About this tender
The BRABUS Shadow 1200 XC Cross Cabin Black Ops Signature Edition is the build you commission when the brief calls for a 45-foot shadow vessel that can cover ground at 55 knots, enclose its cabin against a Baltic swell, and then open out into five social spaces for a Med afternoon. At 13.91m it is the largest hull BRABUS Marine has produced, and the first in the range to carry triple outboards - three Mercury Verado 400 5.7-litre V10 units delivering a combined 1,200 hp. That combination of length, certified power, and all-weather enclosure is genuinely unusual in the category.
The Cross Cabin designation is the structural differentiator here. A fully enclosable wheelhouse with dual electric sunroofs and gullwing doors to the front lounge transitions to a cockpit with fold-down balcony doors amidships; the aft deck is configurable as an open deck, bench, u-sofa, or optional cabin for two. For a programme that needs the boat to work as a day ferry in the morning and an overnight tender in the evening, that modularity is worth more than raw speed numbers alone.
Classification runs to Category B Offshore for twelve passengers and Category C Coastal for sixteen - figures that matter when a captain is planning coastal passages with guests aboard. The twin-stepped 20-degree V hull with sharp-entry bow is the same underbody philosophy that underpins the shorter Shadow range; scaled to 45 feet and driven by 1,200 hp it reaches 102 km/h on the manufacturer's test data. Fuel capacity is 1,390 litres, which at cruise speeds gives reasonable range for an outboard-powered vessel of this displacement.
We would place this boat alongside the Axopar 45 Cross Cabin and the wider Italian express-cruiser market in the 13-14 metre bracket, but the BRABUS build specification - carbon interior elements, bespoke leather upholstery, Simrad glass bridge, Mercury JPO joystick with Skyhook - sits noticeably above the base offering from those yards. For an owner whose programme demands a recognised brand identity on the water and a vessel that does not require significant re-finishing before it matches the mothership's interior standard, the Shadow 1200 XC is a credible starting point.
Highlights
The four details we'd point out first to a captain who hasn't seen one on the water yet.
Three Mercury Verado 400 5.7-litre V10 outboards produce a combined 1,200 hp. BRABUS cite a top speed of 55 knots, which the manufacturer states is unmatched in the 45-foot size range. Mercury JPO joystick piloting with Skyhook and autopilot is standard.
Dual electric sunroofs, gullwing doors to the front lounge, fold-down balcony doors amidships, and big dual sliding doors allow the enclosed cabin to open progressively or fully. The hull can run closed in poor conditions and transform to an open boat in harbour.
Foredeck, helm, cockpit with wetbar, aft deck, and front lounge each function independently. The aft deck ships in four configurations: open deck, bench, u-sofa, or a two-berth cabin that increases total berth count to four persons.
The Shadow 1200 XC holds Classification B Offshore for twelve passengers and Classification C Coastal for sixteen. That dual certification gives captains flexibility when routing between offshore passages and coastal day work.
At 1,390 litres across the fuel system, the tank specification is proportionate to the triple-engine installation and the distances a 45-foot shadow vessel is expected to cover between mothership and destination ports.
Gallery
The full specification
Specifications, prices, availability, and performance figures are supplied for guidance only and remain subject to confirmation by the yard, seller, broker, survey, contract, and final specification.
Questions, answered
Last call · Available
Brabus · Bottrop, Germany
Tell us about your yacht, your programme, and the missions Enquire now needs to handle. We come back within 48 hours with a written assessment - fit for the brief, lead time, and trade-offs against alternatives in the same band.
Prefer to talk? +44 (0) 77180 88055 · other ways to reach us
From the library
