Princess V50

You'll find it at Wimbledon, Lords, St Andrews and Silverston - and you'll find it in a boat from Devon, too. The teaming of sport and elegance is what UK Marine Projects offers by the metre in the V-Class, its performance order of the princely Princess cruisers range.

Marine Projects says its test team has but one aim in mind when it makes the V-Class - to move fast through an unforgiving medium while giving the occupants of the hull the smoothest possible ride in the most economical manner.

The extra one or two knots that a Princess achieves compared with most other motor-yachts may not seem much, it says, but at cruising speeds this can translate to a 20% efficiency advantage.

Above all, this is what interested me about the new 1999 model V50. It was not so much the heavenly amenities down below but the promise of truly great performance, which could do a lot for upper-end powerboating in Australia.

With the right boat, the Capricorns would be just a burn away from the Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour a comfortable cruise from Sydney, and the verdant shores of Wilsons Promontory almost within handy reach of Pier 35 in Melbourne.

Yet such adventures are nothing more than ambitious in a boat not built for fast and safe cruising, which is why Marine Projects emphasises the importance of technology and craftsmanship.

Construction methods comply with both Lloyds and ISO9002 quality-assurance schemes, while computer-aided design and solid-glass manufacture, not to mention first-rate joinery and plush European finishes, deliver that much-vaunted comfort we've come to expect from Princess cruisers.

ON TOUR
Unlike many English sporting heroes, Princess boats apparently perform just as well on tour as they do on home soil. Though the V50 was mine for just a few hours in Sydney, it was long enough to convey that impression. This is a boatbuilder beyond hyperbole and drama.

Pack the golf clubs aboard and 18 holes at Coffs Harbour might well have been on the cards. In fact, the boat's owner has big plans for his V50. Having spent considerable energy shopping the world it's now only a matter of time before he cruises for Port Stephens and beyond.

Along the way, engineering counts for plenty. Though it mightn't be obvious, every wire on a Princess boat is coded, clipped and chafe-proof, every square metre of hull is backed by grid-section, and all the serviceable items such as the gen-set, airconditioning units, and water heater are readily accessible underfloor.

But then there are the things which positively scream clever design. Like the huge aft sunlounge, which lifts up on hydraulic struts to reveal a tender up to 2.5m in length. You actually push a button on a remote control on a key ring to raise the garage roof, which I think is pretty cool in itself.

Take two steps down and aft and you'll find a lovely long swim platform covered in teak, where a retractable ladder and hand shower hides, with chocks for carrying a PWC. Follow the walkaround decks to the bow and you will notice that a terrific stainless rail backs you all the way.

This bowrail has a walk-through design so passengers can enter and exit from the foredeck, while the tubular-stainless deck hardware such as cleats and fairleads look as though they were designed by an Italian fashion house.

A recess in the bow for sunpad cushions and drinkholders that can take a bottle of champagne were clearly designed for the occasion. Back in the cockpit, a wet bar to port, opposite a white U-shaped lounge and table that can seat eight people, is shaded by a bimini top.

The wet bar incorporates a bar fridge, stainless sink, bottle storage, cutting-board lid, and the piece de resistance - an electric barbecue.

Beneath the floor, the engine room is exceptionally well insulated. You'll find near-standing room, space around the motors, an integral fire-system, and tankage for almost 1000lt of fuel aside and 405lt of water. Admittedly, it's hard to see how you might pull a motor out if the need arose.

The cockpit is a beauty with rounded mouldings, a safety gate to contain guests, classiness derived from not putting drinkholders everywhere, and a generous amount of seating where you feel you could plonk yourself down and not get up till the day's cruising is done.

TAKING THE HELM
Yet, for all the visitor comfort, the best place to be is undoubtedly behind the wooden wheel, with the perky electronic shifts in your hand. Protected by a huge, tinted wraparound windscreen made from armour-plate glass, you derive a sense of importance driving the V50.

The walnut dash is something else. It carries all the engine gauges and has separate dedicated facias for flush-mounting electronics. It even has a big chart holder so, together with the GPS plotter, you can map your progress to the Keppels, Coffs, or The Prom.

Seating behind the windscreen includes a two-person bolster for the skipper with a lift-out pedestal so you can stand if you wish, and a curvaceous co-pilot lounge where one lovely body could lay facing aft, or three people could sit upright.

Coupled with zip-in clears and that bimini top, the cockpit is an all-weather entertaining space. You can do barbecues, swim, shower, and seat a party. This makes for more social boating than a flybridge cruiser, and with little engine noise you don't need to shout to be heard.

Aside from a really neat after-market electronics pack from Raytheon, which ran the gamut from 24nm radar to depth sounder, there was an optional Aussie-made Muir windlass, spotlight and a Sanyo sound system fitted, all controlled from the dash.

INTERIOR GLOSS
The interior of the V50 is another world again. In this case, there's tanned burgundy leather upholstery and camel carpets combined with glossy cherrywood joinery. A cream headliner and a central ostrich-skin feature panel add to the gentlemanly atmosphere, both befitting the brand's heritage and inspiring a cigar.

The saloon feature is a five-person lounge around an ash-wood table with anodised alloy legs which give a designer feel.

Flanked by two portholes and Roman blinds, the lounge looks across to a galley.

But where are the appliances?

Fully integrated, the galley can be shut away when not in use to reveal nothing more than glossy wooden benchtops and overhead cherrywood lockers. With a tug here and a pull there, you'll find the plate storage cupboard, the microwave, the ice-maker, the pub-style 240/12V fridge, the domestic-sized sink, the two-burner stove, the garbo, bottle storage and entertainment system nearby.

On the Princess V50, you will never need to look at fetid washing-up again. Should you find yourself moving from the outdoors to the indoors, your self-respect will remain intact.

So the Princess performs in more ways than one.

CABIN FEVER
Follow the plush carpet forward and you'll come to the owner's stateroom in the bow with an island berth. The walls are covered with foam-backed lining, and joint his and hers hanging lockers are nearby, with drawers underneath the bed, a powder station, bedhead and curtains that all look tres chic.

The lighting throughout is halogen and, as in the master cabin, there are ceiling hatches directing natural light and fresh air inside. This comes on top of two separate airconditioning units that turn both cabins into sanctuaries during summer.

Other nice touches include the solid door handles, non-rattling door catches, lined cupboards and the use of brass screws.

Not to mention the boat's full headroom from saloon to bow.

Needless to say, the master cabin has an ensuite. Nothing short of indulgent, it boasts a Vacuflush loo, matching chrome fittings including towel racks and glass holder, Avonite moulded bench tops, full headroom and teak flooring. It also has a shower with a bi-folding door just like the Regent's.

Aft and behind the companionway steps is a use-it-if-you-have-to guests' cabin. It features twin single berths and a neat bedside table, at least 1.80m of headroom, a hanging locker, and a practical amount of storage space for personals and clothes.

The aft cabin's ensuite doubles as the boat's day-head. It's spacious, easy to clean, and slightly less up-market than the owner's head, though there is the same level of service offered by the Vacuflush loo, big sink unit and separate shower stall.

UP, UP AND AWAY
It's time to get back to the initial concept of sport teamed with elegance. The Princess V50 is nothing if not a boat you can take to sea. And with a fit-out and finish that suggest distinction, you want to be able to do this and keep your image intact.

To this end, the Princess V50 performs something like an elite sportsman. It is responsive, stable on its feet, needs little in the way of assistance (read trim tabs), and goes about its duty with gritty determination.

Carrying half fuel, the mobile hull was planing at 1200rpm and 13.5kt due to the aggressive chines and propeller tunnels which direct water aft for lift. But not only does the 12,500kg hull willingly ride up top, it also generates a drier than normal ride cleaving the sea.

Once the twin 610hp Volvos come to life - turbochargers kicking in with a postman's whistle, the four-blade props biting some more - the boat is going places. That extra 300rpm, taking the tachos to 1500 rpm, produces 20kt! And little engine noise.

Volvo says it developed its TAMD 122P EDCs exactly for this purpose. The rapid torque rise is perfect for sporty performance in big boats, it says, which is why Riviera is now fitting them to many of its larger cruisers.

At 1800rpm on the Princess V50 we're turbo touring at 26.2kt, while 2000rpm returns a snappy 28.2kt. Flat out, the hull will do a sizzling 35kt, which into a routine summer seaway posed less problems than the pitch at Lords on a bad day. If only the English cricketers could travel this well!