HCB 42 Lujo

Boaters tend to be a loyal bunch, sometimes sticking with a brand or style of boat for years, even decades. So, when that manufacturer announces a company rebranding or rebirth, it’s easy to understand why people get nervous.

However, when the company is given a makeover by one of its biggest supporters, the outcome can be spectacular.

Born in 1973 as a bass boat manufacturer, Hydra-Sports quickly became one of the leading producers of high-quality offshore fishing boats. When the opportunity to purchase the company arose in 2012, Elias De la Torre III, owner of the world’s largest Hydra-Sports dealership, took the reins with a vision to build the best custom center console yachts in the world.

That vision led to the creation of HCB Center Console Yachts. Ranging from 39 to 65 feet in length, HCB’s luxury center consoles are a perfect blend of function and form, all designed, built and delivered to the customer with a white-glove touch.

Stand out from the crowd

The 2021 HCB 42 Lujo is the perfect example of the company’s commitment to a luxury boating experience. This family oriented center console has all of the appointments necessary for a day on the water or night in port but is also rigged and ready to drag the lake all day chasing kings and coho.

HCB’s build quality, innovation and attention to detail are obvious everywhere you look. The 42 Lujo is very well-appointed with lots of creature comforts, as any 42-foot yacht should be. However, there are also some smart and innovative details that make the boat stand out — as if its beautiful lines could possibly be overlooked.

HCB’s standard configuration leaves very few boxes unchecked, if any. What is optional on most other boats is standard in the Lujo, such as the two 12-inch Garmin touch-screen chartplotters with a third 16-inch screen in the middle. The boat is also equipped with Yamaha’s Helm Master joystick controls and Set Point position holding features, a 4-inch 4K radar array, autopilot, bow thruster and so much more — all standard.

A boarding door makes coming and going from the dock a breeze, while a heavy-duty stainless swim ladder makes it easy to climb back aboard from the lake. An aft summer galley with Corian countertops provides the perfect place for serving food and drinks. The integrated shower at the port aft corner of the hardtop could easily be mistaken for a speaker or vent, but stand underneath and turn on the water and you’ll discover a well-placed shower head for washing off.

Cool character

The 42 Lujo cannot be called just a fishing boat, even though the boat has twin 45-gallon baitwells and there are rod holders everywhere, including a rocket launcher at the rear of the hardtop. Another interesting innovation — rod holders in the bow double as sockets for forward backrests in the huge bow seating area.

Everywhere you look in the Lujo there is cold storage. There never seems to be enough space on a dayboat for drinks and leftovers, but the 42 Lujo has tons of room for ice and refreshments. There are cold storage drawers under the summer galley, a fridge in the cabin, and Frigid Rigid coolers along the floor on both port and starboard sides and under the rear seats. Many of the boat’s storage spaces can even be converted into more cold storage, making the boat one cool character.

Below the helm, the 42 Lujo hides a beautifully designed cabin with plenty of room to get out of the sun or for two people to comfortably overnight in port. The cabin is roomy and bright, with natural light streaming in from all sides.

At the aft end of the cabin, the spacious head is equipped with an electric- flush ceramic toilet and macerator — yep, you guessed it, it’s standard. The test boat was equipped with some optional features, such as the electrically adjustable bow table and the rear sleigh seat, which also contained another 30-gallon baitwell. The sleigh seat is a great feature and one of the nicest places to sit while underway. The boat was also equipped with an optional aft acrylic wind blocker, which is kind of like a rear windshield. The wind blocker is a nice touch that reduces wind and engine noise for people sitting at the helm.

A game-changing second row of seating is underneath the hardtop. Speaking of which, HCB led the industry with many following suit offering a second row of helm seating on a boat this size.

Test ride

For our test ride in Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay, the weather was pleasant but there was enough breeze to build a light to medium chop on the water. The Lujo handled the rough stuff with ease, comfortably cruising across bigger wakes and waves as if they didn’t exist.

The 42-foot HCB Lujo’s performance is as outstanding as the boat’s appearance and features. With quad Yamaha 425-hp outboards, the Lujo jumps out of the water and cruises comfortably at 35 to 40 mph. With the throttles wide open, the four big Yamahas pushed the Lujo over 60 mph with some room left to run.

“The HCB 42 Lujo is such an awesome boat,” says JBYS President Amy Krueger Malow. “It’s incredibly accommodating for large groups to cruise for the day in comfort. The Lujo is super easy to handle, carves the chop, has great speed, and also has a great little cabin to get out of the sun or the elements if desired. Definitely a winner in my book.”

Back at the dock, the 42-foot Lujo looks right at home mixed in with a group of 60-, 80- and 100-plus-foot yachts docked nearby. The new 2021 HCB 42 Lujo is a head-turning, jaw-dropping luxury center console that is equally ready to chase big fish or anchor up near the beach to provide a luxurious home-base for a great day on the water.