Fairline Squadron 52

Building on the standards set by the previous Squadrons, the design of the 52 is considered both daring and innovative... Her advanced layout is not merely the consequence of a flight of fancy, but rather the result of ingenuity and prudent planning to answer a very specific need." Extract from More Than Skin Deep by Fairline.

Styling trends come and styling trends go. Only to return again. In the fashion world, it's like swings and roundabouts. Not so in the world of fashionable boats. The common perception is that most everything moulded from fibreglass is a la moment and, therefore, imminently passe.

That's not the case with European big-boat stylist Fairline, which has a history of making chic boats to stand the test of time. The company sets the trends that many other marques follow. It's careful about how it evolves its boats, thereby ensuring they have a lifespan beyond the next model.

Indeed, the new-fashioned Squadron 52 is nothing if not refreshing. Of all the Fairlines I've been aboard it is the most daring. Pitched against a former Squadron on a nearby dock, the new 52 has vastly more rakish, statement-making lines.

Clever melding of decks and mouldings reduces the big motoryacht's profile. Indeed, I found as many hard edges as I might on a scoop of ice-cream. Yet at the same time it has ship-like bulwarks, a massive foredeck, and internal volume to rival a small superyacht.

Styling enhancements come from the designer deckware, double-thickness stainless rails and racy-looking engine vents, window lines and other accents. The rakish theme even extends to the saloon door, which is one huge arced sheet of tinted-blue glass that slides on rollers like a skater on ice.

Night lights in the cockpit are a cool shade of blue, the ambience inside is almost English castle. Unique timber joinery - they use eucalyptus for the table tops - leather and granite, and thick pile carpet give the new Squadron 52 a kind of sophistication to tide it through years of changing fashion trends.

Yet there is still plenty of Fairline's signature user-friendliness. Things such as a neat aft helmstation in the cockpit, hydraulic pasarelle and big boarding platform won't go unnoticed. Neither will the Olesinski high-lift hull.

A mix of new-world intelligence and olde-worlde charm, the Squadron 52 will assuage well-heeled individuals shopping for a chic motoryacht that will remain that way for years to come. It will appeal to those with old money, but also a younger breed of motoryacht buyer with an appreciation for clever boat design.

INTERNAL COMFORT
The hydraulic boarding platform reminds me of a drawbridge, while the interior is almost reminiscent of a fine hotel. The furnishings are fetching, the appearance is uncluttered, and there is a level of refinement in the engineering and helmstations that is almost space-age.

The saloon has two levels, each topped with natural berber carpet. Curved lounges are finished in a thick cream and honeycomb fabric with a thatched pattern.

In the upper level, the lounges are clad with a tan-coloured leather. Blinds, curtains, soft-touch white headliners and full-gloss joinery provide the finishing touches.

Contentment can be found on the four-person lounge to port, set around the coffee table with eucalyptus top. Opposite is a cherrywood entertainment centre, plus a wetbar and fridge. Push-button electric windows flanking the saloon allow you to choose between cross-flow ventilation or the boat's airconditioning.

Up two steps, the upper saloon features a second dinette with seating for four around a neat breakfast or brunch-time table. Just forward of here is a central helmstation. Easier to access than offset helms, it has a centre console with a sports wheel.

The pilot has an electric seat with pneumatic lumbar support adjustor, incline adjustor and height adjustor. From here, you feel like you are behind the wheel of a sportscar... Or a new-age motoryacht.

Vision through the screen, across the foredeck, is superb. In fact, it's easy to forget there's 10-metres of boat behind you. Micro Commander electronic shifts, Caterpillar electronic control panels, a Steipner bow thruster, and red night-driving lights make light work of leaving port and heading out for a spot of ocean cruising.

The copilot or navigator is given a nice deep leather-clad seat and there is a reading light and map holder nearby. A logical control panel is within arm's reach. Big wipers keep the screen clear, while an intercom lets you talk to the bridge.

In keeping with all Fairline boats, the galley is set down below the saloon. Across to port, it interfaces with the entertaining levels. There are high-quality Avonite benchtops in a salt-and-pepper pattern, cherrywood joinery, stylish stainless fittings, and plenty of amenities to cater for guests.

Amenities include a Gram domestic-sized fridge/freezer, Zanussi dishwasher with timber facia, microwave oven and grill, twin stainless sinks, Zanussi four-burner stove, electric range hood and plenty of cabinets for the in-house crockery and cutlery, plus lots of pantry space and room to store provisions.

This Squadron 52 had the optional 'chef's cabin' off the galley. Located amidships beneath the upper saloon level, the cabin has a single berth, honey-coloured moulded vanity with sink and mirror, storage in three drawers, an opening porthole and airconditioning, a second (optional) freezer for holding long-term supplies, and a Miele washer/dryer.

Again, I found no hard edges in the so-called chef's cabin lined with soft-touch vinyl. Though there is only sitting room, you don't feel cramped. The light furnishings and porthole draw in natural light.

PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION
A private companionway to port leads down past a storage cabinet holding all the ship's manuals to two separate cabins, each with ensuites. Unlike some motoryachts, the Squadron 52 offers just two main cabins so that each enjoys more room.

The master cabin on the starboard side positions the owners near the centreline and roughly amidships, where there is the least amount of sway.

The queen-size berth has an inner-spring mattress topped with a bedspread with gold-leaf motif, backed by a bedhead lined with soft caramel-coloured nouveau suede.

Sense and sensibility comes from the opening portholes, private airconditioning controls, abundant storage in hanging lockers, a chest of drawers and underbunk drawers. Hidden somewhere aboard is also a safe.

The Squadron 52 has particularly illustrious bathrooms. The owner's ensuite is finished with timber flooring, blue-fleck Avonite benchtops, stainless towel rails, gold and chrome taps, a white sink, crystal drinking glasses and a perfume atomiser.

There is a bidet and an electric loo, plus a big shower with bifold door, frosted glass windows, and a suggestion of art deco in the finish.

Guests are treated equally well. They have an island double berth in the forepeak with blue-and-gold bedspread, soft-touch bedhead and walls, mirror, hanging locker and three drawers. There is a huge overhead hatch as well as twin portholes. A pleated bedhead and sides creates a feeling which is almost like sleeping in a scallop shell.

The ensuite borrows the same theme as the owner's bathroom. Points to note are that the bathroom is big enough for two people in the morning. I also liked the recessed shower nozzle and strong, but quiet, extractor fan.

Below the cockpit was an optional, discreet crew or kiddies' cabin with twin single berths, a head and sink. The cabin is airconditioned, while the engineroom just forward breathes through oversized air-intakes. I found the engineroom tight to get around, however.

DECKED OUT
Wide, safe and pleasantly shaded in parts, the decks are a feature of the Squadron 52. All-over accessible, the boat has wide and safe bulwarks that lead to a foredeck with sunpad. The cockpit is big enough for alfresco meals and entertaining, while there is tender storage on the boarding platform. The hydraulic pasarelle doubles as a davit.

The unique oval bridge - accessed via an internal ladder and external moulded staircase - is a veritable balcony with a view. There is seating for three people on trendy seats behind the helm, a big sunpad forward of the console for several more, plus a circular lounge set around a lunch table that can seat six.

Lifestyle amenities include an electric barbecue and fridge and sink set in a moulded wet bar. The boat has a sexy radar arch that is very much a la superyacht. Some canvas will cut down on glare, though the boat looks a lot more contemporary with the top down.

Either way, I found the 52 an easy boat to drive. Electronic shifts, a sporty timber wheel and a tight turning circle let you throw the boat around with a degree of aplomb. The hull is a proven design for offshore work, with props set in tunnels and pronounced spray rails aiding its efficiency.

The latest electronic 3196 Caterpillar engines worked well till we experienced what, on face value, seemed like a fuel problem. A subsequent diagnosis from a Caterpillar doctor showed that it was a minor electrical problem which prevented us from maintaining top speed.

Prior to the glitch, in fine fettle, the Cats gave the 52 a top speed of around 30-32kt and a dignified cruise in the mid-20kt range. A lack of smoke and smoothness in acceleration stood out, along with the ease with which you can command this boat on a busy waterway like Sydney in summer.

It might be the smallest Squadron in the range, but the 52 is to all intents and purposes a big boat. It's modern, high-tech, classical in some areas, daring in others. No fly-by-nighter, it is above all a very sharp craft, a trendsetter with substance, that others will try and emulate in years to come.

HIGHS

Lows