When we first presented the 50 Fly in the July 2016 issue of BOOTE, the headline read "Look ahead" - which fits perfectly. You almost always see well-implemented ideas at Absolute, which after a while also appear at competitors. It is no coincidence that the shipyard is regularly nominated for the prestigious European Powerboat of the Year award.
Our test boat is no exception and was elected to the illustrious circle for 2017
Absolute was founded in Italy in 2002 and therefore appears to be a very young shipyard. However, in terms of knowledge, expertise and, above all, experience, the founding family are old hands in the boat market, where they have already built up more than just a good reputation with Gobbi.
As the production facilities were also built from scratch when the company was relaunched under a new name, Absolute is at the cutting edge of technology and quality and is constantly presenting product innovations. The company currently offers twelve different models - from 40-foot day cruisers to trawlers and yachts with a maximum length of 22 metres.
We are the first magazine to test the 50 Fly on the Mediterranean
Due to the hull length, the boat can be categorised in the 45-foot class, but it can also be classified in the 50-foot class due to the space it offers. If you multiply the length and width dimensions alone, you end up with more than 60 square metres of usable space. And that's just one level; the living area below deck plus the expansive flybridge are not even included in this figure.
Our test boat offers sleeping space for seven people in three cabins plus one for the crew. Two bathrooms with toilets are available for the owner and his guests, and another is located in the crew cabin.
The attention to detail in the interior is simply outstanding, there are almost no corners or edges to bump into and you have to look for faults with a magnifying glass.
The same applies to all the plastic work and the technical and electrical installations, which are top class throughout. What's more, there is no lack of space or comfort on or below deck, all the dimensions are correct, whether you are standing, sitting or lying down, and you can fit comfortably through all the doors; the designers are not just good-looking, but also functional.
Below deck, two D6-IPS 600 diesel engines from Volvo Penta do their work, each delivering 435 hp to the pod drives. The latter mean inherently smooth reactions and relaxed driving. Thanks to the joystick, the boat can be moved in any direction even at slow speed, which means that harbour manoeuvres, among other things, can be completed with ease.
The top speed almost corresponds to the shipyard specification: instead of 30 knots, we measure 29.3 knots. Our 50 Fly shows its gentle side during all manoeuvres performed at top speed. Somewhat choppy seas, wind force four and waves up to around 1 metre high are pleasantly ignored.
Our test boat starts to glide at a speed of 14 kn, 2800 rpm or 16 kn we calculate as the lowest cruising speed with a range of just under 200 nm plus reserve. Absolute specifies a cruising speed or cruising speed of 23 kn for the 50 Fly; at this speed, a tank of fuel will take you a little less than 230 nm (plus 15 % reserve), as our measurements show.
This means that the test boat slightly misses our required minimum range (270 nm). In other words: If you want to make distance, you have to drive as a displacer. The skipper sits down below in an extremely comfortable helmsman's chair and can see and operate everything without restriction. Thanks to the door next to him, he can easily access the side deck.
When he takes a seat on the flybridge, he looks out of his bucket seat through the step-up to the stern on starboard and therefore has a full overview from both helm stations when mooring. Apart from the compass, digital information dominates everywhere: everything that happens on and in the boat, where you are travelling and what the world looks like above and below the water can be displayed on Garmin touchscreens.
In addition, all engine data can be displayed on the screen in the form of analogue circular instruments.
The test boat fulfils our minimum safety requirements more than adequately. For example, we found two manual bilge pumps, water alarm sensors in the fuel pre-filters and much more. Our only criticism is the lack of one or two handholds or handrails in suitable places.
All in all, this puts the 50 Fly right at the top, where there is almost no runner-up in Italy - "bravissimo!", you would say in the local language.
Conclusion
The 50 Fly is an ideal boat for slowing down. There is no hectic pace here. You are surrounded by fine and
high-quality materials and there is plenty of space. The sailing characteristics are just right; you just have to plan a little to make distance. What more could you want?
