The verdict The SD90 is the most resolved boat in Sanlorenzo's long-running SD line. It trades speed for autonomy and visual calm, and the interior architecture is among the best at this size.
The Sanlorenzo SD90 is a boat that rewards the long look rather than the quick glance, and that is the most useful thing we can tell a prospective owner. This review reflects a three-day Ligurian charter, Portofino to Porto Venere and back, aboard a recently delivered hull running a permanent crew of three, arranged through the yard.
The SD line is Sanlorenzo’s semi-displacement family, and the SD90 is its most resolved current expression. It is a deliberately slow boat by the standards of a 27-metre composite cruiser, and almost everything that is good about it follows from that decision.
Substance: the autonomy argument
A semi-displacement hull at 15 knots top is, in raw numbers, unexciting. In practice it buys two things that matter more than a few knots: range and quiet. The SD90 carries roughly 1,875 nautical miles of autonomy at 10 knots on around 13,000 litres of fuel, which converts a 27-metre boat from a coastal hopper into something that can plan a genuinely open itinerary across a season. At anchor and at cruise, the boat is notably quiet — the displacement-biased hull and conservative power keep the acoustic signature low.
| Dimension | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Substance (the vessel) | 30% | 5.6 / 6.0 |
| Execution (build/engineering) | 25% | 4.6 / 5.0 |
| Service | 20% | 3.6 / 4.0 |
| Setting / experience | 15% | 2.8 / 3.0 |
| Value | 10% | 1.9 / 2.0 |
Execution: the interior is the headline
The SD90’s interior architecture is, in our view, the best reason to choose it over faster rivals. Sanlorenzo’s collaboration with its design studios produces a main deck with unusually clean sightlines and a sense of horizontal space that belies the 7-metre beam. Light handling is excellent: large hull glazing in the lower lobby and full-height saloon glass make the volume feel a class larger than its dimensions.
Build quality on our hull was excellent. Joinery tolerances were tight, the stone and veneer work was consistently executed, and we found none of the trim-panel inconsistencies that often appear in semi-custom composite boats. This is a yard operating at a high level of fit and finish, and it shows in the details a charter guest never consciously notices.
Accommodation and crew
The layout is four guest cabins sleeping up to eight, with a full-beam master and a forward VIP among the better-resolved at this length. Crew quarters support two, with a compact galley and mess. The single ergonomic compromise is the crew galley’s modest footprint — adequate for a charter party of six to eight but tight for a fully provisioned long passage, which is a fair trade for the guest volume gained.
Service and value
On our charter, service was crew-led and very good; the boat’s circulation between galley, saloon and the aft cockpit dining position is logical and keeps service unobtrusive. On value, the SD90 sits in the region of €7 to €8 million depending on specification, which is fair-to-strong for the build quality and autonomy on offer. You are paying Sanlorenzo prices and getting Sanlorenzo execution, which is a more defensible proposition than many boats in the band.
Verdict
The SD90 is the quiet overachiever of the 27-metre composite class. It will frustrate anyone who measures a yacht in knots, and it will reward anyone who measures one in range, calm and finish. The interior architecture alone justifies a serious look, and the autonomy turns the boat into a genuine cruiser rather than a coastal showpiece.
The Premium Standard: 18.5 / 20
Verification
Every factual claim in this review was checked against external sources before publication, on 2026-03-02. Where a figure could not be independently confirmed, it is described in approximate terms in the text. To challenge a fact, write to corrections@premiumtravelreview.com.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the SD90's key dimensions?
- Length overall is roughly 27.4 metres (90 feet) with a beam of about 7.0 metres, on a semi-displacement GRP hull.
- How fast is the SD90?
- Top speed is around 15 knots with a comfortable cruise near 13 knots, driven by twin 800 hp MAN engines on V-drives — this is an autonomy-first boat, not a planing sportcruiser.
- What is the range?
- Approximately 1,875 nautical miles at an economical 10 knots, supported by a fuel capacity in the region of 13,000 litres.
- How many cabins?
- Four guest cabins sleeping up to eight, with separate quarters for two crew.
