Palm Beach continues on its quest to turn out high-performance, efficient, and of course, pretty boats. To that end the builder will debut its new GT50 at the Newport International Boat Show in September, with plans for additional GTs to launch in 2019.
The GT50 is designed to have elegant lines while delivering very sporty numbers, with a top end over 40 knots and a cruise speed in the mid 30s. The Newport debut will be of the Express model while an Open boat will come out shortly thereafter at Dusseldorf in the wintertime.
Engines for the first GT50 will be twin 600 hp Volvo IPS800s. Palm Beach projects that with those powerplants the boat will sip 40 gallons per hour at 35 knots, and just 24 gallons per hour at 25 knots.
“When I started Palm Beach almost 25 years ago, I had one over-arching set of objectives—to design and build the best performing, most efficient and beautiful boats on the water,” said Mark Richards, Palm Beach Motor Yachts founder and CEO. “The GT50 represents a culmination of the best of Palm Beach and there’s really nothing out there like it today.”
He’s not kidding. The GT50 will have the same hull as other Palm Beaches, meaning the bow will remain in the water instead of wasting energy trying to get up and on plane. Construction was mainly focused on keeping the boat light and strong. Notably, the deck and superstructure will be fully carbon fiber, while the deck and bulkheads are structurally bonded to the boat’s bottom to form a strong semi-monocoque shell.
The boat was also designed with simplicity in mind, so boaters can make the most efficient use of their time on the water. “We designed the systems and built the boat to be turnkey,” said Richards. “We want you to step on board, turn on the engines and go out and enjoy the water. That’s what boating is all about.”
The GT50 will be able to carry many guests for social occasions, and sports two L-shaped settees in the cockpit and another two settees in the salon. Twin helm seats accompany the carbon-fiber helm station, while the galley is bolstered by additional refrigeration in the cockpit.
The Palm Beach GT50 will make her way down the coast after the Newport show, hitting other major shows along the way. So keep a sharp eye out for her, something tells us you’ll like what you see.
