Cigarette 59 Tirranna, Flagship Outboard Superboat Guide

The Cigarette Tirranna is not a 59-foot Top Gun

The Cigarette Tirranna sits at the top of a lineup that, for most of the brand's history, meant long, narrow sterndrive V-bottoms. The 59 breaks that mold. It is 59 feet long with a 14-foot beam, it runs on outboards rather than inboard engines, and it carries a proper cabin with a California king bed, air conditioning and a leather sofa that converts to another berth.

Cigarette lists the Tirranna alongside its center console range, which includes the 41 Nighthawk, 42 Auroris and 52 Thunder, and it is best understood as a high-speed day yacht. It competes less with offshore race boats and more with luxury center consoles and small sport yachts, offering the brand's performance pedigree with real comfort for a family or a group of friends.

Every hull is built at Cigarette's Opa-locka, Florida facility, and production volumes are small. That exclusivity is part of the appeal and part of the price.

A twin-step hull with 20 degrees of deadrise

Cigarette designed the Tirranna's twin-step hull using computational fluid dynamics, and it carries a 20 degree deadrise. That is less than the 24 degrees of the 38 Top Gun, a deliberate trade for stability at rest and efficiency at speed on a much wider, heavier boat. Steps introduce air under the hull, reducing wetted surface and drag at high speed, which helps the Tirranna reach performance boat speeds on outboard power.

Stepped hulls require attentive driving. They can be sensitive to trim and to aggressive turns at high speed, so new owners should spend time with an experienced captain or a Cigarette delivery skipper. The Seakeeper 9 gyro (standard on the launch boats, listed as an option today), the standard bow thruster and the optional stern thruster make the boat far easier to handle at rest and around the dock.

Six 500Rs or four V12s, picking a power package

The 59 debuted at the February 2019 Miami International Boat Show, Cigarette's 50th anniversary, on six 400 hp Mercury Racing Verado 400R outboards. Today Cigarette offers two outboard packages: six Mercury Racing 500R engines or four Mercury Verado V12 600 engines. The six 500R setup reaches the boat's 3,000 hp maximum rating and suits buyers who want the highest top speed. The four V12 setup delivers 2,400 hp with fewer engines to maintain, quieter operation and steerable gearcases that improve low-speed handling.

Real-world numbers vary with load, weather and propellers. For the launch boat on six 400Rs, Cigarette quoted a top end of 63 knots and a 43-knot cruise, and we have not seen an independent instrumented test of the current packages. A digital switching system enables sequential engine start, a small but welcome feature when you have four or six outboards to wake up.

Fuel burn is substantial with six or four big outboards turning. Cigarette claimed a 780-mile range at 43 knots for the launch boat; treat that as a best-case builder estimate, but the 1,000 gallon fuel capacity is what makes longer runs like Miami to Bimini and back practical.

• 6 x Mercury Racing 500R, 3,000 hp total
• 4 x Mercury Verado V12 600, 2,400 hp total
• 1,000 gallons of fuel
• Digital switching with sequential engine start

Seven forward-facing seats under a carbon hardtop

The helm uses seven forward-facing seats with adjustable helm positioning, so everyone faces the direction of travel at speed, a crucial safety feature on a fast boat. The all-carbon-fiber hardtop uses a four-pillar structure for strength and shade, and dual 24-inch Garmin multifunction displays dominate the dash.

Aft, a lounge converts electronically into a large sun deck. A fully equipped summer kitchen with a plancha grill turns the stern into an entertaining area at anchor, and a dive door gives easy access to the water. RGB ambient lighting and a JL Audio sound system complete the package.

A California king, Poltrona Frau leather and air conditioning

The cabin is what separates the Tirranna from most go-fast boats. It has a full-size California king bed, a leather sofa that converts to an additional berth, a pop-up flat-screen TV, custom cabinetry, hull-side windows, air conditioning and a head with a separate shower. The upholstery is Italian Poltrona Frau leather.

It is a space for overnight stays and a respite from sun and spray, not a cruising yacht interior. Couples can comfortably spend a weekend aboard in the Bahamas or the Keys, and the cabin makes the boat viable as a tender to a superyacht or a fast commuter between waterfront homes.

Options worth paying for

The Seakeeper 9 gyrostabilizer is the most important option for buyers who will anchor in open water. A narrow-ish performance hull with a lot of weight up high can roll uncomfortably, and the gyro largely eliminates that.

A bow thruster is standard and the optional stern thruster is worth considering for owners who dock in tight marinas, even with skilled use of the outboards' differential thrust. Custom paint and graphics are popular, but they add cost without necessarily adding resale value.

What a 3,000 hp day yacht costs to run

Expect annual costs between $150,000 and $300,000 excluding depreciation. Slip fees for a 59-foot boat with a 14-foot beam, insurance, outboard service on four or six engines, gyro maintenance, bottom care, detailing and fuel are the main items. Many owners also employ a part-time captain.

Outboard service is simpler and cheaper per engine than inboard performance engines, but multiplied by four or six it adds up. Annual service on each V12 or 500R, plus lower unit inspections and propeller maintenance, is essential.

Scarcity and resale

With limited production, used Tirrannas rarely come to market, and when they do they trade close to replacement cost for recent boats. The Cigarette name and the boat's unique position between performance boat and luxury center console keep demand steady among buyers who want something different from the usual 60-foot sport yacht.

Buyers should expect depreciation over time as with any boat of this price, but the brand's reputation and the model's rarity help.