NEW BOATS
LOA 66ft 8in (20.37m) BEAM 17ft 2in (5.23m) ENGINES Twin CAT 1,150HP/MAN 1,200hp TOP SPEED 32 knots PRICE FROM £1.63m ex VAT CONTACT www.fairlineyachts.com
Full details of the new Fairline Squadron 64, Princess F45 and Marex 360 CC
Fairline’s drive for new product continues apace and these latest digital renderings give the clearest idea yet of what the new flagship of the flybridge range will look like. Production is well under way at Fairline’s new Hythe facility with the first boat due to be ready in time for a show debut early in 2019.
In an effort to streamline the production process and keep costs under control, the 64 shares its hull, lower deck layout and engine options with the Targa 63 GTO, but from the main deck upwards it’s an all-new Alberto Mancini design. The contrasting dark superstructure helps to lower the boat’s profile and there are hints to past Squadrons such as the ‘spear’ of GRP thrusting into the side windows and the gill-like slashes on the uprights. The radar arch is angled aft but at its summit it kinks forward and, of course, there is the option to have a hardtop with a sunroof.
LIFE ON DECK
The top deck has three distinct areas: a low-slung seating space aft with a pair of fixed L-shaped loungers and coffee tables, a central dinette served by a pair of wetbars, and either sunpads or seating adjacent to the two-person helm. We’re big fans of the seating arrangement on the aft end of the flybridge, but if you want more open space you can specify sunloungers there instead.
The cockpit and foredeck both look to be comfortable living spaces in their own right, the latter combining pure sunbathing space with a horseshoe of seating arranged around a teak table. A walkway separating the two makes it easy for crew to pass between the side decks.
Inside, unlike the Targa 63, there is no galley down option so it sits aft on the main deck. With such a large saloon there is space to fit a particularly lavish galley boasting domestic appliances and an illuminated cupboard dedicated to glassware storage neatly incorporated into the bar return.
The space opposite could perhaps be put to better use as the current long, straight sofa looks a bit like waiting-room seating rather than a sociable lounge area. The lack of steps in the saloon is a real bonus, although it’s a shame there is no side door at the helm.
Below decks the three- or four-cabin layout mirrors the Targa 63. Whichever arrangement you opt for there is a splendid amidships master suite and a light-filled VIP in the bows both with spacious ensuite bathrooms. In the four-cabin version, the day heads to port is replaced by a pair of bunks, which have access to the twin cabin’s ensuite across the hall. If the Targa 63 is anything to go by, the cabins will be opulently appointed and finished with Fairline’s trademark luxurious sheen and eye for fine detail.
FEEL THE POWER
Engine options are also shared with the Targa, though judging from our test of that boat we reckon the quoted top speed for the Squadron 64 of 32 knots may be a touch ambitious given the extra weight of the flybridge. The marginally more powerful 1,200hp MAN motors should be the most popular choice, though the availability of Caterpillar parts in some areas of the world may make them the preferred engine of choice in some markets. Fairline may have given itself a head start by using the Targa 63 hull as a blueprint and the renderings certainly look the business too but the new Hythe factory will have to come out all guns blazing to ensure the finished boat lives up to expectations. All will become clear when the first Squadron 64 is launched (most likely at West Palm Beach) in the spring.