News: All New Cigarette 52 Thunder

Cigarette Racing 52 Thunder
​

Cigarette Racing has a new boat and it is called the Cigarette 52 Thunder. In the last few years the news cycle has been preoccupied by the 59 Tirranna from this builder. It is good to see them stepping back at this juncture in terms of length and not bringing a longer boat than the Tirranna. The Thunder was introduced back in June and represents a new path forward for Cigarette Racing. It is the first boat launched since the new ownership of the company as well as the first with the new V-bottom. While the Thunder may not be as long as the Tirranna, it has the same 14-foot beam which still will make it a very spacious center console category boat.

With this new boat, customers now have the option to choose a model that now sits right between the 42 Auroris and the 59 Tirranna. Although the Thunder is shorter that doesn't mean it is short on performance, in fact it has similar 6-engine stack fixed to the transom. There are 6 Mercury Racing 500R outboard engines on the Thunder. One of the key differences between the Tirranna and the Thunder is that the Thunder is a bit more utilitarian while the Tirranna is seen as more of a luxury center console. The 52 Thunder will end up as chase boats for large superyachts as Cigarette is already seeing with some of the 30-plus orders for this model.

There is ease of access on the transom thanks to a 'swim platform/walkway' just ahead of the outboards. That space also hides drainable storage for miscellaneous items -maybe safety equipment, small toy storage-. Coming into the aft cockpit of the Thunder on the starboard side there is a large dive/access door integrated into the bulwark. There are also flush-stowed grab handles and under a small hatch in the floor a fold-out swim ladder emerges to help with re-boarding the boat after a swim. The remainder of the aft cockpit is built-in bench seating upholstered in the familiar Cigarette Racing style colors and patterns.

On the interior: it was designed by Cutting Edge Interiors based in Florida. Sound work onboard is provided by a myriad of JL Audio speaker sets throughout the boat. In fact there are 32 JL Audio speakers installed around the first hull of the Thunder. Some of them you cannot see in plain sight. The company says on future boats the aim is to hide as many of them as possible to give a clean appearance without sacrificing the performance of sound for the customer.

The interior has a full-sized berth and head. The interior compartment is spacious and gives just enough room to make day and overnight passages comfortable. The interior is upholstered in some of the same materials as seen on the exterior cockpit areas and in the same style but of course as a customer there will be levels of customization available.

Under the cover of the enclosed console there are several seats. The first row is dedicated to who is on control of the helm. These four seats are power-adjustable and of course have built-in dampening qualities. Additionally, there is another row of seating behind the helm seats for passengers. The helm position has three large Garmin screens and the center position standup area can be raised to increase the height for the person running the boat if extra height is required for visibility.

The front of the boat is where alot of guests will find themselves, whether at anchor or casual cruising. Fully padded seating is available from the centerline sport couches with built-in drink/cupholders on the sides or in the bow where wrap-around bench seating complements a high-low table. The table can be lowered to be flush in the floor or raised to cocktail-table height or to bench level and a filler piece added to make a sunpad.

The first hull is fitted with 6 Mercury Racing 500R engines but customers can also opt for quad V-12 Mercury Marine 600 Verados. With the 6 engines the Thunder can max-out at almost 90 mph in perfect conditions and light loading but likely with a few persons onboard and nearly full fuel, performance will be reduced and likely see speeds in the region of 79 to 82 mph. "The boat has to be fast, cruise all day and be more than capable as a luxury boat, so there are a lot of requirements," said Erik Christiansen, the president of Cigarette Racing Team. "We think we achieved all of that with the new 52 Thunder center console."

For more information:

Cigarette Racing Team, LLC
4355 NW 128th Street
Opa-Locka, FL 33054

***​