Cranchi E26 Review, Classic Sterndrive or Outboard Bowrider

A small Cranchi E26 from a yard known for big ones

Cranchi had spent decades building sportscruisers, flybridge yachts and trawlers when it introduced the Cranchi E26 Classic at the end of 2018. Yachting magazine described the boat as a fresh take on the classic motorboat by Christian Grande, the designer behind the Sacs, San Lorenzo and Invictus projects, with nods to the runabouts of the 1950s and 1960s and a brief that also covered superyacht tender duty. Motor Boat and Yachting's chief tester Jack Haines drove one at Cranchi's test center before Christmas 2019 and called it a modern classic in the making.

The design fits the yard's story. Cranchi traces its first workshop to Giovanni Cranchi on Lake Como in 1870, and its brochure still leans on that wooden-boat heritage. The E26 Classic uses a teak foredeck, a teak swim platform, a markedly vertical stem and razor-shaped side windows to blend the two eras, and it was a finalist in the sportboat category of the 2021 Motor Boat Awards.

Two boats on one hull: Classic and O/B

The same 7.80 m hull carries two very different boats. The E26 Classic has an inboard sterndrive under a large aft sunpad, a full-beam wraparound windscreen with an opening center section to reach the foredeck, two swiveling bucket seats and an L-shaped settee with a folding table to port. Under the foredeck there is a small cabin for two and a separate toilet compartment.

The outboard version, launched alongside the Classic as the E26 Rider and now listed by Cranchi as the E26 O/B, is an open bowrider. Two sofas face each other along the bulwarks and convert to a sunpad, the helm and co-pilot seats pivot toward them, and a sink and heads compartment sit beside the console. It is 8.10 m overall with the outboard bracket, weighs 2,170 kg without engine and takes a Mercury Verado of 300 hp or a 350 hp V10. On the used market some Riders carry other outboards; one 2020 boat in Spain has a Suzuki DF350.

Diesel, V6 or V8: what each engine delivers

For the Classic, Cranchi offers three Volvo Penta sterndrives and publishes a test sheet for each. The numbers make the choice clearer than most brochures do.

• V6-280 petrol (280 hp): 33 knots top speed at 5,700 rpm burning about 71 l/h (18.8 gph); 25 knots at 4,500 rpm on about 41 l/h (10.8 gph)
• V8-350 petrol (350 hp): 38 knots top speed at 6,000 rpm on about 100 l/h (26.4 gph); 25 knots at 4,500 rpm on about 40 l/h (10.6 gph)
• D4-270 diesel (270 hp): 32 knots top speed at 3,550 rpm on about 54 l/h (14.3 gph); 23.5 knots at 2,800 rpm on about 29 l/h (7.7 gph), for roughly 219 nm of range
• E26 O/B with Mercury Verado 300: 36 knots top speed at 6,000 rpm on about 114 l/h (30.1 gph); 25 knots at 4,500 rpm on about 49 l/h (12.9 gph)

Low-slung seat, big wheel, chunky controls

Haines's driving notes explain the boat's appeal. The driving position is low and tucked deep beneath the wraparound windscreen, which he found overly tinted. The dash is a little plain, with white-on-red Volvo Penta analog dials and a Garmin display, but throttles, bow thruster and interceptor tab controls are grouped on a chunky pedestal that falls straight to the right hand. The wheel is a satisfying diameter with a single-spoke hub, and the helm makes you want to drive from the moment you drop into the bucket seat.

Cranchi also avoided the small-boat trap of small hardware. The cleats are large and fold flat, a polished stainless belt runs around the hull and platform edges, and the teak decking is a generous thickness. A folding canvas bimini stows aft under the sunpad for shade.

Red leather, a cuddy for two and a sunpad over the engine

Yachting's description of the launch boat picked out the color story: eye-catching red exterior upholstery against a teak cockpit sole and platform, with a calmer palette below. The cockpit seats a group comfortably for lunch at anchor, and the sunpad over the engine compartment is big enough for two to stretch out. The cabin under the foredeck, lit by a sunroof and side windows, has a double berth and a separate toilet. It is a changing room and a nap space rather than a place to spend a week.

Cranchi rates the boat for 10 people in CE category B or 12 in category C, but a realistic day out is four to six adults. Fuel capacity is 270 liters (71 gallons) on the Classic and 280 liters on the O/B; fresh water is a modest 65 to 76 liters.

Superyacht tender, lake boat or trailer toy

At 2.49 m (8 ft 2 in) wide and 2,400 to 2,660 kg dry depending on engine, the E26 Classic can be trailered in the US with the right tow vehicle and a properly rated trailer, which widens its appeal to lake owners. Cranchi also markets both versions as luxury tenders, and the diesel D4 suits that role because it shares fuel with the mother ship. Check the dry weight of the exact engine fitted before choosing a davit, crane or lift.

Buying new or used, and what to inspect

New boats are still listed by Cranchi, and a European dealer quotes about 128,900 euros for a 2026 Classic with the V8. Used examples are scarce because the model is young and owners keep them; a 2023 V8 Classic in Spain asks about 145,000 euros and a 2020 Rider with a Suzuki outboard about 135,000 euros, both excluding VAT. For a US buyer, a dealer-imported new boat with American electrical spec may be easier than importing a used European one.