August 18, 2026
The Aquila 45 Sport: The Day Boat That Grows Four Feet at Anchor
Aquila publishes top speeds above 50 mph for the 45 Sport on twin Mercury Verado V12 600s — then the side terraces fold out and the 15-foot …
Read the articleAquila 45 Sport
Expert Review, Technical Specifications & Market Analysis
The Essentials
| Feature | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Overall Length | 46'6" |
| Beam | 15'0" |
| Draft | 2'0" |
| Displacement | 21,969 lbs |
| Engines | Twin Mercury Verado V12 (2 x 600 HP) |
| Fuel Capacity | 400 gal |
| Water Capacity | 50 gal |
| Cabins / Heads | 1 Cabin / 1 Head |
| Max Speed | 49.5 knots / 57 mph |
| Cruise Speed | 33-35 knots / 38-40 mph |
Source: Spec & Photos courtesy of Aquila. Specs verified by Tony Smith, USCG 100 Ton Master, on August 18, 2026.
You want a boat that gets there quickly and then becomes the day itself. The 45 Sport folds its terraces out to a 19'4" beam at anchor and tucks them back to 15 feet to run.
Part of the Aquila Sport series — see how owners step up through the lineup.
Quick Verdict
- Fold-out side terraces open the 15'0" beam to 19'4" at anchor and fold flat to run, so the social deck and the running beam are two different boats
- Twin Mercury Verado V12 600s on a double-stepped hull: Aquila publishes top speeds above 50 mph — 57 mph on the yard's own full walkthrough — and 38-40 mph cruising, roughly 50 and 33-35 knots
- A 2'0" draft with the outboards up, certification for up to 29 aboard, and digital switching that puts navigation, engines, lighting and audio on a phone — a big-crowd boat one person can run
Our Take
The 45 Sport is Aquila selling the day rather than the passage, and it is clear about it. Standard power is twin Mercury Verado V12 600s on a double-stepped hull, and Aquila publishes this boat in miles per hour rather than knots: top speeds above 50 mph, an efficient cruise of 38-40 mph, and 57 mph on the yard's own full walkthrough. Those are Aquila's figures for the standard boat and they are the ones I would plan around. Keep the mph basis in your head when you set this alongside anything else on your list, because most builders quote knots and the two are not interchangeable.
What you are buying is the cockpit. The fold-out side terraces take a 15-foot beam out to 19'4" when you are stopped, the aft platforms flip down, and the boat is certified for up to 29 aboard with a wet bar, bow seating for four and a four-seat helm station. If your day is a run out, an anchorage, and fifteen people who need somewhere to sit, that is what the terraces are for.
Price the accommodation in before you fall for the deck. One cabin with a full-size king bed and one wet head is the whole of it — berths for two on a boat rated for twenty-nine — and the layout is open, so there is little shelter when conditions turn. This is a day boat with an overnight option, not a cruiser. If you want the same length and the same V12 600s under an enclosed hardtop with a second cabin, that is the 46 Coupe and you should look at it before you sign anything. And check the basis on any draft figure you are given: Aquila publishes 2'0" with the outboards up and 3'5" with them down, and those are the same boat.
Official Aquila Premiere: Inside the Aquila 45 Sport
Video courtesy of Aquila.
Aquila 45 Sport Photo Gallery
Photos courtesy of Aquila.
Aquila 45 Sport Overview
The 45 Sport runs 46'6" overall on a 15'0" beam that opens to 19'4" with the fold-out terraces down. Draft is 2'0" with the outboards up and 3'5" with them down; the boat carries 400 gallons of fuel, 50 gallons of water, and one cabin with one head.
It is built around the aft cockpit — a 19-foot social space with convertible U-shaped seating and a manual high-low table — with the terraces doing the work of a much wider hull only when you are stopped.
Performance & Handling
Standard power is twin Mercury Verado V12 600 HP outboards. Aquila publishes this boat's performance in miles per hour: top speeds above 50 mph, an efficient cruise of 38-40 mph, and 57 mph on the yard's own full walkthrough — roughly 50 knots and 33-35 knots respectively.
The hull is double-stepped, which is where the yard credits both the stability and the efficiency. Light displacement is 21,969 lbs and loaded displacement 31,480 lbs. CE certification is B:10 / C:20 / D:29.
Interior & Accommodations
One cabin with a full-size king bed sits under the console, reached through a sliding door at the helm, with a wet head alongside. Berths are for two; the boat is certified for up to 29 aboard and seats around fifteen comfortably.
Above deck the fittings are the point: a wet bar with refrigerator, sink and storage, bow seating for four, a four-seat helm station, and a fiberglass hardtop set up for roof racks with an optional shade system aft. Underwater lighting, LED accents, the digital switching, navigation, engines and audio all run from a phone.
Market Position
Sport is Aquila's day-boat line and the 45 is the largest of it — a longer, more powerful take on what the 32 and 36 Sport do, with the fold-out terraces as its own idea.
Within the wider range it sits closest to the 46 Coupe: near-identical length, the same V12 600s, the same double-stepped thinking. The Coupe puts an enclosed hardtop and a second cabin over it; the Sport keeps the deck open and the cockpit bigger.
Who the 45 Sport Is For
Buy the 45 Sport if the boat is the destination — day charters, dive trips, weekends where fifteen people need somewhere to sit and the run out matters as much as the anchorage.
Choose the 46 Coupe instead if you want the same length and power under an enclosed hardtop with a second cabin. Step down to the 36 Sport if the crowd is smaller and the slip is tighter.
Aquila 45 Sport Articles & Guides
