Fear not, fans of Princess’s F Class flybridge motor yachts – the replacement to the F62 is updated, improved and refined in every area
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The most notable feature of the F65’s drivetrain is its refinement. Simply put, the Princess is one of the quietest-planing flybridge boats we have ever tested
When it comes to its bread and butter flybridge offerings, Princess knows better than to mess with a winning formula
December in Plymouth doesn’t sound like the ideal time and place to test the new flagship of the Princess F Class range. The air is cold, the mid-winter afternoons are short and the surroundings, while pretty enough in the right conditions, are a far cry from the sun-baked Mediterranean bays that are likely to be this boat’s natural habitat. On the other hand the whole point of a flybridge craft is that it’s a floating home from home with plenty of inside and outside space that can be enjoyed all year round in almost any climate.
As it happens the sun is doing its best to add some glamour to the proceedings, bathing the new F65 in a soft orange glow that helps accentuate the subtleties of its styling. As ever with Princess’s popular F Class range, there’s nothing wildly different or innovative about the way it looks but long, flowing window lines, careful sculpting of the flybridge overhang and details like the royal blue ‘styling blade’ and gunmetal grey accents add an air of polished refinement perfectly in keeping with the yard’s reputation for understated elegance.
It’s not that Princess doesn’t know how to make big, bold statements (the foiling R35 sportsboat and X95 superfly proved as much), it’s just that when it comes to its bread and butter flybridge offerings, Princess Yachts knows better than to mess with a winning formula. Instead, the Plymouth boatbuilder picks up where the previous boat left off, in this case the fiveyear-old F62, looks hard at what it could improve and then creates something usefully better in almost every regard.
SPACE RACE
Space is a key part of that. As the name suggests, the F65 is just over three feet longer than the F62 (66ft 7in v 63ft 5in) but only 3in wider (16ft 9in). You wouldn’t think this would make a big difference but as well as liberating extra volume in all the key living and entertaining areas, it brings one much bigger win – afourth cabin. Admittedly this has bunk beds rather than twins and has to share a bathroom with the third cabin opposite but a whole extra cabin is a major win. The other three cabins all have their own ensuites and are every bit as spacious, comfortable and beautifully finished as you would expect, especially the midships owner’s cabin which now has a similar walk-in wardrobe and near full-width bathroom to the larger Princess Y72.
It’s also worth pointing out that the F65��
