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Owned and operated by Viking Yachts, Valhalla Boatworks debuted in 2019 with the premiere of the first V Series center-consoles: the V-33, V-37 and V-41. The Valhalla 46 followed 18 months later, solidifying Valhalla’s reputation for building high-performance premium center-consoles. Now, they’ve stretched the boundaries even further with the introduction of the Valhalla flagship V-55, an outboard-powered 55-foot beast of a boat that combines the speed, maneuverability, 360-degree on-deck access, and convenience of an outboard-powered center-console with the engineering, accommodations and amenities of a Viking convertible. The V-55’s overall size—particularly its 15-foot-6-inch beam—allows for more fuel capacity, cockpit space, on-deck seating, and interior living accommodations than any other center-console in its class.
“This is a statement boat—there is nothing like it on the market,” says Viking Yachts president and CEO Pat Healey. “We’re setting a new standard by bringing together the qualities of a large center-console and a luxury sport-fishing yacht in one beautiful package.”
“We’re providing all the strengths of our Valhalla design—everything from the style and aesthetics to the ride quality and fishability—in a center-console large enough to accommodate a private stateroom, a head with separate shower, and overnighting space for additional crew,” adds Viking design manager David Wilson. “We wanted to give our owners the ability to spend more time on board with family and friends, to go farther, stay longer and bring along more guests.”
The V-55 will thrive in a variety of roles, and was designed and built specifically for Mercury’s innovative V-12 600 hp outboards, in either four- or five-engine configurations. The quads push the V-55 (with a gap tower) to a top speed of 64 mph, and 68 mph with a hardtop and no tower. With quints, the boat (with hardtop and no tower) hits 73 to 74 mph at wide-open throttle. And with a 1,200-gallon fuel capacity—about 200 to 300 gallons more than competing models—the Valhalla 55 delivers greater range than other center-consoles in its size range. The boat is also engineered with an electrically operated fuel-management system, providing increased reliability and utility by allowing each engine to draw from designated fuel tanks.
The Valhalla 55 rides on the patented Stepped-V Ventilated Tunnel hull bottom from Michael Peters Yacht Design. “We’ve seen great performance with the other V Series models in all aspects, from excellent ride quality and efficiency to maneuverability and helm visibility,” Wilson says of the double-stepped, deep-V running surface. “The V-55 is the largest center-console on the market to utilize what we believe is the most advanced and effective stepped-hull design currently available.”
The V-55’s ride is so smooth, stable and dry that its speed is deceptive, even in rough conditions. “People have been amazed,” says Viking’s Capt. Ryan Higgins, who has conducted more than 30 sea trials. “It may feel like you’re going 35 mph, but you’re actually running well over 50. They don’t believe it until they look at the GPS.”
The V-55 also benefits from Viking’s vertical integration, including the ability to outfit the boat with a custom gap tower from the company’s subsidiary, Palm Beach Towers. The hardtop package comes with a slew of fishing and navigational features and equipment, including an integrated electric teaser-reel box, a six-rod rocket launcher and molded-in pods for spreader lights, overhead electronics, and radar antenna. Valhalla offers factory-installed electronics packages from Garmin or Simrad and custom installations of navigation, communication, and entertainment systems from Atlantic Marine Electronics, also a Viking company.
With the V-46, Valhalla was the first to design and engineer a large, designated dry space for mechanical and electrical components—a machinery room in a center-console. Accessed through an aft bulkhead door in the bunk area, the V-55’s machinery room contains the batteries and battery chargers, fire and ventilation systems, water heater, battery switches, generator, access to the electronics and fuel-management systems, as well as optional systems including a watermaker, water purifier and sonar tube. A 15 kW genset is standard, ensuring ample power for air conditioning, refrigeration, and operation of the Seakeeper 9.
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The boat’s twin insulated 110-gallon fish boxes—which can be refrigerated—flank the centerline Seakeeper hatch and the lazarette, and all are finished with white gelcoat for better visibility and maintenance. Fuel filters, bilge pumps and switches, livewell and fish-box pumps, livewell manifolds, a Hooker Electric sea chest system, Reverso automatic outboard freshwater flushing system, and other components are expertly installed, neatly labeled, and readily accessible in the lazarette.
“In every way, this boat goes above and beyond,” Healey says. “We’ve raised the bar in this market segment of 50-plus-foot center-consoles by leading in every important aspect for this size and style of boat: fuel capacity, beam, hull design, engineering, equipment, fishability, and Viking-level accommodations.”
