CANNES BOAT SHOW PREVIEW

FAIRLINE PHANTOM 65

LOA 65ft 4in (19.96m) BEAM 17ft 2in (5.23m) ENGINES twin Caterpillar C18-1150 or C32-1622 diesels TOP SPEED 35 knots PRICE £2.05 million ex VAT CONTACT www.fairline.com

While Fairline is planning to unveil a revised Squadron 68 in Cannes, the more noteworthy and radical World debut is likely to involve the new Phantom 65.

Heralded as Fairline’s first ever ‘sportsbridge’ yacht, it aims to take the external form of the award-winning Targa 65 and add a low-slung fly deck to the mix for tri-deck flexibility alongside a beautifully streamlined sportscruiser aesthetic.

With long, blade-like hull windows and a deep-set flybridge that blends gently into the curved roof mouldings as you move aft of the boat’s centreline, it’s clearly a success from a stylistic perspective. But the sportsbridge is still big enough to provide twin helm seats to port, plus convertible starboard lounge seating, a neatly integrated wet bar and a generous wraparound dining area aft.

Happily, the impact of all that on the 65’s main deck looks virtually consequence-free. There’s still plenty of forward space for a large glazed sunroof to bathe the helm and the full-beam lounge in natural light. And the division of the saloon space into an upper and a lower level helps generate the extra headroom that the low-slung sportsbridge might otherwise inhibit.

While the forward part of the saloon is all about relaxed lounging with big open views, the lower level features a wraparound galley in the ideal position, between the saloon and the cockpit. It also features a C-shaped starboard lounge, which (like the rest of the boat) uses some playful angles and subtle asymmetry to add personality to the space.

Out in the cockpit, a central walkaround sunbed and a diagonal starboard dining station help preserve plenty of wide open deck space for easy access to the swim platforms and to the port ladder. And the beautifully contained foredeck dining zone provides another really useful place for a private escape, a communal lunch or a simple change of scene.

You can equip the new Phantom 65 with either twin Caterpillar C18-1150 diesels or twin V12 Caterpillar C32-1622s for performance of between 31 and 35 knots. You can also spec it with a four-cabin layout or with a range of three cabin configurations, with or