Sport cruiser with space or flybridge yacht with attitude? Our English colleagues from "Motor Boat & Yachting" were also looking for an answer to this question.
Not an easy task. It shows poise in every situation and it also has a flybridge. And what a flybridge! The "bridge" offers space for a fully equipped steering position, passenger sofa, a bar with barbecue and fridge and a convertible (sun lounger) seating area. So a flybridge yacht with attitude? The aggressively drawn lines of the hull and deck shapes and the driving performance fit more into the "sports cruiser" genre.
If you reach into the top drawer when choosing the engine, you will find two MAN diesels. The turbocharged twelve-cylinder engines deliver 1800 - in words one thousand eight hundred - hp. Every single one of them, of course. If the tuning of the five-bladed propellers is right, and we can assume that it is, the two power plants push the 43-tonne Princess through the water at a speed of 38 knots. The alternatives, two Caterpillars with 1622 or 1723 hp each, are not much weaker and slower (34-37 knots). A hull with a deep V-frame, as the S72 has, simply needs power to be fast, but on the other hand offers excellent rough water comfort. All right, so rather a sports cruiser with space. Or not?
The spaciousness and comfort of the "Royal Highness" leave hardly anything to be desired. Those who like to sit outside, but don't want to have their plate looked at during Roman Catholic mooring, will find their place in the bow cockpit rather than the stern cockpit, which is equipped with a hydraulic bathing platform and tender garage. The air-conditioned rooms under the sliding roof or deck are dominated by glass, fine woods (walnut or oak) and sumptuous upholstery. The meeting point is the saloon, which is only separated from the cockpit by large sliding glass doors and in which there are large, comfortable sofas behind the driving position.
Cooking takes place one floor below. The luxurious owner's suite, the VIP cabin, a guest cabin and three separate bathrooms offer space and comfort for togetherness. The answer to the question posed at the beginning remains: for us, the S72 is a modern flybridge yacht with a sporty character and a great deal of comfort. Info: www.princessyachts.com
