Canados Debuts 96-foot Gladiator Flagship

The Gladiator 961 Speed combines a thrilling pace with social spaces.
Canados Gladiator 961 Speed
With triple 2,000 hp MAN V-12 engines, the Gladiator 961 Speed can reportedly hit 52 knots. Courtesy Canados

Canados has a new Gladiator line flagship: the 961 Speed. This near-96-footer eclipses the other nine Gladiator models ranging from 42 to 91 feet length overall.

Its extra length is apparent when guests step atop the flybridge via aft, portside corner stairs. Here, there is no shortage of seating. To starboard is forward-facing, C-shaped seating for at least six people, with a dinette. Moving forward, two sun pads that seat at least three people each flank the centerline, with additional forward-facing companion seating attached to each sun pad. The flybridge helm station is on centerline, with three helm seats for the skipper and guests.

Canados Gladiator 961 Speed
In the Gladiator 961 Speed’s full-beam master stateroom, there is an en suite head with his-and-hers sinks and a vanity/study to starboard, and a walk-in closet and a sofa to port. Courtesy Canados

This design emphasis on socializing continues on the main deck, starting with the 89-by-116-inch transom sun pad. Just forward of that are a bar, grill, ice maker, fridge and sink.

For more formal occasions, there’s a circular, on-centerline dining table for eight people amidships that’s just abaft the three-seat helm station; the connecting, aft-facing seating is a sofa for the boat’s owners or guests to relax out of the crew’s way. In the salon just a couple of steps away, there’s a sofa to port and L-shaped seating for at least six to starboard.

Canados Gladiator 961 Speed
The entirety of the main deck’s interior is for the salon and helm station. Its layout includes a circular dining table forward and sofa seating for eight to port and starboard. Courtesy Canados

At the bow, at least eight guests can sit comfortably in the C-shaped seating with two dinettes; aft-facing seating for six is on the other side of the dinettes, with a 93-by-110-inch sun pad forward.

Belowdecks, the 961 Speed can come with either three staterooms and a cinema or four staterooms; owners of Hull No. 1 opted for the latter. The full-beam, amidships master stateroom has its berth on centerline, and a vanity/study and a head with his-and-hers sinks to starboard. The closet and a sofa are to port. There are also two en suite, twin-berth staterooms, one to port and the other to starboard, and a forepeak VIP with a step-up berth.

Canados Gladiator 961 Speed
The Gladiator 961 Speed’s main deck is dedicated to socializing. Its galley-down setup lets the salon take up the entire interior, and there’s a 93-by-110-inch sun pad with seating surrounding two dinettes at the bow. Courtesy Canados

The 961 Speed has a galley-down setup accessed via portside salon stairs. Crew quarters can also be accessed via those stairs.

Three power options are available: twin 2,000 or 2,600 hp MAN engines, or triple 2,000 hp MAN V-12s for what Canados calls “speed-addicted clients.” Reported top hop with the third option is 52 knots. Range is reportedly 360 nautical miles at 42 knots. The latter two options are coupled to JDM surface drives with a JDM auto-trim and auto-flaps computer.  

Take the next step: canados.com