PRESTIGE X70
With a full-beam main deck and infinity cockpit, the X70 is far and away the most radical boat that Prestige has ever produced. Is this new breed the future of flybridges?
Atour of the X70 is punctuated with “wow” moments but there is one that stands out. It’s when, free of the confines of the marina, the hydraulic platform drops, its integrated steps creating a gently sloping access point down into the water, and the brilliance of the beach club and cockpit combination becomes apparent. The drop-down bench set into the transom is a simple design but it’s well proportioned, just the right size to flop on to and recline, gazing out over the water. Inset above it is a Fusion water-resistant speaker with built-in controls, allowing music to be fed through to guests in the water. A stainless steel overhead shower slots into the deck, a classier solution than the usual pull-out deck shower and one that creates the most invigorating spot on board to wash the salt off after a day messing about in the sea.
Up in the cockpit it’s the sheer size of the outdoor space that immediately makes an impression. The boat with which the X70 shares a hull and lower deck, the 680, like most traditional flybridge boats, splits the main deck roughly 80/20 between internal and external living space. On the X70, the ratio is more like 50/50 so the cockpit feels as though it has come from a boat in the next size category up and maybe even the one above that. It has a scaled-down superyacht look to it, a feeling enhanced by the twin stainless steel and teak staircases that lead up to the flybridge on either side.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Comfortable, low-slung sofas offer reclining space and, because there are no side decks on the main deck, the cockpit and saloon can spread right out to the extremities of the X70’s 17ft 6in (5.34m) beam. It is no wider than the 680 but my word does it feel as though it is, the effect is quite astonishing. The benefits are numerous but one drawback is having to pass the ground line (if mooring Med-style) from the cockpit up to the flybridge to run it up to the bow. It’s awkward and, if the line is dirty (as they usually are), the grime will cascade down the superstructure.
There are some really thoughtful touches in the cockpit though, like the dedicated storage spots for a pair of Seabobs beneath the sofas on either side of the cockpit and the weighted backrests on the central island that can be moved around on the sun pad but also moved over to the sofas to create arm rests wherever is most comfortable. Double access to the flybridge is welcome but you can lose the starboard staircase and replace it with a wet bar, a useful option that allows you to serve guests in the cockpit without having to go into the galley.
Flexibility is a key aspect of the X70’s appeal, Prestige wanted to allow for the sort of personalisation customers demand in this sector with an eye on the all important production line, which is tuned to churn out approximately 15 of these a year. So although you can’t make drastic changes to the layout you can, for example, choose not to have the cockpit sunpad island and leave the deck open, or replace it with a pair of low-slung coffee tables. You can also move the island further forward and position the dinette table inside the saloon, rather than in the cockpit as it was on our test boat. On the flybridge you can choose to have a similar sunpad island at the aft end of the deck or leave this space open for free-standing furniture, and the wet bar can be positioned almost anywhere on the deck, unless you want the sink because it can only be plumbed in aft of the dinette seating.
Our test boat, bound for North America, had the optional screens that connect between the deck and the hardtop to
enclose the upper helm and flybridge seating, but they’re unsightly in place and a pain to store once removed.
In reality, as pleasant as the flybridge and foredeck are, they are unlikely to see as much action as the cockpit, which is not only brilliantly laid out but links effortlessly to the saloon. The designers wanted a borderless feeling to the main deck and they’ve succeeded in the way the cockpit melds into the relaxed lounging area at the aft end of the saloon with a central open galley and a stylish bar area at its forward end.
The designers wanted a borderless feel and they’ve succeeded in the way the cockpit melds into the relaxed dining area
FAULTLESS FINISH
In a bid to compete with high-end brands in the sector like Princess and Azimut, Prestige has focussed heavily on improving fit and finish and elevating the feeling of quality inside the boat. So instead of the fitted furniture you would find on the flybridge line the X gets sumptuous free-standing leather sofas, subtle backlit detailing around the galley and suede headlinings. It has electric blinds in the saloon and cabins as standard and the aft saloon windows drop down electronically to allow a breeze to flow through the interior when the boat is at rest. The hydraulic bathing platform is standard, as is the hard top and sunroof, and in the galley there are Miele appliances all round, including a gigantic American style fridge/freezer. There’s an attitude change here, it’s no longer a case of starting with a competitively priced base boat and then loading on a vast array of cost options, the X70 has a higher starting price but that includes the big ticket items that most customers would spec anyway.
Then there’s the work of interior designer Valentina Militerno de Romedis – her first time partnering Prestige – which sets the boat apart from other models in the Prestige stable and elevates the look and feel to a new level. It’s a feeling that spreads through the cabins, the most remarkable of which is the master cabin, located forward and accessed via a short run of stairs. Again there is closer attention to aesthetics from the wave-like ceiling panelling above the island double berth to the curvature of the base and cushions on the sofa. It’s a delightful cabin, topped off with ample hanging storage and an ensuite that features a separate shower cubicle with oversized rain showerhead and a silent flush Tecma toilet.
Guest cabin access is via a separate staircase in the saloon and there are two layout options. Our test boat had three cabins in this area including an impressive full-beam VIP ensuite amidships and a pair of twins, the port one ensuite to the day heads. A clever tweak of the staircase means the stairs now gobble up less room in the VIP compared to the 680 so there is space for
a small bureau beneath the starboard side hull window. Alternatively the pair of twin cabins can be replaced with a double ensuite, meaning you lose two berths but gain another full-beam cabin for guests to enjoy.
The X70 is only a couple of tonnes heavier than the 680 on which it is based but, from the helm, it feels lethargic in comparison. Our test boat had the highest powered IPS1350S with 1,000hp each and I would be wary of opting for the smaller 900hp IPS1200 units. Admittedly the conditions were tough for our test with a nasty chop laying down an awkward track for the X70 to traverse, but my sense is that the IPS1200S would have their work cut out to heave the boat out of troughs.
More troublesome than the added weight is the X70’s extra
2ft 5in (0.77m) of height over the 680. You feel the top heaviness immediately, especially at idle and displacement speed where the boat tends to wallow uncomfortably if the Seakeeper stabiliser isn’t active. I’m hesitant to recommend an option that costs the best part of €150,000 but the gyroscope is verging on a necessity here. Interestingly, there are two gyros on the options list, the SK9 and SK18. We had the latter fitted to our boat but the 9