Absolute builds its yachts—which range from a 40 to a 73, covering four lines—in Piacenza, Italy, a city of about 100,000 southeast of Milan. The builder emphasizes two things: innovative Italian design and a sturdy, safe and quiet ride. When I got aboard the Absolute 58 Fly off Staten Island, New York, I wanted to see if she measured up.
As is the norm for Absolute, the main deck has a single, standard layout. The design aids in efficiency during the build process and speaks to the builder’s confidence in its choices. If there’s only one option, it better be well thought out—and it is.
A teak alfresco dining table dominates the cockpit, with bench seating at the transom. In the salon, there’s an aft galley to port with a four-burner Bosch electric cooktop. Above the counter, Absolute has put a homey touch: a teak bottle opener bolted to the refrigerator compartment. The forward part of the galley can be closed off, which at first I thought chopped up the space too much for a boat this size. However, I then realized it was a smart idea, since the divider protects the leather U-shaped settee forward of the galley from any splatters.
Across from the galley to starboard is the yacht’s interior dining area: a U-shaped settee for four or five with a fixed-height table. Bench seating for three forward of that adds to the salon seating. Aside from the refrigerator in the after port corner of the space, the salon has nearly 360 degrees of windows. And the seating is high enough to have a good look out of those windows, a hallmark of experienced design.
The 58 Fly’s helm is to starboard with a side door that isn’t a common feature on boats of this size and class, and that aids when docking short-handed. Twin helm seats upholstered in dark, soft Italian leather kept me comfortable and offered good lines of sight. I also liked the upgraded Garmin package with twin screens, and the Volvo Penta joystick control for use at slower speeds.
Solid hardwood steps lead down to the accommodations level, which benefit from an atrium effect thanks to the yacht’s steeply raked windshield. The master stateroom is amidships, down two steps and flooded with natural light thanks to windows flanking either side. There’s a walkaround king-size berth, a 6-foot-tall hanging locker, and 15 cabinets and drawers—a good amount for extended stays aboard.
The forepeak VIP stateroom is en suite and nearly large enough to double as a second master. It has an island queen berth as well as a locker of similar size to the master’s. A starboard-side guest stateroom with twin berths that convert to a double has private access to the day head, as well as a 6-foot-tall locker of its own. One of my favorite design elements on the accommodations level is that each stateroom has pocket doors leading to the companionway. They create more space, as swinging doors won’t get in anyone’s way.
Up top on the 58 Fly’s namesake flybridge, a reverse-raked windshield offers wind protection for the twin portside helm chairs, which are just forward of the grill. That grill services a U-shaped dining settee across from it, where light meals and cocktails will surely take precedence.
I stood at the flybridge helm while zipping the yacht around the Raritan Bay. Powered by twin 625 hp Volvo Penta IPS800s, the 58 Fly galloped along at a 22-knot cruise speed and 2,650 rpm while her motors burned 53 gph. At that speed, she turned hard over to starboard in two boat lengths, and pirouetted to port in one and a half. With the hammer down, she climbed to a respectable 30.2 knots.
The ride was solid, particularly as I carved her through the steep, sloshing wake of the hard-over turns. Her fiberglass hull is reinforced with a multidimensional grid that helps maintain rigidity. The wooden soles, ceilings and bulkheads are buttressed with fiberglass supports, aiding with structural integrity and sound attenuation. She was, as the builder promises, smooth, solid and quiet.
With the 58 Fly, Absolute has a versatile and stylish yacht, with onboard touches that make her stand out in her class. Those attributes, combined with her ride, produce a model example of her builder’s goals.
Take the next step: absoluteyachts.com
