Levi Corsair 27, ZEST

Broker’s Comments

Renato ‘Sonny’ Levi was a true maverick in the sphere of power boating. After leaving the RAF following World War II, he pursued the design and construction of high-speed boats for commercial, military, and leisure customers in Anzio, just south of Rome, in 1960. He declared, ‘I have been very fortunate to have clients who are prepared to take risks.’ These fast interceptors featured a sharp vee profile and were the precursors to the deep-vee hull—blending rapid offshore performance, a dry ride, excellent seakeeping in rough waters, and drop-dead gorgeous lines.

This 2002 Levi Corsair 27 was built at the Levi Boat Company near Venice and features the classic race-bred, deeply vee’d hull, which retained its rapier-like shape from the forefoot all the way aft to the transom—originally designed by Renato Levi in the 1960s. Exhibiting an astonishingly competent gait for a shorter waterline length, she is powered by twin Volvo Penta KAD43P diesels and has a rated top speed of 45 knots.

She has bewitching neo-classic looks, which are as striking today as ever. Her sheerline sweetly arcs to her low-slung quarters, while two pronounced moulded spray rails echo a timber topsides strake—not only reducing spray but also improving grip, enhancing lift, and promoting planing.

The accommodation in her cabin is beautifully finished in blond African walnut, offering both elegance and practicality, with light pouring through the signature forward lights, adding an understated charm. A neat heads compartment lies to port, featuring ample light, a basin, and a WC. The galley area is compact yet functional, with a facing dinette that seats four and easily converts into an occasional double for chums. A couple of varnished teak and holly treads lead up to the cockpit—the business end of things—where further evidence of this boat’s offshore passage-making pedigree becomes apparent.

With comfortable helm and navigation seats, this is a true driver’s environment. Sculpted chrome throttles fall naturally to the helm’s right hand, while an upright, hooded dash console sits ahead. A three-spoked sports wheel with a varnished timber rim perfectly complements the classic look. Battery boxes on either side are topped with varnished lids and tread-boards/foot supports—everything is simply business-like. Fenders stow neatly inside lockers, the fuel tank sits directly beneath the cockpit floor, and additional lockers are located aft. A step leads up to the aft deck/sunpad, which rests atop the engine bay—a perfect spot to enjoy the exhilarating ride.

She looks fast even at anchor—and she is. Underway, she is fast, soft-riding, and exceptionally nimble. When it comes to provenance and pedigree, they don’t get much better than this. ZEST is currently ‘dry sailed’ and is every inch the classic powerboat.

‘Motor Boat & Yachting’ On Sonny Levi

“People talk about Sonny Levi hulls with a kind of hushed reverence, and sometimes you wonder: well, does it really live up to that? Do you know what: it really does. You can get faster boats; you can get more efficient boats; you certainly can get bigger, more expensive ones. But will you have more fun in them?” ~ Hugo Andreae, Editor, Motor Boat & Yachting

The Levi Corsair Story

“I was striving after something new and different. I wished to produce a purposeful, good-looking boat which would be capable of negotiating rough seas at high speed with a reasonable degree of comfort.” ~ Renato ‘Sonny’ Levi’

From Renato ‘Sonny’ Levi’s portfolio of pioneering, fast, efficient, and timelessly good-looking race-bred powerboat designs, it is impressive that his family chose the Corsair to keep the Levi flame alive in the 21st Century. The Levi Corsair is one of a number of variations on the theme of his 1961 30-footer ‘A SPERANZIELLA, the first Levi constant ‘Deep-V” hull type to make his name after early 1960s wins in the Viareggio-Bastia and Cowes Torquay Races.

The Corsair model began life in 1964 as the ‘Levi 27’. The prototype and laminated wood mould, INERTIA, was commissioned by future Sunseeker designer Don Shead’s father, Bert, and Don in partnership with John Dalton had the early customised GRP version ALTO VOLANTE finished with a very low-profile deck moulding and more powerful than normal Ford Interceptor engines.

The early batch of Corsairs including former Royal London YC Commodore Farrant Gillham’s eponymous CORSAIR, winner of the sub 23 ft LWL Concours d’Elegance prize in the 1964 and 1965 editions of Cowes-Torquay was moulded by Viking Marine of Gosport and finished at Cowes by David Cheverton. It was a short production run, but the boat gained almost mythical status for its ability to smoothly run at high speeds over typically choppy, wind-over-tide Solent and English Channel waters, while also functioning well as a family cruiser and looking great. Sonny Levi wrote: “In my opinion the ‘Levi 27’ is an outstandingly good-looking boat…”

In the revived production, from 2000, the Levi Boat Company of Italy sensibly did not meddle with Sonny Levi’s basic concept and external styling but brought cockpit and interior levels of finish and comfort up to a very high and modern standard. And the boat of course benefits from the reliable power offered by modern compact and light weight diesel engines and drives. This second-generation Corsair has been in production for over 20 years. The Sonny Levi flame burns well.