ON TEST. NEW YAMAHA 100F: WHERE LIGHTNESS MEETS POWER

The background is an almost surreal corner of Portugal which seems to be cut off from the world. To give international press the opportunity to test the new Yamaha 100 F outboard, the Japanese manufacturer has chosen the protected waters of Lake Montargil, 100 km south of Lisbon.

The perfect organizational system has allowed to put in water a series of different boats, from small yams to larger ribs and Jeanneau Cap Camarat boats. We have decided to test the performances of the 100 F on a Capelli Tempest 570 rib.

The conditions of the sea trial are excellent. Since, instead of a dead calm situation, at mid-morning, a fresh breeze of about 15-18 knots blows and the surface of the lake gets choppier generating a very short steep wave in the most exposed zones which allows us to test the real performances of both the engine and the Tempest hull.

The Yamaha 100 F belongs to the latest generation of outboards and it has been presented as a product able to combine greater power with greater lightness and compactness. Indeed, with a weight of just 162 kg, propeller included (11 kg less than the 115 B and 8 kg less than the previous model), this outboard is at an all-time low in its category. With four cylinders and 16 valves, it outputs a 1832 cc displacement. Equally interesting is the increase in the alternator output which has gone from 25 to 35 A.

Installed on the stern of the Capelli Tempest 570, it immediately shows its compact design successfully achieved by Yamaha designers who have literally re-designed some elements. But beyond technical specifications, all innovation elements are there and make this model very interesting. 

First of all, the full compatibility with the Digital Network System Yamaha which, through a large range of indicators, ensures a full control of all functions. Among them, there’s the Variable Trolling Speed, which allows to maintain a lower minimum revolution range and adjust it, between 600 and 1000 revolutions/minute, at intervals of 50 revolutions.

Once we have come aboard the Tempest and before leaving the berth, we immediately appreciate the almost total absence of noise at minimum revolution range. We leave the berth and head to the northern shore of the lake, sailing against wind and waves at first, and we finally reach a more sheltered area. We keep a range of 3,000 revolutions, enough to reach and exceed the planing speed.

Sailing at 13 knots, noise is very low and vibrations are completely absent. In particular, the first feature is due to the new smart design of the load system which envisages the implementation of a silencer while the absence of vibrations is made possible by the greater engine rigidity and compactness. And, of course, the sturdy structure of the Capelli Tempest contributes in this regard.

In more sheltered waters, we run on a beam wind and test planing performances. The result is great: the Yamaha 100 F makes the Tempest plane in just 4 seconds reaching a speed of 12 knots.

We finally reach the 36-knot maximum speed at 5,500 revolutions with a consumption of 36.5 l/h. Consumption at cruising speed is even better. At 3,000 revolutions and a 14-knot speed in foul wind and short wave, consumption is just 10.2 l/h and reaches 16.6 l/h when we sail at 23 knots and 4,500 revolutions.

So, the new Yamaha 100F, which uses a single-shaft transmission system, keeps the promises made at its world premiere in Paris last December. The test has allowed us to appreciate unprecedented performances and great qualities, such as silent and low consumption, that even those who love sailing fast can like.

The price unveiled at the last Paris Boat Show was € 11,300, VAT included.

Technical Details

Yamaha 100 F