The new Solé Advance SK-80 marine diesel will make its first boat-show appearance at Southampton International Boat Show 2026, giving owners and boatbuilders a close look at a compact 76hp engine aimed particularly at medium-sized sailing yachts and repower projects. Engines Plus, Solé Advance's UK distributor, will display the engine from 18 to 27 September.

The SK-80 joins the Solé range between the 60hp SK-60 and larger engines in the company's inboard line-up. Its role is straightforward: provide more output than smaller naturally aspirated units while keeping the installation compact enough for engine rooms where access and repower dimensions matter.

76hp from a compact Kubota-based package

Solé Advance builds the SK-80 around a Kubota four-cylinder base engine. The marinised unit produces 76hp, or 55.9kW, at 2,700rpm from 2.434 litres and uses a turbocharged, intercooled induction system.

Those figures place it in a useful part of the market for medium-sized cruising sailing yachts, where owners often need enough reserve power for manoeuvring and adverse conditions without moving to a physically larger engine. Solé also specifies 12-volt standard electrics and compliance with RCD 2 requirements.

Repowering is a major part of the proposition

Solé says the engine is offered with multiple kits intended to simplify repower installations and reduce conversion costs. That matters because replacing an ageing yacht engine is rarely just an engine purchase: mounts, shaft alignment, exhaust, cooling, controls, wiring and gearbox compatibility can all turn a nominally simple replacement into a substantial engineering job.

The company's accessory list includes engine-bed shims, wiring extensions, exhaust components, waterlocks, fuel filtration packages, maintenance kits and a choice of transmission-related equipment. Owners considering the SK-80 should still have an installer confirm dimensions, shaft loading, propeller requirements and service access for the individual yacht.

Southampton provides the first public inspection opportunity

Engines Plus says Southampton will be the first boat show anywhere to put the SK-80 in front of customers and marine professionals. Solé Advance export sales manager Jaume Colillas is also scheduled to attend on 22 and 23 September to discuss applications and technical questions.

For buyers planning a refit, seeing an engine physically can be valuable because photographs and output figures do not show filter access, service clearances, hose routing or how easily routine maintenance points can be reached. Those practical details often matter as much as rated horsepower over a long ownership period.

A conventional diesel aimed at practical ownership

Much of the current propulsion discussion centres on electrification and hybrid systems, but conventional inboard diesels remain central to the cruising-yacht market. The SK-80 is positioned around that reality, with emphasis on compact packaging, established base-engine architecture and serviceable installation rather than a radical change in propulsion concept.

Luxury Yacht Guide will be watching how the SK-80 is adopted in production yachts and repower projects after its Southampton debut. The more useful long-term evidence will be installation experience, real fuel consumption, noise and vibration, and how readily owners can obtain parts and service across cruising regions.