“We appeal to anybody who appreciates the fun in boats,” Sheriff says.
“Princess as a brand offers a level of understatement, which is nice – we
don’t go after flashy customers. We’re trying to bring back a little bit of
the romance of what a beautiful boat is supposed to be.”
No small part of that romance is to be found on the accommodation
level, where no-one draws the short straw. Everyone on an S78 gets
a pleasantly large cabin with its own en suite head and showers sized
for real people. The only exception to the equality is that the master
cabin has its own private entry via stairs opposite the helm and the
shower is big enough for two.
That cabin is conventional, with a centreline king berth, love seat to
one side, bureau opposite, plus a nicely sized walk-in wardrobe with a
dressing area. All of this spans the full beam, allowing for those views
through the large hull side windows of exotic harbours.
Many boatbuilding companies like to boast about their quality, but
Princess walks the walk. Based in Plymouth, Princess creates most of
the parts on the S78 rather than relying on subcontractors. From fuel
and water tanks to wiring looms and deck cleats, it’s all produced
in-house. That applies to the interior as well, which is finished in rovere
oak, a warm and very hard material, and the joinery is superyacht quality.
If you move the Transformers seating on the aft deck, you notice
two things: it’s very light and it’s incredibly strong. And, as your fingers
travel along the joints of the cabinetry, all they’ll feel is the silky
smoothness of the finish.
A flybridge is a divisive feature, since boaters in the Mediterranean
don’t usually care too much about them, while North Americans
practically live on them. Either way, the S78 satisfies with a near-
invisiblebutextremelycomfortablebridge.ThreeL-shapedsofasof
“WE’RE TRYING TO BRING
BACK A BIT OF THE ROMANCE
OF WHAT A BEAUTIFUL
BOATISSUPPOSEDTOBE”Forward on the main deck is a cosy corner opposite the helm station
(below), perfect for a quiet read or to view the yacht’s progress.
The owner’s cabin (bottom) takes advantage of the wide hull
openings to flood the desk-cum-dressing table with natural light175I