As I stepped out of the blazing Palm Beach, Florida, sun into the cool, airy main deck of the Princess Yachts Y80, I was immediately impressed by the bright, open and inviting feel of the interior. There’s nearly 7-foot headroom, and the windows span almost from the deck to the overhead, enabling a cascade of natural light to enter the space. The contrast of neutral soft goods and satin-finish walnut offers elegance in a warm, upscale way that doesn’t speak to any sort of pretentiousness. Indeed, this is a vessel equally suited to a family cavorting throughout the Caribbean in wet bathing suits or couples cruising the Mediterranean en route to Saint-Tropez or Porto Cervo with a professional crew.
The flow is uninterrupted from the cockpit to the helm forward. Entering via a glass door, there’s a lounge with seating to port and starboard, a galley to starboard and portside dining for eight. With the galley open to the dining area, owners can dial it up with china and crystal for formal occasions or kick back with lighter fare for the family and kids. Forward is belowdecks access to port, as well as the lower helm station with Garmin displays and Stidd seating.
Accommodations belowdecks are thoughtfully laid out. The full-beam master stateroom with a king berth spans the Y80’s 19-foot-11-inch beam. The stateroom is abaft the circular stairwell for privacy, and the en suite has his-and-hers sinks and a shower. A nod to the builder’s level of customization: The owner elected to forgo the standard sofa and add stowage for extended cruising along the East Coast and Bahamas.
Forward and to starboard is the first guest stateroom with a queen berth; across the companionway is a second stateroom with twin berths that can be electrically joined to form a queen. A Pullman berth is an option. Far forward is the third guest stateroom with a king berth. All are en suite, and Princess labels them all VIPs.
While the Y80 is beautiful on the inside, its outdoor spaces also stand out, starting with the main deck aft. This seating area with a table is perfect for alfresco dining in the shade of the overhang, or as a spot to chill out between rides on the water toys. Speaking of the toys, the swim platform submerges to launch a personal watercraft or a tender; a crane is an option for a larger runabout.
The flybridge continues the theme of open-air entertaining with a wet bar and seating in sunny and shaded zones for guest comfort.
On the Y80’s foredeck, an open seating area accommodates 10 people with forward- and aft-facing U-shaped seating that converts to a sun pad. This space is a breezy spot to enjoy the views while underway or on a quiet getaway during those balmy summer evenings at anchor.
Performance is another cornerstone of the Princess brand. We left the dock and headed for Lake Worth Inlet at 900 rpm and made 9 knots. Twin 1,900 hp MAN diesels are standard, but this Y80 had the optional 2,000 hp engines for a bit more oomph. We were greeted by rolling 2-footers as we made our way into the Atlantic, with conditions that allowed us to wring out the vessel throughout its speed range.
At 1,840 rpm, the Y80 loped easily at 26 knots as the MANs burned 120 gallons per hour, a solid mix of speed and efficiency yielding a maximum range of 400 nautical miles. Turning the wheel hard over produced virtually no heeling. The Sleipner fin-stabilizing system automatically controlled the boat’s attitude. The Y80 performed like a much smaller yacht, carving turns and tracking with aplomb. With the throttles fully forward, the Y80 hit a top-end speed of 35.2 knots at 2,325 rpm. That’s impressive for a vessel displacing more than 145,000 pounds. A quick jog across the Gulf Stream to Bimini for lunch wouldn’t be out of the question.
The upper helm station provides unobstructed visibility, and all controls and electronics are within easy reach. This owner opted for a three-sided clear enclosure, which kept the wind out of our faces and the noise levels remarkably low at just 78 decibels, allowing me to converse with the crew without raised voices. Two 18-inch Garmin multifunction displays flank a centerline Böning engine display.
Additional equipment includes FLIR night-vision cameras, joystick control and Starlink, as well as Garmin VHF radios and a Surround View 360-degree camera system. The latter is especially neat when anchoring or docking, providing critical views on the helm displays for precise close-quarters maneuvering.
Build quality is another Princess hallmark. With more than 80 percent of each vessel constructed at its facility in Plymouth, England, Princess remains firmly in control of the Y80’s exemplary fit-and-finish.
When a boatbuilder sets out to replace a model in its lineup, it typically dives deeply into what made the previous vessel a success while adding design and technology improvements to level up the ownership experience. As the replacement for the Y78 in the Princess Yachts lineup, the Y80 hits that mark squarely, and then some.
Rule Britannia
Located in Plymouth, an area rich in British maritime history and heritage—some of which dates back to the 17th century—the Princess Yachts manufacturing facility encompasses more than 1.1 million square feet, making it the largest yacht manufacturer in the United Kingdom.
Room to Roam
With its 19-foot-11-inch beam, the Princess Yachts Y80 has considerable volume inside and outside while maintaining an elegant interior layout as well as sleek exterior styling. The yacht’s four staterooms accommodate eight guests without compromising the deep, wide side decks, providing seamless and safe access to the alfresco entertainment spaces in the bow and at the stern.
Bespoke Design
The Y80 offers owners a variety of options. The standard furniture is crafted from satin-finished Rovere oak, while optional woods include ash, silver oak or walnut in high-gloss or satin finishes. Owners can also dial in the flybridge layout, choosing from freestanding sun loungers, a spa, or a crane to launch a tender concealed within a sun pad. And while the standard main deck provides an uninterrupted flow from the cockpit to the helm, optional partitions for the galley and wheelhouse are available for those who prefer a more private layout.
The X Factor
In addition to the Y80, Princess Yachts offers an X80. The newest and second entry in the X Class is characterized by what the British builder calls a “super flybridge,” which Princess says has 30 percent more space than other flybridge yachts of this length. Like the Y80, it also has a four-stateroom layout. Powered with twin 1,900 hp MAN diesel engines, the X80 has a reported 29-to-31-knot top hop.
Take the next step: princessyachtsamerica.com
