BOAT REPORT


The lower helm is lofty, and you sit high looking down on the smartly fi nished dashboard


enough space forward to include a sliding sunroof with built-in glass panels that means if the weather isn’t quite good enough to take to the fl ybridge, you can open the lower helm up and absorb your surroundings. The roof is too high to stand and poke your head out of but the pair of electric windows either side make communicating with crew on the deck easy enough. It’s a bit cheeky that the roof is a £12,000 option though, given that it’s the whole point of a boat like this to have the sunroof and fl ybridge. The dashboard peels back towards


the windscreen to allow light from the windscreen and sunroof to penetrate down into the central lobby area that leads off to the three cabins. The VIP has bags of room to move around and get changed at the end of the bed and a good variety of storage, from hanging space to deep drawers beneath the bed and a couple of eye-level lockers either side of the bed. There is no skylight (though there is an emergency hatch to escape through) so the elongated windows and their inset opening ports either side are a welcome addition. This cabin is ensuite to the spacious day heads, though it’s shared with the twin guest cabin to starboard, which has optional sliding berths that quickly transition from a double to a pair of twins. The master cabin is a lovely space


with no obvious downfalls. Some may prefer more storage space in place of the potentially rather redundant sofa to port but the rest of the cabin is spot on. It has at least 6ft 2in of headroom throughout and a fl at fl oor around the large double berth. A vast hanging locker is supplemented by an array of drawers in the starboard unit and there’s space behind the door on the way in for a washer-dryer. Though the cabin backs on to the engineroom, Princess has sensibly installed the generator at the aft end of the machinery space so its din isn’t so intrusive if those in the master need to run it while sleeping.


AT THE HELM Sharper handling and performance are both key characteristics of the S class over the fl ybridge range. Princess wants the boat to have the power and agility to match those sportier looks. To that end, the smallest engine option is a pair of 900hp Volvo Penta D13s with an upgrade to twin 1,000hp MAN V8s or the 1,200hp motors of our test boat. All the engines run on traditional shafts. Princess’s literature


claims that with the largest engines, the S60 is a 36-38-knot boat but with 70% fuel, 100% water and a tender, we managed 34.1 knots. The warmer water temperatures of the Med tend to knock a knot or two off UK fi gures but my impression was that the smaller engine options might struggle to maintain those mid-thirties speeds when the boat is full of cruising gear and there’s some fouling on the hull. Though top speed was down, the torque


of the MAN V8s ensures that the S60 is deceptively quick off the mark and that there is always a good wallop of power in the mid range. The pick up between 1,800rpm and 2,200rpm is particularly impressive and in big swells, the sheer grunt will make digging the boat out of troughs a particularly enjoyable exercise. The benign conditions on the day of our trial did little to challenge the Olesinski hull but the boat felt assured and solid through the wash of the photo boat and passing craft. From the fl ybridge, the boat seems to


shrink as you plug into the driver-focused helm station. Some boats of this size detach you from the driving experience but not this one – the seat slides close to the wheel, which juts out into your hands yet maintains a close relationship with the throttles. The dash is a little bland to look at but makes up for it with its clarity and sensible, easy-to-use layout. My initial impression of the steering was that I expected a little more life in it and greater connection to the rudders but after a few runs messing about for the chase boat, it dawned on me that for a boat closing in on 30 tonnes, it disguises its size incredibly well. The turning circle is fairly large but its reaction to minor adjustments to the wheel will keep those used to sportscruiser dynamics more than happy. It’s quiet too, the most noise coming from the gurgling deck drains on the fl ybridge, not the 2,400 horses galloping away below deck. The lower helm is loftier than the one


up top and you sit high looking down on the smartly fi nished dashboard. Someone of 6ft or over will not be able to stand and drive comfortably but the seated position is good enough that it’s not really an issue. Despite the full tanks and the weight of the Williams and a Seakeeper gyro, it never felt necessary to use the trim tabs to maintain a good view forward, which is testament to the work of the engineers in getting the weight balance even enough for such a level natural running attitude.


The high quality of fi nish extends to the S60’s bathrooms


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