How fitting it was that Prestige Yachts introduced its new M-Line flagship, the M8, at Portopiccolo, a picturesque yachting village outside Trieste, Italy. Formerly a quarry, the cliff-side area had been chiseled into a clean site rife with eye-catching vistas, much like the French builder’s 65-foot power catamaran and its nearly 3,000 square feet of usable real estate.

Take, for starters, the M8’s 344-square-foot cockpit. Apart from flybridge-bound stairs to port and a wet bar to starboard, this space (as well as most of the yacht’s living areas) is an open deck with modular furniture. This setup allows owners to choose how they spend their time, whether watching sunsets on the hook or relaxing underway. Aboard Hull No. 1, which will debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this month, there were four movable square-shaped sofas and two accompanying side tables.

Aft-deck space is further enhanced by the M8’s versatile swim platform (14 feet, 5 inches by 4 feet, 11 inches) that Prestige describes as a “balcony on the sea.” When it wasn’t overlooking the smooth waters of the Adriatic Sea, the 1,102-pound-capacity platform lowered into swimming-pool mode at the push of a button, allowing access to the garage, dinghies and water toys.

The M8’s modular-furniture concept continues in the salon, where there is 6-foot-6-inch headroom, and on the flybridge. Between both spaces, the only fixed furniture is the 538-square-foot flybridge’s three-person sun pad to starboard, abaft the staircase leading to the salon. The flybridge also has a wet bar with a grill abaft a two-seat centerline helm station with two 22-inch multifunction displays. To port, there is a dining table with seating for eight; aft and to starboard, there is another lounging area with an L-shaped sofa to starboard and two-person aft-facing seating on centerline with room for two loose tables.

As for this hull’s 511-square-foot salon, it had two free-standing chairs to starboard, a sofa on centerline and another to port. The salon connects to the cockpit via an opening centerline window with a service bar that has a wine chiller for 18 bottles, a sink and stowage. Forward and to port, there is a dining area with a table for six, and the galley is to starboard (a galley-down layout is also an option). Appliances are by Miele, including a three-burner cooktop, a microwave and a dishwasher, and there is a 132-gallon, triple-door fridge/freezer by Fisher & Paykel. This M8 also has the optional Surround View system by Garmin to make maneuvering in tight spaces easier; its console is nestled between the galley and centerline stairs leading to the owner’s stateroom. Owners can also opt for a lower helm station with a pedestal seat for all-weather cruising.

The 323-square-foot foredeck lounge is where the M8 diverts from its free-standing-furniture style the most. A sun pad consumes nearly the entire width of this space. Down two steps and forward, there is forward-facing straight-line seating on centerline across from an aft-facing C-shaped settee.

Accommodations can include four or five staterooms, with options for a VIP suite that consumes the portside hull and the galley down in the starboard hull. The 323-square-foot master stateroom is forward and nearly spans the yacht’s 29-foot beam, with its athwartship berth across from a console with a rising TV. There’s also a head with his-and-hers sinks to port, and a customizable space to starboard for a gym, a lounge, a gaming area or whatever else the owner wants.

Power for the M8 is twin 600 hp Volvo Penta D8 diesels. With the throttle all the way to the pins, I observed a 20.5-knot top hop as the diesels burned a combined 63.4 gallons per hour at 2,900 rpm. At 7.7 knots, reported range is 1,583 nautical miles; at 17 knots, it’s reportedly 350 nm. Turning the M8 felt smooth, running like it was on rails, and the wheel was real-time responsive to input.

The Prestige Yachts M8 is worth a look for power cat enthusiasts seeking adaptability, customization and a notable master stateroom that’s akin to one inside a small apartment. This new flagship has plenty of potential to be a desirable home on the water.

Luxurious Furnishings

The M8’s furniture is provided by four brands: Reflex Angelo, Pininfarina, Roda and Foglizzo. Regardless of where I decided to lounge while on board, there was always a place to get comfortable and take in the views.

Access Anywhere

In addition to two stairways leading to the flybridge (one in the cockpit, one in the salon), the Prestige M8 has two side-deck doors. One is forward and to port, and the other is aft and to starboard. A portside day head is accessible from the side deck.

Sun-Powered Anchorage

Hull No. 2 of the M8, which debuted at the Cannes Yachting Festival last month, has the optional “Silent Mode” package: 10 lithium batteries powered by 258 square feet of solar panels, which should allow two hours of silent operation sans generators and with zero emissions.

Take the next step: prestige-yachts.com

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New toys tend to be exciting to play with. In Prestige Yachts’ latest launch, the M48, there is a lot of new. For starters, the M48 is the French builder’s first model in its M-Line, marking Prestige Yachts’ foray into the multihull market. Then, consider the various belowdecks layouts and interior-design options that let owners make the yacht as personalized as they want.

Starting at the top, the M48 has a 215-square-foot flybridge with a portside helm station. Here, the skipper can access Volvo Penta instrumentation and two 16-inch touchscreen displays. Adjacent to the helm station, there is companion seating for at least two. Abaft are a wooden dinette with an L-shaped settee and a sun pad.

Guests can take the portside stairs down from the flybridge to the main deck, arriving in the 140-square-foot cockpit. There is seating in each of the cockpit’s four corners: aft in forward-facing L-shaped settees with tables, and flanking the sliding glass door to the yacht’s interior. Three steps down from the cockpit is a 54-square-foot central lifting platform with 17-square-foot side platforms to port and starboard.

Inside, the galley is to starboard with a stainless-steel sink, an electric microwave and oven, a three-burner induction cooktop, a 47-gallon fridge and an 11-gallon freezer. To port for easy service, there is U-shaped seating around a dining table.

Some guests can head down to their belowdecks accommodations via stairs to port. The VIP stateroom and one guest stateroom are here, along with the day head. Both of these staterooms have twin berths that combine to create doubles.

Forward of the galley, another set of stairs to starboard leads belowdecks to a space that owners can customize. They can choose a master stateroom or two twin-berth guest staterooms. In the master configuration, the head is split into two areas, with a shower to port and a toilet to starboard. The master stateroom also has a lounge and a desk with drawers, making the space a good spot to hide out and read or get some work done at anchor.

Power is twin 320 hp Volvo Penta D4s paired to V-drives. Prestige Yachts says the yacht’s top-end speed is 20 knots; cruising speed is 16 knots with a 240-nautical-mile range; and at 8 knots, the M48 is capable of cruising for 600 nautical miles.  

Take the next step: prestige-yachts.com

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Eclipse 505 and 605: South African Stunners

The Eclipse 505 and Eclipse 605 are both Michael Peters designs that use the company’s Stepped-V Ventilated Tunnel (SVVT) hull. The Michael Peters team also contributed to naval architecture on both models, alongside Du Toit Yacht Design in South Africa. That’s where these boats are built, by Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing in Cape Town. It’s a yard that was founded in 1989 and that has specialized in custom and semi-custom catamarans from 27 to 150 feet length overall. The Eclipse 505 has two staterooms and two heads, while the Eclipse 605 has three of each. The hull drafts are minimal (2 feet, 11 inches on the Eclipse 505, and 3 feet, 3 inches on the Eclipse 605) so the boats can be used in cruising grounds like the Bahamas.

Eastbay 60: The Largest Eastbay So Far

The Eastbay brand has been on the water with many models since 1993 but has been revitalized since 2014, when GB Marine Group—the parent company of Grand Banks and Eastbay—got a new boss. He charged the team with creating the Eastbay 44, which incorporated GB Marine’s V-Warp technology. Customer demand then led to the creation of the new Eastbay 60, which has the same technology, along with an extensive use of carbon fiber, and updated accommodations with an eye toward luxury. Preliminary sea trials, according to the builder, show a 27-knot cruising speed and a 33-knot top speed with optional 900 hp Volvo Penta IPS1200s. Optional 1,000 hp Volvo Penta IPS1350s take those numbers up to 30 and 38 knots, respectively.

Apreamare Gozzo 45: Walkaround Design

Apreamare, which has been building boats in Italy since 1849, has a new Gozzo-line flagship model: the Gozzo 45. Designer Marco Casali of Too Design, working with Cataldo Aprea and the Apreamare technical department, is primarily responsible for creating the Gozzo 45. They describe the boat as a “classy cruiser” that stands apart from other, “increasingly redundant” models of the same size in the marketplace. The cockpit table is intended for entertaining with eight to 10 guests, while the two-stateroom, two-head accommodations plan belowdecks is set up for weekends on the hook. (An optional three-stateroom, two-head layout is also available.) Engine packages can be traditional shaft-line or Volvo Penta IPS installations.

Aquila 42: A Sleek Catamaran Ready to Entertain

Aquila Yachts has announced plans for a 42-foot power catamaran that is on track to make its debut in February 2023. The model will join the company’s existing lineup of power cats that go as big as 70 feet length overall. So far, Aquila has revealed that the 42 will have two staterooms available in multiple configurations, along with a utility cabin and twin 230 hp or 300 hp Volvo Penta D4 diesels. This will be a great option for someone looking for a small, yet mighty cruising boat. Guest relaxation areas will be concentrated on the flybridge, in the cockpit and on the foredeck. The new boat will be built to the standard known as CE Certification Category A, which means it will be suitable for seas up to 13 feet as well as winds above 40 knots—in other words, get ready for some serious, longer-distance cruising itineraries.

Prestige M48: First Model in a New Line

The M48 is the first model in the new M-Line of catamarans from Prestige Yachts in France, which also makes three additional lines of motoryachts from 42 to 70 feet length overall. The M48’s open cockpit has seating for as many as eight people, and a nearby aft platform lowers electrically so it becomes flush with the twin transom platforms, creating a nearly 20-foot-wide space that can be used as a beach club or a tender launch. The flybridge has guest seating and dining. The master stateroom is positioned forward with a king-size berth, while owners can choose the layouts and berth sizes for guest staterooms. Prestige reports a cruising speed of 15 knots and a top-end speed of 20 knots with standard Volvo Penta engines.

Azimut Grande 26M: A Low-Emission Yacht

The Azimut Grande 26M, which was presented at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September, has the Italian builder’s Large POD propulsion system. It is designed to reduce fuel consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions by 20 percent—a big selling point, according to Azimut, which reported 22 hulls sold as of early December. This is a five-stateroom yacht that includes a full-beam owners’ stateroom on the main deck. Exterior designer Alberto Mancini says one of the prime spaces on board is the oversize cockpit: “We wanted to extend to give the yacht a fully fledged dining area overlooking the water.” In terms of performance, Azimut says the 26M cruises at 24 knots with a top hop of 28 knots.

Arcadia A96: Coming This Fall

Arcadia Yachts in Italy is planning for the premiere of the Arcadia A96 at this autumn’s Cannes Yachting Festival. The power package is unusual, with four (count ’em) Volvo Penta IPS1200s, or optional IPS1350s. The setup allowed Arcadia to devote more space to guest areas forward of the powerplants, and to give skippers features at the helm such as joystick maneuvering and dynamic positioning. There is also an optional silent-mode system that uses solar panels for eight to nine hours of operations overnight without the hum of a generator. The builder says the boat has a “quiet-running” system for air conditioning too, further helping to keep the ambience for guests on board, ahem, perfectly chill.

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Yachting caught up with Prestige Yachts at the 2022 Miami International Boat Show to learn more about their upcoming M-Line of luxury vessels and the line’s flagship, the M48. To learn more about Prestige Yachts and see their full range, visit prestige-yachts.com.

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The Prestige Yachts X70 is a departure from the builder’s Fly and Sport models. It’s a crossover-style yacht (hence the X in X70) that repurposes space with design elements and features typically found on larger yachts.

Designers of the X70 created striking lines and style. From the angled bow looking aft, the sheerline appears to separate upward, yielding a full-length salon window frame. The pilothouse sports a reverse-raked windshield, and the flybridge is sizable.

From the aft deck, dual floating-step staircases lead to the flybridge (a single staircase is optional). These are three-ply, inch-thick teak steps, each one 26 inches wide by 14 inches deep, for maintaining solid footing while moving up to the upper side decks alongside the helm area.

This layout means the salon is truly full beam (17 feet, 6 inches). The salon’s airiness also comes from 6-foot-10-inch headroom and the modular furniture being set up in the style of a home. These aren’t boxy furnishings topped by cushions and used for stowage; these are free-standing, stable couches and an L-shaped sectional that have legs and open space below.

Half-opening windows, each one 7 feet, 3 inches wide, are on both sides, and there are double-wide doors to the aft deck for a true indoor-outdoor experience. This space really does feel like home, including an overhead-mounted, drop-down 50-inch TV, as well as blackout shades and curtains.

Forward of the salon, the open galley is on centerline. It’s a showpiece as well as a gathering place with Miele appliances, including a full-size fridge/freezer, three-burner electric cooktop, dishwasher and microwave oven. Cabinetry to starboard has dedicated stowage for china and glassware. Prestige uses three hinges instead of two for durability on most cabinet doors. With backlighting accenting the peninsula’s facing side, the galley blends well with the rest of the decor.

Up two steps is the lower helm. The operator is flanked by two bench seats for guests. Three 15-inch Raymarine multifunction displays “float” on top of the dash. Volvo Penta electronic throttles and a joystick command the 1,000 hp Volvo Penta IPS diesels. Keeping the boat balanced is a Seakeeper 18 gryostabilizer. Prestige’s Ship Control technology allows the operator to control all electrical functions from the helm displays or a downloadable app. A starboard-side door provides easy access to the side decks and foredeck.

The X70′s reverse-raked windshield provides several benefits. It reduces the amount of sunlight on the helm, shading the displays and keeping the area cooler. It also reduces glare at night against the windshield and aids in shedding water off the windshield while adding dramatic effect to the yacht’s overall style.

Up top, the flybridge has low-profile wraparound seating to starboard of the helm. The flybridge helm has twin 21-inch Raymarine multifunction displays, a Volvo Penta joystick, a bow thruster and uninterrupted visibility.

Nestled under the hardtop—with a built-in electric sunroof—are a marble-finished dining table for four, and a grill station with a sink, and an ice maker. The station to starboard has beefy hinges on the drop-in fridge and stowage-compartment covers. Aft is plenty of space for loose lounges, sun pads or additional furnishings between the staircase flip-up doors. From here, there’s side-deck access to the foredeck and its sun pads.

In some areas, the Prestige Yachts X70 feels like a larger yacht. The aft deck, for instance, has exterior space almost equivalent to that found on 100-plus-footers. Abaft the salon doors, there’s a covered dining table for six guests and a center sun-pad lounge with side sofas to match. Everyone can be on the deck, protected from the sun or not, but all relaxing on the plush furniture and sun pads (with stowage below). The individual, lead-weighted backrests can be used in any position. Another nice touch is the glass transom mounted in Prestige’s custom metal framing.

Getting closer to the water is no problem, either. Twin staircases lead to the hydraulic swim platform, which has a telescoping passerelle/staircase that can be used as a beach club or launching spot for water toys. And there’s no need to stand and keep watch when the kids are in the water; an electrically actuated fold-down transom seat doubles as another sun pad for a more comfortable lookout perch.

The Prestige X70 offers bold design elements with construction executed at a high level. The blend of performance, style and first-rate finish make this flybridge yacht worth considering a crossover move.

Sleep Tight

The master stateroom is forward with a private entrance. It has various woods, leathers and fabrics in the decor, a port settee, a walk-around king berth, stowage for weekends or longer (including cabinets, drawers and lockers), some 6 feet, 4 inches of headroom, and an en suite head with a shower stall. The amidships VIP and two additional staterooms with twin berths are accessed via a salon staircase.

Space To Spare 

The Prestige X70 runs so deep that you need a ladder to enter the engine room, which has 7-foot-3-inch headroom. Even with the Volvo Penta D13-IPS1350 engines and drives, there’s room for serious ancillary systems, including a Seakeeper 18, Onan generator, twin fuel tanks (1,057 gallons total), electrical controls and more. The IPS system allows Prestige to offer more livable space while maximizing cruising economy.

By the Numbers

The optional twin 1,000 hp Volvo Penta D13-IPS1350s (900 hp IPS1200s are standard) get the Prestige X70’s fully loaded, 101,016-pound hull up and moving. Pushing the throttles to wide open, we averaged 27.7 knots with a fuel burn of 102 gph and a range of 273 nm (less a 5 percent fuel reserve). Pulling back the throttles produced a range of 363 nm at 11.2 knots at 1,500 rpm and a burn rate of 31 gph. Sipping the fuel at 8.5 gph allows for a 933 nm range at 7.9 knots.

Take the next step: prestige-yachts.com

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Prestige Yachts is expanding its X-Line model lineup with an X60. The launch of the Prestige X60 follows recent launches of the Prestige X70(the X-Line flagship) and the Prestige 690.

“We created this concept that is inspired by new ways of living: with more space, a closer connection to nature, and a life that is also centered around sharing with family and friends,” Erik Stromberg, director of Prestige product marketing, says of the Prestige X60.

Architecture is by Garroni Design. There are asymmetrical side decks on the main deck. Passage between the foredeck and the cockpit is via the port side deck, with a side door to the interior helm.

As on the X70, what Prestige calls the “Infinity cockpit” on the X60 reportedly affords 40 percent more space than on a classic yacht of the same length.

An electrically operated sliding glass door connects the cockpit and salon, which also has a portside glass door.

“Our challenge was to invent a new style of yacht where, on board, we could feel as if in a loft, as if on an island in the sea,” Prestige designer Camillo Garroni stated in a press release.

Accommodations include three staterooms belowdecks, including a full-beam master amidships, forepeak VIP and a third guest stateroom with two singles abaft and to port of the VIP.

Power is twin 600 hp Cummins QSC 8.3 diesels in either a V-drive or Zeus pod-drive configuration.

What’s the cruising speed on the Prestige X60? According to the builder, it’s 24 knots.

Take the next step: visit prestige-yachts.com

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It all starts with the reverse-raked house window, a defining trait of the Prestige Yachts X70′s look—an aesthetic from the pen of Italy-based Garroni Design—and one that separates this yacht from its siblings in the builder’s F-line and S-line. They too are Garroni designs with a raked look. The new visual detail gives the X70 a rugged, lean-forward appearance while providing function by shielding the helm from direct sunlight and, in turn, excessive heat.

The yacht’s cut-down bulwarks amidships and nearly sole-to-ceiling glass in the house sides work with the hullside glass to create a visually lower profile too.

Garroni pushed the X70′s house sides out nearly full beam, repositioning foredeck access from the side decks to the flybridge, where flanking steps lead forward to the optional foredeck lounge. A benefit of this design is increased interior volume.

Open the sliding glass doors to the salon, and it’s one-level living from the yacht’s teak cockpit all the way forward to the two steps leading up to the lower helm station.

The X70′s standard cockpit layout has two teak tables aft, a sun lounge on centerline forward, and settees to port and starboard. In this setup, the salon includes a six-seat dining table to starboard and a settee to port. If an owner prefers an alfresco dining setup in the cockpit under the flybridge overhang, the sun lounge moves aft, and the tables go away. Inside, the space previously used for dining will get a sofa, which creates a conversation area with the settee across from it.

A U-shaped galley is forward in the salon—abaft the helm station—and comes standard with Miele appliances including a fridge and freezer, a four-burner electric cooktop, and a microwave/convection oven.

Accommodations belowdecks are for either six or eight guests with three or four staterooms, including a full-beam master. In either scenario, there are three heads, plus a single crew cabin with a head far aft.

The X70 has two Volvo Penta powerplant options: Twin 900 hp IPS1200s are standard, and twin 1,000 hp IPS1350s are optional. Prestige says the X70 has a 19-knot cruise speed and a 24.5-knot top hop with the IPS1200s, as well as a 20-knot cruise and 26-knot top-end speed with the IPS1350s.

Owners can choose to personalize the X70′s interior with gray oak wood or satin- or high-gloss walnut.

With the X70, Prestige Yachts takes a purposeful step into a new design direction—one that blends a comfortable, familiar feeling with something completely new.

Take the next step: prestige-yachts.com

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The Prestige 590s, a midrange model in the builder’s s-line series, is sporty while maintaining a level of elegance. It has balanced exterior lines and comfortable interior spaces thanks to the builder’s engineers, Garroni Design Studio in Italy, and JP Concepts, a Slovenian company that handles Prestige’s hull design.

The salon has settees to port and starboard, sized for cocktails with guests or just lying back with a book on the hook. The settees have low-profile backrests that, combined with the side windows, create panoramic views and enhance ambient lighting. To port is a foldout, varnished-wood dining table. Across is a split seat that flanks a starboard side-deck door, handy for tending lines when shorthanded or accessing the foredeck when it’s time to grab a mooring ball. Skippers can open the door and the portside window for salty breezes.

Prestige blends ergonomic design and function at the helm to starboard, where the seat is sized for two with an angled backrest, a fore-aft adjustment and an integrated footrest. Operating the 590S from the lower station affords clear sightlines thanks to side and aft windows. Twin Raymarine Axiom multifunction displays fill the helm console, while Seakeeper and Cummins engine displays are to port of the wheel. The electronic throttles, joystick and ignition are to starboard and within arm’s reach.

Aft and to port is the galley with a Miele microwave, a Siemens three-burner induction cooktop, a Vitrifrigo fridge/freezer, a dishwasher and an ice maker. Countertops are Corian, and there’s enough stowage for a family’s summer-vacation cruise. One of the galley’s countertops, when not being used to prepare or plate meals, can become a walk-up bar when the aft bulkhead window is open. Open the salon’s sliding doors too, and the interior and aft deck become a single social area.

The standard aft-deck layout includes an L-shaped transom seat with a foldout teak dining table, a teak cockpit, a port staircase down to the swim platform, and another one up to the flybridge. An interesting option is the “relax bench” in place of the transom seat. It’s a sun pad (8 feet, 10 inches wide by 5 feet, 11 inches long) with an adjustable backrest and side cushions. It includes a second backrest for sitting at the table.

Coined the “Sportfly,” the flybridge deck is low and lean. The sleek centerline helm has dual 12-inch Raymarine multifunction displays as well as a joystick controller. A Venturi windscreen helps deflect wind and reduce noise when the skipper is seated. Taking up the acreage is a sun pad (6 feet, 6 inches by 6 feet, 11 inches) that has adjustable backrests. Extending the flybridge aft protects the cockpit below from weather. An electric sunshade extends from the overhang for additional sun coverage.

Belowdecks, down a dedicated staircase across from the galley, is the full-beam master stateroom. Hullside windows with opening ports enhance the stateroom’s openness, as does the 6-foot-6-inch headroom. A king-size berth on centerline is flanked by nightstands, wall sconces and reading lamps. Forward to port is a walk-in closet, and to starboard is an en suite head with a centerline shower stall and Corian countertops. This space also acts as a buffer from the forward guest staterooms. A vanity doubles as a work area or casual respite from the main deck; with opposing settees, this could be the owner’s favorite getaway spot.

The forepeak VIP stateroom has a double berth that converts to twins in a V-shaped layout. The VIP also has a walk-in closet and an adjoining en suite head with a shower stall and seat. To port is a guest stateroom with twin berths; it can have its own head if owners want to trade the space for the VIP’s walk-in closet.

In addition to the aft and flybridge lounge spaces, the 590S’s foredeck is a quiet oasis at the quay. An oversize sun pad measures 6 feet, 1 inch wide by 7 feet, 1 inch long—plenty of room for a couple. There’s an adjustable backrest and a removable center cushion to make room for bench seating around a high-low table. A four-pole sunshade covers the area.

Prestige gives owners choices for decor, including upholstery fabrics and colors, as well as soles and countertops. Some options include a lighter-gray oak, wenge with darker woodwork, and brushed soles. Owners can pepper in leather finishes, carpeting and exterior cushion styles to personalize the 590S.

Tropical-ready air conditioning delivers 87,000 Btu of cooling power, enough to deal with the warmest of environs. The yacht’s house electrical systems are managed via Prestige’s Ship Control system. Operated from the helm—on an iPad or with a smartphone—the system allows monitoring and actuating with a tap on a screen icon. Owners can control lighting, air conditioning, music and more.

Building on the Prestige Yachts DNA to make the owner feel at home on the water, the 590S is a residence ready to travel.

Take the next step: prestige-yachts.com

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Yacht design 101 for the flybridge on a 42-foot cruiser: Plop a helm station forward of the bridge, put a guest’s seat next to it, and add a dinette aft. Sure, that sounds vanilla, but there’s not much room for an abundance of creativity on the flybridge of a midsize yacht.

Well, unless it’s the bridge on the Prestige 420 Fly.

Rather than having a centerline helm that dominates the bridge, there’s a compact, low-slung steering station to port. You won’t find a standard-issue guest chair, either. Instead, the entire starboard-side of the forward half of the bridge is dedicated to a double-wide lounger/sun pad with flip-up backrests. Which do you think is better for entertaining guests: seats behind a console or a lounger with room for a couple to stretch out in the salty breezes and warm sunshine?

Behind the sun pad is a console with a grill, refrigerator and sink and, abaft that, an L-shaped dinette. When I got aboard the 420 Fly, I had plenty of elbow room with a half-dozen people around me.

Prestige maximizes the square footage up top by extending the bridge over the cockpit and pushing the mast to the very back of the brow, abaft the L-shaped lounge and rail. But the real space saving comes from the yacht’s compact helm. There’s not an overabundance of room for electronics, nor is there much elevation over the deck, but there sure is space all around.

For skippers who want multiple displays, a double-wide helm seat, and the full suite of buttons and switches, there is the lower helm station. This area of the boat is also laid out to enhance socializing. The salon has more space than on Prestige’s previous 42-foot models, thanks to the way the builder eliminated a second staircase to the bridge. Abaft the helm, there’s a settee and, to port, a raised dinette with a tricked-out table that folds, spins and drops to turn the dinette into a double berth when needed. The galley is aft and to port, just forward of the sliding doors to the cockpit.

Out on the water, the 420 Fly cruised at around 25 knots and hit a wide-open speed of 30.7 knots with the optional 425 hp Cummins 6.7 diesels (380 hp Cummins are standard). With 16.5 degrees of transom deadrise and almost 23,000 pounds of heft, the yacht crushed a 1- to 2-foot Chesapeake Bay chop. The 309-gallon fuel capacity provided a range just slightly over 220 nautical miles at cruise speed, allowing for a 10 percent reserve. That’s more than enough for runs across the bay and weekend voyages, but if you plan on making extended runs, you’ll want to plan fuel stops accordingly.

The V-drive propulsion is also a reason why the belowdecks layout is creative in terms of space. The full-beam master stateroom extends surprisingly far aft because the machinery takes up less room than other configurations. Of course, this model’s additional 4 inches of beam and 6 inches of length overall expanded the master’s footprint too. Hullside windows add natural light, and niceties such as a vanity and bedside tables with reading lamps are built in.

And there’s another spot on this yacht that’s prime for relaxing with friends: the cockpit. It has an L-shaped settee with a dinette, access to the swim platform, and bulk stowage in the transom. Equally as important: The extended flybridge offers shade and protection from the elements for most of the cockpit area.

There’s yet another mingling spot for guests forward. The entire front of the cabin top is used for a triple-size lounger with flip-up backrests. The width of the lounge is aided by the shape of the bow, which carries more beam forward than usual before coming to its angular forepeak.

If you’re tired of seeing the same layouts on 40-foot yachts, then the Prestige 420 Fly is worth a look at the next boat show. From the vessel’s flybridge to the master stateroom, yachstmen will notice creative ways of thinking—and, soon, everyone on board will too.

Take the next step: prestige-yachts.com

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The Prestige 520 has big shoes to fill. She’s the model expected to replace the Prestige 500/500 S, a market leader for seven years with more than 450 hulls delivered. Most builders in Prestige’s situation would do little more than a face-lift. A tweak here and a tweak there. Why mess with success? To my surprise, the French builder did a whole lot more than tweak. To create the 520’s profile, Garroni Design (which also penned the interior) used 50 percent more glazing than Prestige had on the 500. The side windows extend nearly down to deck level at one point, 3 feet 7 inches from top to bottom on the inside, and there are hullside windows and a transom window. On the outside, all of that side glass is flush, so from a little ways off, each side looks like it’s built with one big pane. Another outside evolution is the foredeck, which is double the size of the 500’s thanks to the snubbing of the 520’s bow. The space allows for a sun pad that measures 6 feet at the head, 5 feet 3 inches at the bottom, and well more than 7 feet long, with a pull-up sunshade.

Inside, the 520’s volume is said to be 7 percent bigger than her predecessor’s. Now, 7 percent may not sound like a lot, but it allows for headroom where it’s needed: 6 feet 5 inches at the after end of the salon by the galley, and 6 feet 9 inches over the raised midsection. With all the surrounding glass, the space feels large and the views are great.

And this may be a first, my writing a compliment about a sofa that is part of a dinette setup, but the seat cushion measures 26 inches from back to front. I’ve been banging on about silly seats for years. None of us sit for fun with straight backs, and knees and ankles together, the way smaller cushions assume that we will. I sprawl. You sprawl. We all sprawl. This sofa’s design allows for comfort.

A glass sliding side-deck door is to starboard abaft the lower helm. It’s 21 inches wide and 41 inches tall — granted, not everyone’s idea of a proper door — but diminutive skippers will likely use it all the time, and those who are “bigger boned” will have fresh air amidships. I’m in the latter camp, and at one point I was looking aft from the helm seat with the back cushion reversed and had my feet outside because I could. Incidentally, the helm seat goes back and forth and up and down electrically, as does the dinette table.

As for accommodations, the 520 has the same three-stateroom, two-head layout as the 500: a double-berth stateroom forward that shares a head with the portside stateroom, whose twin berths convert to a double, and an owner’s en suite stateroom with its own staircase aft.

One engine package is available, and it makes the 520 slightly slower, by 1 knot, than the 500. Fully loaded, the builder says, the 520 will do 25.6 knots. She runs with twin 435 hp Volvo Penta D6 IPS600s. A few knots more would mean stepping up to the bigger 550 hp D8 IPS700s, which are heavier and thirstier.

My sea trial off Cannes, France, took place on a warm spring day with slight to moderate seas. The 520 consistently topped out at just over 27 knots, but we were lightly loaded with five people, 60 percent fuel and all other tanks empty.

With engines at idle, 600 rpm and burning a little bit more than two-thirds of a gallon an hour, the 520 dawdles at about 3.5 knots. Her range at 8 knots is about 500 nautical miles, at 10 knots some 300 nm, and at a more hurried 18 knots, 175 nm.

On average, the builder says, extras add 25 percent to the 520’s base price of $970,000. At $96,290, the Seakeeper NG6 is the biggest-ticket option — and Prestige says that 80 percent of owners go for it. Beyond trim and electronics packages, other major options include the “tropical” air-conditioning upgrade, a hardtop, and champagne metallic paint that adds four weeks to the delivery time. There’s also a high-low platform that complements the garage module, which will accommodate a Williams Minijet 280 or Turbojet 285.

The Prestige 520 builds on the 500/500 S’s DNA with a bit of genetic engineering, if you will. The result is a yacht with a family resemblance and a personality all her own.

Île Saint-Honorat is an oasis of pastoral calm just a couple of miles from one of the biggest Mediterranean hotspots, Cannes’ La Croisette. Drop the hook and go ashore. There are lots of trees and stone buildings to get boaters out of summer’s savage, dry heat. The Cistercian monastery at the center of the island has a 19.7-acre vineyard that monks nurture sans modern machinery. The restaurant and gift shop are worth a stop for lunch and for provisioning a few bottles of Domaine de L’Abbaye de Lérins, red or white, yachtsman’s choice.

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