May 7, 2021 Three new designs from a trio of Midwest builders represent a new breed of hybrid family cruiser that has been a long time coming Tom Slikkers has been around new boats since he was 13 years old and working for his father, Leon, who founded S2 Yachts. Today, Slikkers is CEO of the company, whose brands include Tiara Yachts. What he sees happening with the new Tiara 48 LS is far beyond the norm. “I’ve launched a lot of boats in my life, and I’ve seen some pretty successful launches. But I don’t think I’ve seen a boat this large that’s been quite so exciting, ever in my career,” he says. “The combination of the features, the way the boat looks, the performance, the new engines, and just the way the whole thing got packaged together, it’s been impressive.”