Jet Tender Evolution: 4 New Williams Tenders for 2025
To mark their 20th anniversary, Williams has launched three new jet tender models. Alex Smith was lucky enough to test three tenders a full two months before their official launch
After 20 years in business, Williams has become the Branston, the Hoover and the HP Sauce of the tender market. It is now so entrenched as the go-to tender brand that a great many yacht builders design (and define) their garages and high-low platforms in relation to the specific model of Williams tender it will accommodate.
Williams now operates an 80,000 sq ft facility in Oxfordshire, employing more than 140 staff, supported by a team of engineers across the world – and with more than 12,000 boats behind it, founding brothers, Mathew and John Hornsby, have chosen to celebrate their 20th year with a raft of evolutionary upgrades.
Williams SportJet 460
Williams SportJet 460
This second largest of the SportJet line is designed to prioritise sociable seating and easy-access sport and it’s all the more effective in that regard thanks to several key updates. The compact bow lounger has been replaced by a much more practical pair of facing benches for up to four people. That’s forced the console a little further aft but it’s also enabled the inclusion of a pair of tube-top boarding steps, close enough to the helm that the skipper can assist passengers without leaving the wheel.
While the engine box has also shifted aft, the gap between the twin seats and the helm station has now narrowed a touch, bringing much more user-friendly ergonomics when underway. The hinged backrest, which is designed to create a two-person aft-facing lounger at rest, is now easily operable by one person. And at the aft end, there’s a larger platform with a hinged section that angles up to create a confidence-inspiring foot brace for people facing aft.
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As for the drive, with its fat tubes, modest deadrise and 170hp petrol engine, the fun here is very accessible. It picks up fast, runs flat and operates through the turn with an engaging mix of grip and slip, courtesy of a relatively shallow hull that’s equipped with a pair of vertical steel rails at its aft end to sharpen up the handling.
We’re seeing speeds approaching 42 knots and we’re hitting that from a standstill within three or four seconds so its ability as a watersports platform is very clear. And with those ergonomic upgrades at the helm making things much more comfy than in the past, this is undoubtedly the most effective iteration of the SportJet 460 yet.
There’s a new four-man bow section plus an excellent hinged aft platform for extra security when facing aft
Williams Sportjet 460 specifications
LOA: 15ft 1in (4.59m)
BEAM: 6ft 7in (2.01m)
DRY WEIGHT: 625kg
HEIGHT: 4ft 7in (1.42m) / 1.13m stowed
DRAFT (fully loaded): 0.43m
ENGINE: 170hp Rotax ACE 1630
FUEL CAPACITY: 100 litres TOP SPEED: 48mph
SEATING: 6
MOTHERSHIP: 25m+
Williams SportJet 520
Williams SportJet 520
From the helm console aft, this largest SportJet model adopts an identical layout to that of the smaller 460 but there are a couple of key differences. Firstly, the additional 60cm is used in the bow for an extra seat pod (and storage space) on the port side, enabling you to accommodate seven (rather than six) people. Secondly, there’s an additional MFD at the dash. And thirdly, nestling in the engine bay is the supercharged variant of that same Rotax block, bringing an extra 60hp to the party.
Given that this boat uses an elongated version of the 460 hull and is only 45kg heavier, that ramps up the performance in a really major way. In the blink of an eye, you find yourself flying through to a top end, just a whisker shy of 50 knots, and with that extra waterline length, the handling feels subtly different too. Not less urgent by any means. But if you just ease off the power a touch before laying it into a turn and then wait for that heeling moment to settle, you can power on, feather the throttle and get some really impressive composure, even at high speeds through a moderate chop.
As on the 460, protection from the low-slung screen is decent rather than great but given that it can be folded flush with the seatback for easy entry into relatively compact tender garages, that’s an entirely necessary design feature. And with that slightly raised bow, allied to wide-diameter tubes with pronounced rubbing strakes, splash deflection is pretty serviceable too.
The new dash is digital rather than analogue
Williams Sportjet 520 specifciations
LOA: 17ft 1in (5.19m)
BEAM: 6ft 7in (2.01m)
DRY WEIGHT: 670kg
HEIGHT: 4ft 7in (1.42m) / 1.13m stowed
DRAFT (fully loaded): 0.40m
ENGINE: Supercharged 230hp Rotax ACE 1630
FUEL CAPACITY: 100 litres
TOP SPEED: 56mph
SEATING: 7
MOTHERSHIP: 30m+
The SOLAS fit-out includes a stretcher forward, a self-righting box aft and hi-vis panels at the collar and bow
Williams DieselJet 625
As an 11-man diesel model that weighs twice as much as the SportJet 520 but comes with 15% less power, you might be forgiven for thinking that the SOLAS-ready DieselJet 625 is a workhorse rather than a sports machine – and to some degree you would be right.
In accordance with SOLAS requirements, you can spec it with high-vis colours, a transverse stretcher ahead of the helm and a self-righting mechanism behind the aft bench. Notwithstanding its functionality, it still feels like a Williams.
You get remarkably deep, secure seating zones – a five-person station aft and a four-person space at the bow. You get the option of a ski pole on the aft platform, even with the self-righting box in place. And in addition to all the usual tender features – boarding steps, lifting eyes and a folding console – you get a driving experience that majors on entertainment.
Again, the use of those steel rails aft helps deliver the kind of grip that makes this boat feel far more grown-up than the shallow spin-on-a-sixpence jet boats of old. And in spite of its extra length, beam and weight, it shifts a bit too. We’re hitting 38 knots in very short order and with its low-slung profile and its proximity to the water, that feels pretty quick.
That’s very good to see because, while a rescue boat is obligatory on superyachts of 500GT or more, the fact that the 625 is able to combine its rescue capability with cruising, watersports and everyday tender duties makes it a very effective one-stop alternative to a more complex fleet of onboard tenders.
The 625 is able to combine rescue capability with cruising, sport and everyday tender work
Williams Dieseljet 625 specifciations
LOA: 20ft 8in (6.32m)
BEAM: 7ft 11in (2.41m)
DRY WEIGHT: 1,344kg
HEIGHT: 5.2ft (1.6m) / 1.18m stowed
DRAFT (fully loaded): 0.50m
ENGINE: Yanmar 4LV 195hp
FUEL CAPACITY: 140 litres
TOP SPEED: 44mph
SEATING: 11
MOTHERSHIP: 40m+
Like the diesel-powered EvoJet 70, this is a 40mph boat weighing in at around two tonnes
Williams EvoJet 70e
This electric variant of the fleet-topping EvoJet 70 made its world debut at Cannes in September 2024 where Williams described it as a ‘technology demonstrator’ rather than a commercially available package. It’s important to note though that this reticence has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the boat, only the capacity of the marine industry’s infrastructure to properly leverage its talents – and Williams is working with a range of major players to show that if owners and captains are willing to construct the necessary fast-charging architecture, then Williams is ready to step in with a practical electric tender solution.
As with any boat though, there is a balance to be struck between weight and battery capacity and that’s all the more critical when tender duties are on the cards. To that end, Williams has used a 58.5kWh lithium-ion battery bank operating through a bespoke control system from American company Evoa, for an all-in weight comparable to that of the standard EvoJet 70 with a 250hp Yanmar and a full tank of fuel.
This battery bank is already used in the Extreme E race series too, so the R&D is not speculative or experimental but rigorously applied. And the conceptual backdrop looks equally practical. Williams has worked on the basis that ‘mixed use’ tends to involve 16% at 37mph or more, 46% at 25mph and 38% at 10mph or less.
The Garmin interface gives real-time data on battery temperature, charge status and range
On that basis, testing has shown that 56 minutes of operation will reduce the battery capacity to around 18%. But even at 0%, Williams has engineered extra redundancy into the system for some ‘get you home’ capability. The battery bank can be charged from 20 to 80% in less than 30 minutes (or from zero to max in an hour) which means that its operational readiness is all but perpetual.
You’ll be able to gauge that courtesy of a Garmin MFD that provides real-time insights into battery range, temperature and charge status. As for the rest of its features, the EvoJet 70E is designed to operate in precisely the same way as the established 70. It’s the same size, has the same 13-person seating capacity and the same folding T-top. It comes with a ski pole, ample storage, a premium audio system, single-point lift and LED deck lights. And it’s also designed with yachts of 130ft (40m) or more in mind.
Superyachts will continue to require the extended range that traditional diesels provide but as the tender of choice for shore visits, leisure cruises and passenger transfer, the 70e looks extremely promising.
The 58.5kWh battery bank can be charged from 20 to 80% in just 30 minutes
Williams Evojet 70 Electric specifications
LOA: 23ft 3in (7.1m)
BEAM: 8ft 6in (2.65m)
DRY WEIGHT: 2,200kg
HEIGHT: 6ft 0in (1.83m) / 1.35m stowed
DRAFT (fully loaded): 0.50m
ENGINE: EVOA electrical system
FUEL CAPACITY: 58.5kWh
TOP SPEED: 40mph
SEATING: 13
MOTHERSHIP: 40m+
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