FAIRLINE SQUADRON 68
In a world exclusive we get on board Fairline’s all-new Mancini designed flagship before its global launch at the Cannes Boat Show
TESTED
World exclusive sea trial of Fairline’s new Mancini-designed flagship
When the covers come off the Squadron 68 at Cannes it will take its place at the summit of the Fairline range – a position occupied for so long by the evergreen 78. This new 68 now inherits that top spot, at least until the rumoured 82 comes along at some point in 2021. No pressure then.
The Squadron 68 may be 10ft shorter than the former flagship but the exterior styling, penned in conjunction by Alberto Mancini and Andrew Pope, who heads up Fairline’s in-house design team, demonstrates just how much boat design has changed since the 78 first hit the water. Glass dominates the boat’s profile, the saloon windows only broken by the GRP spears which thrust into their front end providing a visual link with the previous generations of Squadrons. The designers were conscious of the boat appearing top heavy so note the use of dark vinyl wrapping around the windscreen, along the flybridge supports and over the sculpted struts that support the main culprit for this potential top heaviness, the hardtop. Demand for protection over the flybridge is too high for Fairline to leave a hardtop off the options list but it has kept the proportions attractive.
Mancini offers so many clever details, like the gates that close off the walkway across the bow, not for safety reasons but to ensure the line leading along the coachroof to the aforementioned spears remains unbroken. The bulwarks subtly drop down to improve the view out for those sitting in the saloon and, at the bow, the deck gear is hidden beneath a hatch leaving the deck completely flat and without obstructions to catch bare toes on. It’s a clean design but it’s also practical; the fairleads on the stern quarters are beautifully sculpted stainless steel and wouldn’t look out of place mounted on a wall in the saloon.
It’s no secret that the hull and main deck are shared with the Targa 65 sportscruiser so it’s the top deck that sets the Squadron apart. This is a fabulous area, which feels huge even for a boat nudging 70ft and very well protected by the substantial hardtop and its peculiar rotating slats. They look cool but the effect of having them open isn’t as impressive as a canvas roof which opens all the way back.
There is scope to customise the flybridge layout to an extent but the configuration on our America-bound test boat struck a great balance. There is ample room for guests to dine and there’s an option to have a pop-up TV in the mini wetbar opposite so you can watch sport or a film on the top deck. The actual wetbar is further aft and separates the dinette from my favourite spot on the boat. There is an option to leave the aft end of the flybridge clear for sun loungers but the pair of L-shaped low-slung seats will be a natural spot for guests to congregate with a drink in
The pair of L-shaped low-slung seats will be a natural place for guests to congregate with a drink in their hand
their hand. Free of the shade of the hardtop, it’s a great place to sit with uninterrupted views over the water thanks to the attractive glass and wood windbreak that runs around the aft end of the deck.
Forward, adjacent to the helm, there is the choice of more seating or a split seat and sunpad arrangement which offers the best of both worlds. The upper helm is an ergonomic delight (though I did notice water pooling in the scalloped dash section on the right hand side) thanks to its fully adjustable seats and the position of the throttles set low on the dashboard and close to the luxuriously upholstered steering wheel. The triple touchscreen MFDS on the upper dash appear to be too far away but Fairline has cleverly put a control pad almost beneath the steering wheel so that all three screens can be controlled without having to lean forward.
LUSH LACQUER
Back down on the main deck, the doors pull open wide to starboard and the window drops down on the port side to open the aft galley to the cockpit. Strangely, the window doesn’t drop all the way down into the deck like it does on the Targa so the top end juts out above the counter. That’s one of very few quibbles in the galley though, which sprawls across the aft end of the saloon and incorporates a domestic fridge/freezer and dishwasher. The lacquered walnut cabinetry is so lusciously glossy it makes you want to stroke it; it looks and feels absolutely stunning. It’s clever
how the designers have utilised what is usually wasted space beneath the flybridge stairs by manipulating a pair of drawers to slot into empty voids within the stair treads. The saloon layout isn’t as flexible as the Targa’s, where you can have the galley up or down, but it’s a comfortable and beautifully finished space. There are no steps to negotiate until you get to the lower helm where the twin fully adjustable Besonzoni seats are mounted on a shallow plinth.
The coffee table is borrowed from the Targa but it’s one of those typically Fairline pieces which makes theatre from the mundane. It’s actually a pair of tables; their glossy tops mounted on steeply angled stainless steel cylinders with a space between them so it’s easier to get on and off the sofa. If you want a proper dining table the two tops extend up and out on their legs and a folding leaf flips over to connect the two and create the larger table.
Below decks there is more flexibility with a choice between a three-cabin layout, the same layout without the day heads and an extended VIP, or a four-cabin arrangement that adds a pair of bunks to the port side. The owner of our test boat had a bespoke arrangement in this area with space for a separate washing machine and tumble dryer, a run of eye-level lockers and, in a first in 11 years of testing boats, an integrated cat bed with a leather lined opening. Now that’s customisation.
All told this customer spent £110,000 on tweaking the boat to his exact taste, this includes amending the crew cabin to add yet more storage space and running reams of extra cable so a custom sound system can be installed once the boat reaches the States. This level of customisation is something that Fairline, building boats in smaller numbers than the likes of Sunseeker and Princess, can afford to do. The master cabin is a fixture whichever layout you opt for and it spreads across the full beam of the boat amidships. With a flat floor, well over 6ft of headroom and an ensuite running along the beam aft of the bed it feels more like a plush hotel room than a cabin. The fine detailing is delightful, namely the subtle backlighting of the striking marble tops on either flank and, again, the mirror finish of the woodwork. It goes without saying that £25,000 of upgraded “bamboo cloudy grey” carpet is a treat for the feet, too.
STRONG SILENT TYPE
It’s not uncommon for the first boat off the line to be heavier than the production run but this particular 68 is probably the heaviest one there ever will be. It has nearly every option box ticked – including a huge Seakeeper 16 gyro stabiliser – and a hardtop that was hand laid and not infused, adding an extra 250kg in the very place you least want it. All told this 68 is around 45 tonnes (about the same as the 78) and fitted with the smallest twin 1,150hp engine option I was concerned that its performance would feel laboured. Thankfully, it doesn’t, even if the top speed of 28 knots isn’t going to set your pulse racing.
At the time of our test Fairline was still experimenting with the props but the fact we hit Caterpillar’s predicted 2,300rpm on the nail suggests there isn’t a great deal more to come.
That said, the boat is so comfortable and quiet at 22 knots, that its current inability to top 30 knots hardly seems to matter. In the mid range the 18.1-litre engines have more than enough juice to kick on, though we weren’t challenged by heavy seas, just a short chop. MAN 1,200hp V8s are an option and Fairline is thinking about adding the 1400s to the option list for a more impressive top speed closer to 34 knots.
The steering is so freakishly light it feels as if the helm isn’t connected to the rudders but the tight turning circle confirms that they most definitely are. The rudders are pinched from the 78 and they really do the business both at speed and when berthing. The £27,000 Yacht Controller joysticks seem excessive when you have so much fine control via the silky smooth ZF throttles and Sleipner’s excellent proportional thrusters at your fingertips.
LEVEL HEADED
The hull is the same Vripack design as the Targa 65 but it’s handling a significant amount more weight on the Squadron – approximately five tonnes. This could go some way to explaining why the ride was wetter than expected on such a big boat in a relatively harmless chop. No doubt the reduced weight of future 68s will help the hull’s natural balance but Fairline is also going to amend the trim plane on the transom to reduce the amount of lift at the stern and bring the bow further out of the water. One glance at our photography tells you the boat we tested was running a little too flat and chucking up more spray than expected.
Despite this, the Squadron’s prowess as a wafting, long-distance cruiser shines through. At cruise the noise levels in the saloon are below 70 DB(A), which will make mile-munching at speed a relaxing affair without the draining din of engine noise in the background.
What of the price? Well, this heavily loaded boat came in just shy of £3 million including VAT but that includes over £700,000 of options and there are savings to be had. You can knock off the £110,000 of customisation and save over £50,000 by not having the special carpet and joysticks. Hardtops are of the moment but this boat will look so much prettier without it, handle better and save you £130,000. No doubt the regular bimini will still provide a useful amount of flybridge shade. You could save another £100,000 by not having the Seakeeper but anyone who has a stabiliser fitted will tell you that it’s money well spent.
The Squadron name carries with it a weight of expectation that few others have to contend with but it’s the likes of the remarkable 58, 65 and 78 that mean we approach a new one with such anticipation. This latest model to join the ranks isn’t just a worthy sucessor to the line it also demonstrates that Fairline is at the top of its game when designing its flybridge range.
CONTACT www.fairlineyachts.com