Palm Beach Motor Yachts just announced that it’s building a new flagship 85 in three versions, a Sedan, Flybridge, and Skylounge, representing a major move up from the 70 that is its largest yacht so far.
The new flagship will carry the company’s technologically advanced, elegantly designed and high performance characteristics that have impressed buyers (and admirers) all around the world. Palm Beach Motor Yachts are known for their fuel efficiency and range; indeed, the company says they burn 70 percent less fuel than other yachts in their class.
Now made in Malaysia, Palm Beach was founded in the town of Palm Beach, about 28 miles north of Sydney, Australia, in 1995 by Mark Richards, who went on to become one of the best sailors in the world. In fact, he won the grueling Sydney-Hobart race a record nine times. At first Palm Beach made sailboats; it made its first powerboat, a 38, in 1997. (In 2014, Grand Banks bought Palm Beach and named Richards the CEO of both companies.)
From his offshore experience, Richards developed a deep belief in using high-tech materials for strength and light weight and keeping the center of gravity as low as possible for stability and performance. He also worked on Palm Beach’s proprietary V-Warp hull, with a fine entry, a graceful curvature amidships and minimal deadrise at the transom to reduce drag and add buoyancy and lift. As a result, Palm Beach yachts reach planing speeds with minimal energy and effort, and leave a very small wake behind.
The new 85s will be customized for each owner, and will offer three or four staterooms and two or three engines. The master stateroom is full-beam amidships with a king-sized bed, an en suite master head, lots of storage, and large windows. The yachts also have single-level living and entertaining space on the main deck, from the forward helm station to the covered cockpit. Worth noting is that they will have unusually large and comfortable living areas for a captain.
Standard power comes from two 1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives, producing a top speed of 26 knots, a cruising speed of 23 knots, and a range of 700 nm at 21 knots. With optional twin 1,300-hp MANs, the top speed nudges up to 27.5 knots.
“The Palm Beach 85 represents a dream achieved,” Richards says. “When I was a young man working on the docks on Sydney, I would watch the yachts cruising through the harbor, and knew that one day I’d do the same on my own boat. When the Palm Beach 85 splashes, she’ll be the largest yacht we’ve built, and will represent a new level of luxury, fuel efficiency and performance in the yachting industry.”
Specs.: LOA: 90’5”; Beam: 22’1”; Draft: 4’4”; Disp.: 94,798 lbs.; Fuel: 2,642 gals; Water: 396 gals.; Power: 2×1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives.
Read more at http://palmbeachmotoryachts.com
