Princess Yachts International introduced a new series with the S72 Sportbridge model unveiled during the Miami Yacht & Brokerage Show.
Delivering both high performance and high levels of luxury and incorporating a flybridge and a tender garage, the rakish 22.5m yacht exemplifies the attitude of the new series.
'We took notes from the V72 and created a sort of hybrid model for the client who doesn’t necessarily want a traditional motor yacht but is graduating from a pure express,' says James Nobel of Princess Yachts.
Performance is still a hallmark of the series with the proven deep-V hull and low center of gravity giving a comfortable and fast ride. Hull No 1 debuting in Miami sports twin Caterpillar C32 A engines, its 1,723hp delivering a speedy 38 knots.
The interior is defined by custom contemporary furniture, satin-finished walnut joinery and accents of textured silk and stainless steel, including a Macassar ebony finish borrowed from the successful Princess 40M. There is a very open feel inside, aided by the drop-down window that’s adjacent to the saloon’s aft glass door, which opens the saloon to the aft deck. Forward of the interior seating area is a circular table and settee underneath a fully opening sunroof. The galley is belowdecks but accessed via an open stairwell that gives it an atrium feel. The three en suite staterooms on this deck include a full-beam master.
The flybridge is neatly integrated into the sleek styling, providing an upper helm station and dining for the full guest complement, as well as a bar and grill.
Aft is the garage that will accommodate a 12-foot tender and two berths and a full bathroom for crew. On the foredeck is a seating area and sunpad.
Following this successful debut, Hull No 2 is already under construction. Next up in the Sportbridge series is the S80 model, launching in 2015.
James Nobel also spoke about the development of the Princess M Class range, which is expanding to include a new 35M followed by a 30M. Princess is focusing on a very aggressive new model development program across the range, which would equate to four to five models a year in this burgeoning series. Stay tuned for more on this.