MAFWeiss
Well-Known Member
After posting here three months ago that, in my opinion, the soon to be launched Prestige 680 would prove to be strong opposition for the very beautiful Princess 68, finally last Wednesday I had the chance to test out whether or not this comment was justified. My wife and I were privileged to be invited to the ACI marina in Dubrovnic as the very first private clients to have sight of the completed prototype, and to have an uninterrupted day inspecting her and to have an extended sea-trial. This was exceptional privilege was granted to us even before it had been officially launched to the Prestige dealerships, something which has now just been completed over this weekend, and before it had been shown to the press as well, which is happening this week. So this post is the very first published report of what is truly a remarkable yacht, and includes the photos that I took.
NB: What follows is not meant to be a professional, or indeed comprehensive review, but just my personal impression having now had the chance to compare both boats.
Hull 1 has a bimini top; Hull 2 will have the hard top top option fitted. The raised level of the foredeck is to accommodate the ceiling height in the master cabin.
The 680 has an extending 'letter box' passarelle, glendinning cabling, and there are steps built into the platform which open up for easy access when it is lowered, which is a particularly useful feature. Since most people will fit a tender on the platform, for Med mooring in winter - or in strong winds - I would put two additional cleats higher up on the transom so that diagonally tied spring ropes can clear the tender.
The transom access to the engine room, with the skipper's cabin on the left and a small separately accessed head to the right. This is a very useful layout as when anchored up for swimming/lunch as it saves walking back into boat and down the stairs to the guest head. The combo washing machine is fitted in the passageway to the engine room too.
Twin 900HP Volvo 1200 IPS engines, with an optional Seakeeper gyro stabiliser fitted under the generator. Either side are the twin tanks holding 3,450 litres of fuel. The engine room seemed well laid out with plenty of space to walk round for servicing. A ladder provides the secondary access via the cockpit.
My wife's first words, as we both stood on the cockpit of the 680 looking into the salon was ‘’WOW, it looks amazing!’’. The entrance is via a three panelled sliding door, which folds left into just one section if required; so the opening can be very spacious. Opposite the well arranged and functional galley is a dining area with a stylish extending glass top table and there is only one small step up into the salon seating area. Currently opposite the L shaped sofa is a large 50 “ TV on a low unit, behind which is the staircase down to the guest cabins. However Prestige realise that having such a very large TV positioned there is not ideal, and on later models an option will be offered to replace this with an additional sofa, and instead an ‘up and down’ 42 inch TV will be concealed in the storage unit beside the lower helm. This will create a far more social arrangement.
The galley has a large fridge with freezer, a Miele combination oven and vitro ceramic hob and a good sized dishwasher. The stairs down to entrance to the master cabin are top left, and the staircase down to the guest quarters just on the right as you go up the step to the salon. The L-shaped sofa has two matching movable upholstered stools. With the additional sofa to be fitted, we would do away with one of those. There is an optional wine fridge fitted into the unit by the helm.
The new fashion for a run of multiple very large chart plotters. There is a large sliding door to the right behind the helm seat giving access to the gangway. This means that, with the joystick which is positioned just by the opening, the skipper has excellent visibility to easily reverse for med mooring or to berth the boat to the starboard side for refuelling or mooring sideways on.
There are just five steps down from the salon to the master cabin in the bow. Since we never use the desk as a desk 'per se', we would consider converting the space under to cupboards. There is also a small walk-in wardrobe to the right of the desk.
The master cabin on the 680 is a big improvement on the design of the 750. Instead of the multiple small windows found on the larger boat, here Prestige have used large single panels. Above the bed are three skylights with electrically controlled blinds, and as elsewhere, the floor is all on one level throughout the master cabin and head.
The master head. The door into it and that of the VIP is made of frosted glass.
The entrance to the guest cabins and day head is via an L shaped staircase to the starboard side of the salon which leads into a corridor with the door to the VIP cabin on the left, straight ahead is the guest/day head and to the right the doors to two twin bed cabins. Once down the stairs, all the floor levels are flat with no steps up or down. As you can see, the VIP cabin is far larger than any comparable sized yacht, or indeed many a much larger yacht. It could easily be used by an owner who has children that they want to have close by, leaving the bow cabin for guests.
The incredibly spacious VIP cabin
VIP cabin and entrance to head
Port side 3rd cabin which is next to the day head
Starboard side 4th cabin. If a buyer wanted just three cabins, there is an option to combine these two smaller twin bed cabins into another very large single VIP, which would actually become the largest cabin on the boat.
Day/guest head with synthetic stone sink and top.
The placement of the instrumentation on the flybridge helm will be rearranged to improve visibility of the screens of the small repeaters. They will now be placed between the two Raymarine chart plotters. Also the current layout and functionality of the fly galley does not work very well, so this needs to be reconfigured too.
The helm seat back rest can be moved forward to create more seating for the bench behind, and the starboard (left in pic) bench folds flat to make an even larger sun pad.
My deck hand (aka the wife) doing what she does best - the rope work
Due to a technical problem, on the sea trial we sadly were not able to have the Seakeeper stabiliser working, however we were able to see the effectiveness of the Interceptor trim tabs. And my only experience of the two helm positions was on the flybridge, where there was the usual array of instrumentation dominated by two large Raymarine chartplotters. When sailing the boat, the main things that I remember were that the steering was very precise and immediate, so little movement was needed on the wheel. The two 900hp Volvo engines were very responsive to the throttle and the boat easily powered through what was quite a high swell and muddled sea (after an incredibly dramatic thunderstorm). Given the swell, we did not go faster than 24 knts (burning around 250 LPH) and at a more comfortable 21knts we were burning 210 LPH. At 17 knots we were using around 160 LPH which is only 15LPH more than what I achieve with my current 550 and their 600HP Cummins Mercruiser engines. So as long as one doesn’t push the boat too hard, the fuel economy seems to be very good and the 3,450 litre tanks should allow for reasonably extended cruising before refueling is required. The engine noise levels in the salon when we sailing at 20 kts were remarkably low, and I did not notice any rattling or creaking of the structure and fittings.
Sailing her back to the marina I was surprised when they suggested that I berthed her. To do this I had to moor up sideways back onto the pontoon that had little space between the two other yachts parked up at either end. So during this manoeuvre the thought crossed my mind of the old joke in the antique trade, if you break it - you buy it! However to my great relief the Volvo joystick control was so precise and smooth - far better than the Cummins on my 550 which is quite jerky – so I was able to spin the boat round 180 degrees and gently move her sideways into the relatively narrow gap without crunching into anything. Phew!
Conclusions:
Prestige have made huge strides forward with this boat, combining as it does some of the design features they first introduced with the 750 with genetics of the design of the 550. They have made a great strides in improving the construction and general level of finish, and the result is - to my eye - very impressive. With the benefit of having more internal space to play with, as a result of using the IPS drive system as against shaft, they have created a 68 footer with exceptional living quarters. Truly a boat that one can happily live in. Whilst the level of the internal finishes may still not be a sumptuous as that seen on - for example - the equivalent Princess or Sunseeker, Prestige have recognised that the savings in weight and therefore fuel consumption and running costs are something that any canny buyer will want to consider seriously. But even more importantly, there is the huge differential in there initial purchase price. With a very similar spec, the Princess 68 comes in at around £2.35m, whereas the Prestige 68 will cost around £1.8m (@ €1.4 to the pound). Leaving aside the £550k differential - which is somewhat difficult to ignore! - even if they were not so far apart, there are many elements of the design and functionality which my wife and I personally prefer to those of the Princess.
So the result of all this is that - subject to signing on the dotted line and paying the deposit - I have shaken hands with the directors of Prestige and Nick Hatfield of Ancasta on buying the first 680 to be specifically built for a private customer, and for delivery next April. I will be genuinely very sad to have to part with Gentileschi, my much loved Prestige 550, and I do hope that she will find a new owner who will care for her as much as I do.
NB: What follows is not meant to be a professional, or indeed comprehensive review, but just my personal impression having now had the chance to compare both boats.
Hull 1 has a bimini top; Hull 2 will have the hard top top option fitted. The raised level of the foredeck is to accommodate the ceiling height in the master cabin.
The 680 has an extending 'letter box' passarelle, glendinning cabling, and there are steps built into the platform which open up for easy access when it is lowered, which is a particularly useful feature. Since most people will fit a tender on the platform, for Med mooring in winter - or in strong winds - I would put two additional cleats higher up on the transom so that diagonally tied spring ropes can clear the tender.
The transom access to the engine room, with the skipper's cabin on the left and a small separately accessed head to the right. This is a very useful layout as when anchored up for swimming/lunch as it saves walking back into boat and down the stairs to the guest head. The combo washing machine is fitted in the passageway to the engine room too.
Twin 900HP Volvo 1200 IPS engines, with an optional Seakeeper gyro stabiliser fitted under the generator. Either side are the twin tanks holding 3,450 litres of fuel. The engine room seemed well laid out with plenty of space to walk round for servicing. A ladder provides the secondary access via the cockpit.
My wife's first words, as we both stood on the cockpit of the 680 looking into the salon was ‘’WOW, it looks amazing!’’. The entrance is via a three panelled sliding door, which folds left into just one section if required; so the opening can be very spacious. Opposite the well arranged and functional galley is a dining area with a stylish extending glass top table and there is only one small step up into the salon seating area. Currently opposite the L shaped sofa is a large 50 “ TV on a low unit, behind which is the staircase down to the guest cabins. However Prestige realise that having such a very large TV positioned there is not ideal, and on later models an option will be offered to replace this with an additional sofa, and instead an ‘up and down’ 42 inch TV will be concealed in the storage unit beside the lower helm. This will create a far more social arrangement.
The galley has a large fridge with freezer, a Miele combination oven and vitro ceramic hob and a good sized dishwasher. The stairs down to entrance to the master cabin are top left, and the staircase down to the guest quarters just on the right as you go up the step to the salon. The L-shaped sofa has two matching movable upholstered stools. With the additional sofa to be fitted, we would do away with one of those. There is an optional wine fridge fitted into the unit by the helm.
The new fashion for a run of multiple very large chart plotters. There is a large sliding door to the right behind the helm seat giving access to the gangway. This means that, with the joystick which is positioned just by the opening, the skipper has excellent visibility to easily reverse for med mooring or to berth the boat to the starboard side for refuelling or mooring sideways on.
There are just five steps down from the salon to the master cabin in the bow. Since we never use the desk as a desk 'per se', we would consider converting the space under to cupboards. There is also a small walk-in wardrobe to the right of the desk.
The master cabin on the 680 is a big improvement on the design of the 750. Instead of the multiple small windows found on the larger boat, here Prestige have used large single panels. Above the bed are three skylights with electrically controlled blinds, and as elsewhere, the floor is all on one level throughout the master cabin and head.
The master head. The door into it and that of the VIP is made of frosted glass.
The entrance to the guest cabins and day head is via an L shaped staircase to the starboard side of the salon which leads into a corridor with the door to the VIP cabin on the left, straight ahead is the guest/day head and to the right the doors to two twin bed cabins. Once down the stairs, all the floor levels are flat with no steps up or down. As you can see, the VIP cabin is far larger than any comparable sized yacht, or indeed many a much larger yacht. It could easily be used by an owner who has children that they want to have close by, leaving the bow cabin for guests.
The incredibly spacious VIP cabin
VIP cabin and entrance to head
Port side 3rd cabin which is next to the day head
Starboard side 4th cabin. If a buyer wanted just three cabins, there is an option to combine these two smaller twin bed cabins into another very large single VIP, which would actually become the largest cabin on the boat.
Day/guest head with synthetic stone sink and top.
The placement of the instrumentation on the flybridge helm will be rearranged to improve visibility of the screens of the small repeaters. They will now be placed between the two Raymarine chart plotters. Also the current layout and functionality of the fly galley does not work very well, so this needs to be reconfigured too.
The helm seat back rest can be moved forward to create more seating for the bench behind, and the starboard (left in pic) bench folds flat to make an even larger sun pad.
My deck hand (aka the wife) doing what she does best - the rope work
Due to a technical problem, on the sea trial we sadly were not able to have the Seakeeper stabiliser working, however we were able to see the effectiveness of the Interceptor trim tabs. And my only experience of the two helm positions was on the flybridge, where there was the usual array of instrumentation dominated by two large Raymarine chartplotters. When sailing the boat, the main things that I remember were that the steering was very precise and immediate, so little movement was needed on the wheel. The two 900hp Volvo engines were very responsive to the throttle and the boat easily powered through what was quite a high swell and muddled sea (after an incredibly dramatic thunderstorm). Given the swell, we did not go faster than 24 knts (burning around 250 LPH) and at a more comfortable 21knts we were burning 210 LPH. At 17 knots we were using around 160 LPH which is only 15LPH more than what I achieve with my current 550 and their 600HP Cummins Mercruiser engines. So as long as one doesn’t push the boat too hard, the fuel economy seems to be very good and the 3,450 litre tanks should allow for reasonably extended cruising before refueling is required. The engine noise levels in the salon when we sailing at 20 kts were remarkably low, and I did not notice any rattling or creaking of the structure and fittings.
Sailing her back to the marina I was surprised when they suggested that I berthed her. To do this I had to moor up sideways back onto the pontoon that had little space between the two other yachts parked up at either end. So during this manoeuvre the thought crossed my mind of the old joke in the antique trade, if you break it - you buy it! However to my great relief the Volvo joystick control was so precise and smooth - far better than the Cummins on my 550 which is quite jerky – so I was able to spin the boat round 180 degrees and gently move her sideways into the relatively narrow gap without crunching into anything. Phew!
Conclusions:
Prestige have made huge strides forward with this boat, combining as it does some of the design features they first introduced with the 750 with genetics of the design of the 550. They have made a great strides in improving the construction and general level of finish, and the result is - to my eye - very impressive. With the benefit of having more internal space to play with, as a result of using the IPS drive system as against shaft, they have created a 68 footer with exceptional living quarters. Truly a boat that one can happily live in. Whilst the level of the internal finishes may still not be a sumptuous as that seen on - for example - the equivalent Princess or Sunseeker, Prestige have recognised that the savings in weight and therefore fuel consumption and running costs are something that any canny buyer will want to consider seriously. But even more importantly, there is the huge differential in there initial purchase price. With a very similar spec, the Princess 68 comes in at around £2.35m, whereas the Prestige 68 will cost around £1.8m (@ €1.4 to the pound). Leaving aside the £550k differential - which is somewhat difficult to ignore! - even if they were not so far apart, there are many elements of the design and functionality which my wife and I personally prefer to those of the Princess.
So the result of all this is that - subject to signing on the dotted line and paying the deposit - I have shaken hands with the directors of Prestige and Nick Hatfield of Ancasta on buying the first 680 to be specifically built for a private customer, and for delivery next April. I will be genuinely very sad to have to part with Gentileschi, my much loved Prestige 550, and I do hope that she will find a new owner who will care for her as much as I do.
