Grand Banks will introduce its new 85 flagship at the Palm Beach show, starting March 24. The 85, with three times the volume of the popular Grand Banks 60, will be available for private viewing.
Like the Grand Banks 60 and the 54, the new 85 has the company’s patented V-Warp, semi-displacement hull that results in a highly efficient performance that leaves only minimal wake behind. Powered by twin 1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives and carrying 2,650 gallons of fuel, the 85 has a range of 1,000 nm at 21 knots.
Hull number one of the 85 has three large staterooms, including a full-beam master, and two crew cabins. You also can order the boat with four staterooms, and use the crew cabins for guests or children. The yacht’s beam of more than 22 feet allows for a lot of individual customization.
Owners also can choose between the climate-controlled Skylounge, on the first hull, or an open flybridge, depending on how they want to use the boat. The interiors all have Grand Banks’ iconic hand craftsmanship.
Mark Richards took over Grand Banks in Malaysia in 2014. He had started Palm Beach Yachts in Australia in the early ‘90s and built his first powerboat, the Palm Beach 38, in 1999; he now runs both companies.
A world-class sailor (he’s won the grueling Sydney-Hobart Race a record nine times), Richards uses a high-tech approach to boat building, combining cutting-edge robotics with vacuum-infusion techniques to produce lightweight boats with low centers of gravity. On the 85, the deck and superstructure are built with carbon fiber, for example. The 85 has a half-load displacement of 108,000 pounds. Read more at http://grandbanks.com and see a video of the 85 in action below:
