Yachts are flashy by nature. Their luxurious comforts, by design, shout flair and opulence. The Fairline Yachts Phantom 65, however, shows off in a subtler way. From stern to bow, this sport-bridge model has hidden features that can transform spaces in big and small ways.
Take, for example, the quietude of the cantilevered teak table in the cockpit. It connects the transom seating with the starboard-side, L-shaped settee to create an alfresco dining area big enough for all guests to enjoy. The two settees can also become one with a sliding hideaway connector from the transom settee, and diners can add the two stools from the indoor dining space, should guests drop by for dessert.
Also inside is a U-shaped settee to starboard with a high-gloss table that can raise for meals or lower to become a coffee table—all on the same level as the cockpit and galley, which is aft in the portside corner. The galley’s location, combined with an electrically powered fold-up window to starboard and a sliding-glass door that hides behind the portside stairs, creates one interconnected socializing space for entertaining and serving.
Forward and a step up, the salon has two settees: one that’s U-shaped and to port, and a two-seater to starboard. The portside seating can be accompanied by a coffee table or a replica of the dining area’s versatile table. To starboard, a TV rises from the console.
Lighting is another design priority aboard Fairline’s Phantom 65. Hullside windows on either side of the salon measure 93 by 36 inches, providing unobstructed views. Both are tinted and covered with UV-reduction film, as are all windows on this yacht, including the single-piece windshield. The sunroof above the salon allows for more natural light. For evenings on board, the Phantom 65 has intimate white mood lighting throughout most spaces.
More subtle touches are on the foredeck, which can serve as a private gathering space at marinas where the yacht will dock stern-to. Fairline maintains a clean look here by hiding the windlass and anchor chain in the deck. Abaft that working area are two sun pads that can be elevated with backrests, and a U-shaped settee with a teak table that can be lowered out of sight.
Belowdecks, Fairline offers four layouts: three with three staterooms (one with a day head, one with an extended VIP and one with a utility room) and a four-stateroom setup. Hull No. 7, which we got aboard, had the portside utility room with an additional full-height fridge/freezer, an ironing board and stowage. In the extended-VIP version, the forepeak stateroom’s head replaces the utility room and serves as a day head. In the day-head layout, the utility room becomes a fourth head. The four-stateroom option places a stateroom with bunks in the same space.
In every layout, there is a twin-berth guest stateroom to starboard that can convert to a double. The master spans the full beam amidships with a sofa to port and a vanity to starboard. Additional drawers can replace the portside sofa.
The Phantom 65 has a pair of two-seat helm stations: one to port on the sport bridge and the other to starboard on the main deck. Both stations are equipped with Garmin electronics and are sized for three 16-inch multifunction displays. The Phantom 65 also has the builder’s F-drive software, which monitors all of the yacht’s systems.
Powered by twin 1,622 hp C32 Caterpillar engines, the Phantom 65 topped out at 36.2 knots and 2,300 rpm, with a fuel burn of 178 gallons per hour. Considering the yacht’s 1,103-gallon fuel capacity and a 10 percent reserve, range is 202 nautical miles at top hop. Dial back to a cruising speed of 26 knots at 2,100 rpm, and fuel burn drops to 99.8 gph. Range pops up to 258 nm. The Phantom 65’s engine room is accessed from a cockpit hatch. Everyday checks are accessible from the entry point.
Fairline’s Phantom 65 is a yacht with no need to shout about its high quality and style. The shipyard’s thoughtful design and construction, combined with the yacht’s performance metrics and versatile features, speak quite beautifully for themselves.
Made to Fit
The Fairline Phantom 65 has an aft garage that’s sized to accommodate an 11-foot-3-inch Williams Sportjet 345 without having to deflate the tender or remove its steering wheel. This garage also has a hydraulic winch and a roller system for easier launching and retrieval of the tender.
Quiet Design
Fairline designed the master stateroom with no water pipes running beneath it, helping to reduce noise. Water from the master’s head travels aft, while water from the forward heads moves forward. Noise is also mitigated by the master’s 6 1⁄2-inch-thick after bulkhead, which is built with sound-deadening materials.
