PHANTOM 65
Can Fairline’s first foray into the sportsfly market successfully combine the versatility of a flybridge with the performance of a sportscruiser? We head to the Med to determine if the British boatmaker has mastered the art of compromise
Once free of the harbour’s confines the massive torque of those 32-litre diesels comes into its own
The best of both worlds or a compromise too far? That is the question hanging over all sportsfly models. Can they really combine the space and versatility of a flybridge boat with the sleeker looks, performance and handling of a sportscruiser or do they simply end up being a halfway house that doesn’t truly satisfy on any front?
The all-new Phantom 65, Fairline’s first attempt at a modern sportsfly boat, certainly has its work cut out. Not only is it relatively late to the party (both Sunseeker and Princess have been offering similar-sized sportsbridge boats for a while) but the Squadron 68, with which it shares its hull, is a big, handsome beast with a full-length flybridge and up to four cabins, while the Targa 65 GTO is a long, lithe two-deck sportscruiser with a big sunroof, tender garage and more sunloungers than an LA pool party.
The new Phantom 65 nestles somewhere between the two. It’s 4ft shorter and five tonnes lighter than the Squadron 68 yet somehow manages to pack in exactly the same three- or four-cabin layout below decks as well as a crew cabin and tender garage. The Targa GTO, meanwhile, is lower, lighter and leaner still, but lacks the Phantom’s upper deck with its lovely outside helm position and extra outdoor socialising space – and even if you did want one, production has stopped to make way for the new Phantom. In other words, Fairline is gambling that the Phantom won’t just replace the Targa 65 GTO, but generate extra sales too. It’s a brave punt but an informed one; the Targa never seemed to perform quite as well as its looks suggested and at this size it’s as much about style, comfort and convenience as outright performance anyway. On the face of it, the Phantom seems to offer a bit more of everything than the Targa while still looking considerably sportier and more manageable than the Squadron.
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POWER TO SPARE
Easing out of Port La Napoule, less than a month after its debut at the nearby Cannes boat show, a few things become clear. First up is just how smooth and relaxed
