The kind person attracted by the Nimbus 380 Commander looks at not just the model and the brand name, but also at her workmanlike, professional styling. A boat that possesses both seaworthiness and elegance is quite unusual.

The 380 Commander comes with many advantages, including a separate wheelhouse, and at the same time features a flying bridge which is surprisingly roomy for a boat of this size. Families who have fallen for this boat’s characteristics have told us their children originally opted for a swish, ultra-modern flying bridge model. But when they found they could have both a flying bridge and a boat that looks as if it means real business, they clamored for the 380 Commander. Although those who have used a Nimbus before might be regarded as biased, they do understand the priorities of the brand. If they choose another model of the same make, it suggests they feel they have found something even better. Quite a few customers have bought their 380 Commander, sailed it 2000 nautical miles in the first season and then reported that their expectations have been met in full.

“The boat has performed brilliantly on all our voyages. What we like most is the working boat aura, that the 380 looks so robust. It feels right,” are common comments. At displacement speeds for canal cruising, for example, the Nimbus 380 Commander is excellent. The easy interplay between shafts and rudders maintains steady directional stability, and the twin engines provide superb maneuverability in tight situations. Features such as these are appreciated by sea-faring folk. And of course the twin Volvo Penta KAMD43s of 230 hp each will speed the craft along at 28 knots – far more than permissible on inland waterways, but ideal when travelling fast over open lakes or when homeward bound along the coast.

  

THE NIMBUS 340 COMMANDER will be smaller than the 380, but provide customers with a big-boat feel in a compact design. Combining sound construction and excellent driving characteristics, the new 340 Commander looks certain to become a new best seller in the Nimbus fleet. Lars Wiklund expands on the concept: “The motive for producing this boat was to provide a first step into the Commander class. A smaller boat than this with a properly functional flying bridge simply cannot be built: it would not be sufficiently stable.

The new D-4 and D-6 Volvo Penta engines allow us to install a single engine, making this a competitively priced craft. Of course many buyers will opt for the twin-engine alternative, and the hull has been designed for both. Nimbus and Rolf Eliasson have worked together for many years – although lately he has been deeply committed to the Life Boat Service and to his long-distance sailing, so he has not had sufficient time.

Now, though, we are now happy to say that our collaboration has been rekindled and we have access to Rolf’s expertise once more. The demands set out for the new 340 Commander were considerable, because she had to perform all the same functions as the 380 Commander. So she needed to be a ‘fast trawler’ and long-distance planing cruiser, with a roomy and sheltered flying bridge, a wheel house with doors opening onto the side decks, a ladder to the flying bridge, a forecabin with separate head, a separate cabin beneath the cockpit, a saloon, galley, and a practical aft deck.

  

Internally and externally, the Nimbus 380 Coupé is the ‘jewel in the Nimbus crown’. The charm of this boat lies in its elegance and the layout, performance and packaging. Better and more comfortable are words that characterize Nimbus’ most exclusive boat. The concept of building a Coupé based on the tried and tested 380 hull is essentially the development of an early Nimbus idea. When the Nimbus 4000 was launched it was in the form of a Coupé. However, a flybridge was soon added, which was the trend at the time.

300 boats later, Nimbus decided to follow up that good old idea and build a large, covered model based on requests from a loyal band of customers. Comments and thoughts from the outside world have been combined with the company’s own unfailing sense of concept and style resulting in a beautifully crafted covered model with excellent performance for a prestige cruiser.

“We’ve seen more and more people attracted to our Coupé models and have received requests for a larger and more comfortable boat based on the same concept,” explains Lars Wiklund. “There is a group of boat owners that don’t need to sit on a flybridge and drive. A flybridge boat can be driven just as well from the lower helm position. In addition, there is a growing number of people who would prefer a lower covered model, and it is with these people in mind that we have produced the Nimbus 380 Coupé.”