Royal Cruiser I (Solö Lyx III)

Information

The Royal Cruiser I of type Solö Lyx III was the direct successor of the Royal Cruiser I/Solö Lyx II. Like its predecessor, the Solö Lyx III was equipped with Volvo-Penta's Aquamatic drive. The hull was also taken over unchanged. The Solö Lyx III were replaced in 1969 by the Royal Cruiser I/Solö 25.

The difference between the Solö Lyx II and the Solö Lyx III is the layout. The Solö Lyx III was given the variant that was later also used on all other ships, with separate driver and passenger seats on both sides.

The Solö Lyx III had a very efficient layout. The cabin offered up to five berths. The backrests of the benches could be folded up and secured with chains. This created a bunk bed on both the port and starboard sides. Lowering the centrally located table created a fifth berth. This compact boat thus offered even young families with children enough space for a holiday on the water. Swedish acrobat Bosse Parnevik and his family proved this in a very effective advertising campaign.

Compared to its predecessor, the galley in the cockpit lost some space. To access the stove and sink, the seats had to be folded forward.

Like its predecessor, the Solö Lyx III was delivered with Volvo Penta engines and stern drive. The AQ130 was the preferred choice for petrol engines, while the AQD21 was the preferred choice for diesel engines. There was a particular demand for twin engines from France. As a result, some boats were equipped with two AQ130 engines. These boats achieved a maximum speed of 28 knots, which was impressive for the time.

In addition to changing the layout from Solö Lyx II to III, a number of smaller modifications were made. One that is visible from the outside is the introduction of sliding windows in the cabin. This provided much better ventilation, but also the same problems with tightness that the owners of the Royal Cruiser III and Royal Cruiser IV had. A further modification concerned the soft canopy.