About this tender
The X40 Express is the chase variant of Reliant Yachts' three-tender programme drawn by Dave MacFarlane and Jim Ewing for a single megayacht commission. It is a modern, robust interpretation of the classic express cruiser, 40 feet long and built to run at 40 knots, with the kind of clean detailing that shows the design work was done end-to-end rather than parts-binned.
The lines tell the story: plumb bow, raked wraparound windscreen, flush forward deck, cambered teak, and a low-profile cap rail painted the same metallic silver as the hull. Remove the carbon-fibre hardtop and the boat changes from coupe to convertible. The X40 carries 605 L of diesel, which is the spec line that lets it function as a real chase asset rather than a short-leg shuttle.
All three Reliant tenders, the Express, the Lander and the Limousine, were specified for a single new-build megayacht and became surplus to requirements before delivery, which is what put them onto the brokerage market as an unused matching set. They represent a rare opportunity to acquire three matching, uniquely-designed, high-spec, never-used tenders from a single design hand.
Highlights
The four details we'd point out first to a captain who hasn't seen one on the water yet.
Lines drawn by Dave MacFarlane and Jim Ewing of Reliant Yachts, the Rhode Island studio behind the X40 series. The design philosophy is classic express reinterpreted with current build technology: plumb bow, raked windscreen, clean cap rail, cambered teak deck. Looks correct from every angle, which is harder than the brochures imply.
Carbon-fibre hardtop is removable, taking the boat from coupe to convertible. That single change shifts how the tender behaves: shaded enclosed cockpit for cooler weather, fully open sport cruiser for a Mediterranean afternoon. A lot of design work goes into making that transition look right; on the X40 it does.
Top speed in the 40-knot band with 605 L of diesel for usable working range. This is the spec that earns it a chase-tender brief rather than a coastal shuttle: the boat can run an independent half-day away from the mothership, follow the yacht through a Mediterranean leg, or cross to a separate anchorage without a bowser.
Gallery
The full specification
Specifications, prices, availability, and performance figures are supplied for guidance only and remain subject to confirmation by the yard, seller, broker, survey, contract, and final specification.
Questions, answered
Last call · Available
Reliant Yachts · Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Tell us about your yacht, your programme, and the missions Express needs to handle. We come back within 48 hours with a written assessment - fit for the brief, lead time, and trade-offs against alternatives in the same band.
Prefer to talk? +44 (0) 77180 88055 · other ways to reach us
From the library
