day sailing trips for fun.
Would you going a week at water with 5 another 🤣?
This 3 cabin layout is only about rental companies to buying?
Their website has a starting price of around $104,000 US for the S35. Quite a difference from what is being listed on Yachtworld. I'm hoping they learn a bit from this Viko 35 and put that into their upcoming Stratos 43. That they have listed as starting at $185,000, which would be great, and just the size I'd be interested in. But as we all know, what a manufacturer touts as the base price is not a boat you can actually buy, so we will have to see what the Stratos actually books out as, and whether it improves over the issues you noted in the S35. I'm hoping they can, as the Stratos will be entering it's 2nd year of production (assuming it makes the 2025 target they're looking at) around the time I'm looking for a Caribbean cruiser. Crossing my fingers.
The panel between the platform and the cockpit is for a well that is for a life raft. On deck storage for new boats is now a race requirement. Us old old guys remember raft at bottom of companion way stairs
Good review...BTW Poland has a long tradition in boat building.
Thx for the video 🙂 um I don't like it much but you can't expect everyone to like every boat you tour so keep the video's coming !
Viko is polish manufacturer. Their boats are very affordable. Sail okay. I would never ever get them for private use but max 2 to 3 season of charter. They are made for this purpose
Really love the honest reviews that point out both the good and the bad. Thank you!
I can confirm that a 20hp engine on a 13k pound boat is underpowered as that’s what I have in my Baba 30 that weighs the same… apparently the Polish are up and comers as sailboat builders, at least that’s what I was told by someone here who drove to Canada to buy a new Polish built TES Yacht.
ha, I'm using the snowbrush method on my '06 Lexus now. 🙄
What frame rate are you ahooting in? It seems smoother than mine
Thanks Tim...
You make great videos Tim 🙏🏻
Would you sail her to the Bahamas Tim?
I am glad that a not so main stream vessel was introduced. However a little better research could have placed this vessel better in the market. Viko 35 was introduced six years ago as the cheapest European alternative for this category. The pricing started below 60k, then 73k, and still way under 100k from the factory today. So ordering all kind of options for a budget vessel makes no sense, everyone who wishes nicer, better moves to more recognized brands. So if an American distributor comes in asking ridiculous money for the cheapest thing available, that's their problem. They will NEVER sell these for $200k-. Probably the bigger ones (43 and 50) will do better on the U.S. market when they come out.
I saw this one at the Annapolis sailboat show last months. It is a good looking boat. The deck is inviting.
And the display price was good.
I was more interested in the 30 footer on display.
Yes!!! I only need a million dollars more and I could get me a cool ass boat!!! Woooohoooooo 💙💙💙
Viko S35 does compare to Beneteau Oceanis 34.1 (not 37.1)
50hrs is typical good Mac finish time. 300 miles
Sounds like an Old Salt needs to design a sailor friendly boat that is easy to maintain....but, the prettiest girl at the prom will always get the initial sale...so that design never happens.
it's hard to take a sailboat without fiddles or cabin handholds seriously...
Love Tim's Popeye eye.
Polish manufacturer though surely? Very similar look to their rather nice looking trailer sailor the V21. VW Beetle is a Porsche then!
Yup. That pretty much sums up Italian women i mean boats
Looks like they wanted to touch all the buzz words. We got three sleeping areas. Wouldnt 2 more comfortable berths be better? Its really a 35 footer,but 40 feeter sounds Bigger.. They have not thought the out well.
Another new boat I would never buy. Not sure of the price but the build quality looks pretty cheap. Few good ideas but in my opinion not a good cruiser maybe a weekend club racer. Hard Pass for me…
Depends what you expect from the boat.. Vico I've seen (smaller older models) - are very budget built boats for surprisingly good price, good performance, but not really liveaboard yachts. A lot of plastic and fiberglass (what's shown on this video is already a perked Vico). Yet - an affordable, yet fast weekender it looks good. With this model seems Vico tries to enter different market, I'm curious how it goes
Good day sailor for a rich person lol
Really - some show,… power plant - a no go!
ha ha
This boat is rubbish.
In Europe, a GO-Fast is a car speeding on the highway, dashing tolls, until its destination.
They are mules carrying yeyo, using up to three cars to open the way.
Sound like your never been here in Europe. You probably never been outside old fashioned USA. I guess you don’t even have a passport, am I right?
dont by anything italian
First of all, this is like a cheap knock-off of Beneteau/Jenneau. This is something that you only recommend to your in-laws.
Furthermore more, to call this "three cabin" is being a little literarily free or even dishonest. Let's be honest, they're not cabins. They're quarter-berths with doors.
I've sailed on many yachts with quarter-berths. Recently, I was race crew on an Olympic 40 (designed by Bob Miller / Ben Lexen) and she had quarter-berths of this size. Whilst it was a comfortable sleep, it did entail the same awkward climb in to the berth that a quarter-berth inherently has. Putting privacy doors in front does not a cabin make.
I would argue that if you have to do the quarter-berth climb to get in, that is effectively a quarter-berth. It's almost an argument for what defines a quarter-berth.