Bavaria 43 Sport and Sport 43 HT, a Used Buyer's Briefing

The Bavaria 43 Sport at the top of the 2011 range

In 2011 the Bavaria 43 Sport was the biggest open boat Bavaria built, the flagship of a Sport line that started at 28 ft. It came in two forms, the open Sport 43 and the Sport 43 HT with a fixed hardtop, and Motor Boat and Yachting filmed the hardtop as a new boat at the Southampton Boat Show in September 2011. Bavaria's archived website lists both models with identical hull dimensions and a choice of petrol sterndrives, diesel sterndrives or Volvo Penta IPS pods.

For anyone researching a bavaria 43 sport today, the most important fact is that the boat did not disappear when its name did. When Bavaria refreshed the Sport line in August 2012 it replaced the Sport 43 with the Sport 44, and the 2014 Sport 44 brochure repeats the Sport 43 data almost word for word: same length, beam, weight, tankage and engine. In practice a 2013 or 2014 Sport 44 is a later, restyled Sport 43, and both should be valued together.

Sport 43 or Sport 44: one hull, two badges

Bavaria's figures for the Sport 43 and Sport 44 are the same: 13.83 m (45 ft 4 in) overall, 14.99 m (49 ft 2 in) including the bathing platform, a 13.22 m (43 ft 4 in) hull and a 4.41 m (14 ft 6 in) beam. Draft is 0.75 m (2 ft 6 in) with the drives up and 1.10 m (3 ft 7 in) with them down. The open boat weighs about 11,750 kg (25,900 lb) light and the HT about 11,950 kg (26,350 lb). Height above the waterline is 3.35 m for the open boat and 3.33 m for the HT, about 11 ft either way.

What changed for the Sport 44 was the styling package that Bavaria rolled out across the 2012 line, including larger hull windows on all models from 35 ft upward, a colored design stripe and redesigned vents, along with hydraulic steering as standard. US marketing sometimes used the name Sport 44 Hardtop: Power and Motoryacht published a video in which Bavaria's US director, Blane Aarup, walked through the boat as an express cruiser for watersports and entertaining. When comparing listings, check the build year on the hull identification number rather than the name.

A third cabin few rivals offered

Bavaria made a point of the accommodation: the 2014 brochure called the Sport 44 one of just a few 44 ft yachts available with three cabins. The yard offered two-cabin and three-cabin layouts, both with two heads, giving four or six berths, and quoted headroom of up to 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) below. Numerous deck hatches and hull windows light the interior, and cabin air conditioning was an option.

Which layout to buy depends on use. The two-cabin plan gives the owner and guests more room and storage, and suits a couple who cruise with occasional visitors. The three-cabin boat fits families with teenagers or two couples plus a child. Resale in the US will likely favor the two-cabin plan, but three-cabin boats are rarer and can appeal strongly to the right buyer.

Open deck or hardtop with a glass roof

The open boat's deck, as Bavaria described it for the Sport 44, has a co-pilot bench, a sunlounger, a bench seat around the cockpit table and a large reclining area at the stern. The CE category B plate allows twelve people aboard.

The HT adds a molded hardtop with an optional electric glass sunroof that opens at the push of a button, which keeps the boat usable in rain and gives shade in the tropics without giving up the open-air feel. For buyers in the northern US or Canada, the HT with the sunroof is the version to look for; in Florida and the Bahamas many owners still prefer the open boat for its airflow.

Big-block petrol, D6 sterndrives or IPS pods

Bavaria offered four diesel packages and one petrol package. The petrol boat used twin MerCruiser 8.2 MAG HO engines with Bravo III XR drives, 430 hp each. Diesel buyers could pick twin Volvo Penta D6-370 or D6-400 engines on DPH sterndrives, or Volvo IPS 500 (370 hp) and IPS 600 (435 hp) pod drives with Volvo's joystick. Sterndrive boats could also be fitted with joystick control.

For a 26,000 lb boat used on open water, the diesel boats are the sensible choice, and the IPS 600 version is the most desirable: it offers the most power, joystick docking as part of the package and the best resale. Pods need specific annual service and dealer diagnostics, so confirm there is a Volvo IPS dealer near your home port. The petrol 8.2s are thirsty but simpler, and make sense only for owners who log low annual hours close to home.

• Petrol: 2 x MerCruiser 8.2 MAG HO DTS, Bravo III XR, 430 hp each
• Diesel sterndrive: 2 x Volvo Penta D6-370 or D6-400 with DPH drives
• Pod drive: 2 x Volvo Penta IPS 500 (370 hp) or IPS 600 (435 hp)

The missing performance data

We could not find a published, independently measured speed and fuel table for either the Sport 43 or the Sport 44. MBY's full report appeared in its November 2011 print issue and is not online, and Bavaria did not publish speed claims on its data sheets. Treat any cruise speed or range figure in a listing as a seller's estimate.

On a sea trial, record speed, rpm and fuel flow at a steady cruise and at full throttle with realistic loads, using the engine display. Compare maximum rpm with the engine maker's rated band. With 396 gallons aboard, even a thirsty pair of engines gives long legs, which is one reason this boat suits owners who make long coastal passages.

What came after: the Sport 450

By 2015 Bavaria had replaced the Sport 44 with the New Sport 450, offered as Open, HT and Coupe and later sold as the S45. It is a different, newer design. If you want the Sport 43 concept with a more modern interior and a later build, the Sport 450 is the logical step up, at a significantly higher price.

Prices, import and annual costs

Expect roughly $190,000 to $330,000 for a Sport 43 or Sport 44 in 2026, with petrol boats and early hulls at the bottom and IPS 600 hardtops from 2013 and 2014 at the top. Many candidates are in Croatia, Germany and the Netherlands, so plan for a survey abroad, shipping and US duty, and make sure CE documents and the VAT status are clear.

Annual running costs in the US typically range from $25,000 to $50,000 before depreciation, including slip, insurance, haul-out and bottom paint, drive or pod service, engine service, canvas and electronics. Fuel is the variable that swamps all others; a busy season with long runs can add thousands.