First look
Being British I have a love-hate relationship with the
French. Or rather, we love everything about France- the
climate, cafés, crepes, camembert, champagne... it’s just
the people we have a problem with. But if we brush over
the Hundred Years W ar and Waterloo, even the rulers of
seven seas (the British) can appreciate that it was the French
that pioneered modern yachting culture. Though when we
think of luxury yachts our minds may sway towards Italian
brands, when it comes to where these yachts should be seen,
the ports will undoubtedly be French. Italians may have
style, but it’s the French that know what to do with it. Ooh la
la. Don’t worry, I haven’t gone completely Francophile, but
it is important to remember that as the bastions of luxury
yacht pampering, it goes without saying that they know
what makes a good boat.
The arrival of the Prestige 750 surprised some journalists,
who talked of the company ‘coming of age’ with this new
flagship, but having tested the 550 earlier this year, there are
sufficient similarities to demonstrate a true brand extension,
stretching the successful simplicity of its smaller sibling and
adding in a host of larger yacht necessities.
Dubai’s marinas are no stranger to large production yachts,
but arriving at the 750, like its smaller sister, the greater
freeboard means that the flybridge holds inches on the larger
yachts around it, giving an instant appearance of grandeur,
for like in sailing yachts, ‘height makes right’. Stepping
easily onto the hydraulic teak platform, or ‘teak beach’
from the dock, twin quarter stairs curve up to the aft deck
cockpit, meaning the captain is not restricted in his stern-to
docking for guest access, which is of particular importance
if carrying a tender. Eschewing the internal tender garage
for maximizing interior accommodation, tender, or jetski,
storage can either be on the hi-lo swim platform, or on the7.7sqm flybridge boat deck using the Opacmare davit.
Following a similar layout to the 550, though on a bigger
scale, the spacious aft cockpit with its transom bench
and dining table, sheltered by the flybridge above, leads
through to the single level main deck saloon. Immediately
on entering, the L-shaped galley to port is separated from
the saloon using an island table, which also enables easier
serving of the freestanding glass dining table. Offering
both interior and exterior fully set-up dining locations on
a flush deck is a great selling point in this class. Positioning
the galley here doubles it for serving both decks outside,
reducing the amount of movement serving staff need.
With all furniture built in low, light and exterior views are
maximised through the picture windows for the starboard
love bench seating and the port set curved sofas. A
largescreen TV rises when required from its bureau behind
the helm seat to offer an unrivalled viewing position. While
the elevated helm station is useful for the pilot, it does create
a natural divide from the rest of the saloon, and also blocks
all forward views unless you move forward to be on the same
level. Though in part due to the master suite positioning,
it is also a statement of the area usage that this is a true
saloon, not a working area – not everything in life should
be multifunctional. Practically, the raised helm positionOpen plan salon
arrangement
on a single deck
emphasises space28
New Boats