Most Researched Flying Bridge Yachts – Part II - 12/31/20
BoatTEST Newsletter December 31, 2020
Flying Bridge Yachts – Part II
Flying Bridge Yachts are popular worldwide for their added gathering space, versatility and spectacular views from the upper level. Evidence of their international appeal, the six boats listed below are built in South Africa, Australia, the United States, Brazil and Turkey. Luckily, they’re all viewable in one place, at BoatTEST.
Be sure to watch our short video on Buyer’s Guide on things to look for in a Fly Bridge Cruiser... click here...
Happy New Year!
Test Video
Leopard 53 Powercat:
Cruising Catamaran Can Sleep 8
Leopard Yachts offers its 53 Powercat with a choice of cabin-deck arrangements. The three-stateroom layout has the master quarters and head in the starboard hull. Two guest cabins are in the port hull with a head separating the two sleeping areas. A plan for 8 guests has four identical cabins with quarters for a single crew member in the bow.
For entertaining, of course, the 53 Powercat feels larger than a comparable length monohull because she has a 25’2” (7.67 m) beam. Her flying bridge places a premium on relaxing with three separate lounging areas, a wetbar and a large table. There’s more space to worship the sun on the twin lounges in the bow. The cockpit, galley and salon are on the same level and when the weather forces everyone indoors, a companion can join the captain at the lower helm.
The Leopard brand is famous in the U.S. boating industry because in the beginning, all of its sailboats that arrived in the Caribbean or in the U.S. traveled there on their own bottoms, not as deck cargo, as most large boats are transported transoceanic. This proved to be a terrific shakedown cruise as well as a testament to their seaworthiness. More...
Test Video
Maritimo M64:
Enclosed Flying Bridge/Skylounge
As a company, Maritimo is known for its boats’ ability to tackle offshore conditions and the M64 is no exception. The company calls the M64 the “mini-M70” because she was designed to offer the same luxury profile as the larger model just in a slightly smaller overall footprint. With a full-beam master and en suite, a fully enclosed flying bridge and walkaround decks, she definitely feels like a big ocean-going yacht.
Because the upper helm is enclosed, there’s no need for a second station in the salon. This opens up the overall area in the main cabin, making it more livable. We happen to like skylounge boats, so long as there is lots of ventilation because it adds a second salon to the boat without a big up-charge. Plus, it makes piloting in snotty conditions, frankly, fun because the operator is far above the waves and spray with a great view of the actual sea state. More...
Test Video
Regal 42 FXO:
Faster, More Room and Fun w/Outboards
Regal Marine is getting in front of a new trend among recreational boat builders — putting outboards on a flying-bridge yacht. The 42 FXO is one of the few flying bridge models with the engines bolted to the stern. While there are more and more express cruisers powered by outboards, flybridge boats are a rarity and Regal is one of the pioneers.
Triple 425-hp Yamaha XTO Offshore outboards pushed the 42 FXO to 49.4 mph in our tests. When we tested a Regal 42 Fly several years ago, it ran 40.8 mph with twin 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS units. In addition to giving the boat the ability to pull up to a beach or sandbar or explore shallower back coves, they can also be tilted out of the water when at rest. More...
Test Video
Riviera Belize 66 Daybridge:
Motoryacht w/Lavish Attention to Detail
The Riviera Belize 66 Daybridge is a boutique motoryacht designed and built for an experienced motoryacht owner. Each Belize model is built in its own bay at a yard in Taiwan known for its high-quality fit and finish. Hundreds of man-hours are lavished on the joinery and the finish by craftspeople who have been building large motoryachts all of their lives. In fact, second and third generations are involved in work at this yard. No expense is spared in the build.
As if her lavish appearance wasn’t enough of a draw, our test captain says the 66 Daybridge is one of the best-performing boats with Volvo Penta IPS pod drives that he’s driven. She had a sporty, responsive feel even though she is a large, solidly built yacht.
Her flying bridge, cockpit and salon are intended to entertain crowds with plenty of space and premium fixtures. Belowdecks, she’s available with three or four staterooms including a full-beam master. Crew quarters are optional. The boat is a jewel, something we rarely say. More...
Test Video
Schaefer Yachts 580:
Designed and Built for Performance
Schaefer Yachts strives to make its 580 flying bridge yacht lighter and stronger by building cored hulls instead of using solid fiberglass. The company feels that it’s better to design and build to reduce weight instead of simply throwing more horsepower at it. The laminate is also resin-infused for an optimum combination of strength and weight.
The bottom shape is quite sharp forward, and it warps to a deadrise of 14.1 degrees at the transom. Our test boat weighed 59,757 lbs. (27,105 kg) and when powered by twin 625-hp Volvo Penta IPS pods, she ran a top speed of 30.0 knots at 2460 rpm. We found best cruise at 2000 rpm, where she ran 21.8 knots and had a range of 262.2 nautical miles.
For entertaining, there’s a plethora of seating options on the flying bridge, which has its own wetbar. There’s also a grill and wetbar on the stern and the cockpit bulwarks fold out to expand the area. Steel-framed glass doors open extra-wide to link the cockpit and salon. Below, she has a full-beam master and sleeps 6. More...
Features Video
Sirena Yachts 64:
LRC w/Class A Rating
Renowned naval architect Germán Frers and his team designed the Sirena 64 for an owner/operator who expects to encounter rough conditions during an extended passage. She has an EU Class A rating and was engineered with a low center of gravity. Her bottom underwent extensive tank testing at the University of Southampton and her low-drag canoe-shaped hull can plane or cruise at semi-displacement speeds.
Her interior was drawn by Tommasso Spadolino with “clean, sober lines.” The flying bridge has a relaxing feel with lots of lounge space, a hardtop with an opening section and its own wetbar. The salon is open with large windows with the galley and dinette forward. Sirena will enclose the galley on request. Belowdecks, she has sleeping for 6 guests plus crew quarters. But as can be seen in the image above, this boat was really intended for lots of on deck entertaining. More...
Boating News of the Week: Episode #34
We wind up this year’s Weekly BoatTEST Reports videos with an interview with Brunswick’s CEO predicting the next couple of years of boating activity. Then, we'll take a look at the affordable Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185, see the first video of Cruisers Yachts’ 42 GLS Crossover, check out Chaparral’s 23 Surf in action, and get a look at Everglades’s only dual console – the 340DC – and Absolute’s new 50 Fly. As always, there is boating news and a quiz for serious captains. More...
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