FAIRLINE 53GT - Cant Wait any Longer...

[henryf]

Petem asked me if complaining about the 53's internal issues was like moaning you couldn't get 4 people and their luggage in a Porsche 911.

No, it isn't.

Princess produce a sub 53 foot boat without any of the internal problems, so it can be done, there's enough volume. It is more like comparing a 2 seat Ferrari or Lamborghini to the 2+2 seat Porsche 911. The Fairline is trying to be the Lamborghini or Ferrari but the problem is I can't see what it offers over the Princess in terms of performance, looks or handling. People wanting boating extremes have lots of choices. They come at a price, but then so do the Lambo and the Fezzer when compared to the Porker.

Fairline are going head to head with Princess, the market leaders of internal public space. That is how they must be judged.

Are Princess perfect? No. I know where I think improvements can be made, so there is scope for Fairline. Then it comes down to price. Princess aren't cheap.

Henry

 

[nicho]

Reading the other Fairline thread, you have to wonder if they will be around much longer.

 

[mjf]

FWIW, I thought the Fairline finish was fab - issue is this no compromise stuff. The designers wanted to have a lower than class freeboard and the compromise is the duff step and poor owners suite headroom - I prefer to live with high cleats ondeck and have more volune interior.

The price is too high IMHO, what will the F/B cost?

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

I,ve read the article -seems ok -head room issue,not fussed really it would've looked hard at the the general fit /finish/quality -seems ok too
Thing is I,am not sure I could cross that mental barrier of spending £1m on that .

There in lies the problem I suspect

Or any new boat .i,am afraid I play a mental game of what else could I get for £xyz

Used boat prices are so good, that in the last five years you wonder why anyone would buy any new boats.

Newer boats do not offer much of novelty, the last we had in terms of layout style was the astern galley by Ferretti and now used by nearly everyone.
Midships cabin from forty to sub sixty feet have been around for over a decade, even though boat builders keep telling us this is latest.

Considering how new boat prices have exploded in the last two three years (half a million for a stern drive forty footer), things do not really add up, and then you wonder why most builders minus Beneteau Group are producing half boats to what they did five years ago. That is also a bigger catastrophe when you thing how European brands have expanded globally in the last ten years.
Have things gotten more expensive I am not so sure, utility cars are more or less the same prices, most builders are building in Infusion which should make cheaper boats in the long run, engines are also smaller.
New boats when you consider all are also heavier on fuel and weight, mostly for the higher free-board to accommodate cavernous midships cabins.

Returning to the 53 Targa GT.

I also remember Princess to be a cheaper boat to a Fairline about (before) four-five years ago by 5-10%, this more apparent in interior finishing then outside.
For example I saw a 74 Squadron (2005) next a newer 78 MY (2009) in our local marina, and I must add the Fl looks to be a better kit to the Prin.
A 2009 55 Squadron looks a more premium kit then a 62 of the same age.

It's in the very later models that Princess shine up more, or that Fariline have lost its peril of sorts.
The 50 Targa GT looks lost compared to the V52, hence sales lost to the Princess.
New 53 was made to fix the amend, and yet four years later with Princess being the direct competitor for Fairline, they still did not manage this.

Considering the importance the 53 and its midship cabin had, I am lost how they got it all wrong. More so when one thinks the impact the 53 might have have on the brands survival.

 

[henryf]

The debate isn't about why people buy new boats. It's about whether they will buy the T53 or it's derivatives.

On the one hand you say boats haven't changed, in the next breath you say that Princess have developed their boats to the point where they offer benefits over previous models. I remember when Failine launched the full beam Phantom 48. At the time we were bowled over. When I looked at one before buying the Princess 50 I couldn't believe how small it was inside. You couldn't fit in the 3rd cabin without lifting the bunk up and all the doors seemed 3/4 sized.

Fairline started the ball rolling but didn't continue the development to the point where the Squadron 50 featured a main cabin in the bow when everyone else had long since perfected the full beam owners cabin.

As for the price of new boats, well maybe that's where Fairline could win. Rather than make up numbers then heavily discount to get a sale price their boats to compete with the big European builders but offer a better boat in terms of finish. Underlay isn't expensive!

Henry

 

[2013PrincessV39]

I have to say that I also liked the 53. I am looking forward to seeing the Fly at LIBS, as I think this will be a fine vessel. The master cabin headroom is an issue, but no more so than some others in this class. Clearly, the equivalent Princess has more headroom, so it can be done, but I think Fairline was very focussed on the exterior styling, so ended up with a bit of a compromise.

"Why Compromise..."

 

[2013PrincessV39]

MORE OF MY SIBS STORY:-

I tried to lie down in the crew cabin, however for that to work you have to insert your head into a 10" gap between the Roof and the Bed

The dealer said it should be the other way, but this leads to your lips on the toilet....


I'm only 5'7"...

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

The debate isn't about why people buy new boats. It's about whether they will buy the T53 or it's derivatives.

That was a reply to Portofino post see quote.

On the one hand you say boats haven't changed, in the next breath you say that Princess have developed their boats to the point where they offer benefits over previous models.

What I am saying is that there have not been any layout ground breaking changes in the last year to make a boat so much superior to the other. See for example a full beam midships cabin on an Azimut 55 as of year 2000. Or an astern galley on a Ferretti 630 in 2005, or 510 in 2007. Obviously midships cabins (to continue on the theme) have improved since the Azimut 55. The boating industry is slow and resistant to changes but not so slow.