A
Absolute Yachts brings its
blend of Italian flair and
Swedish engineering to
the latest 50 Fly model,
and the upstart builder has
again left many traditional makers in
its wake. In just eight years, the Italian
shipyard has carved a considerable
share of the market through excellence
in design and innovation. Much of the
success can be attributed to Volvo’s IPS
drive system. Each boat in the Absolute
range, from the sporty 40-footer to
the luxury 72 Flybridge, is designed
around the Volvo system, offering
superior power-to-weight ratios and
smaller footprints in the engine room,
allowing larger accommodation
below. According to local importer
Steve Hannes from Premier Marine,
Absolutes give contemporary ownerswhat they want – a quality vessel
without ostentation but with room
to entertain or cruise in comfort. At
the heart of Absolute’s innovative
design is the Integrated Structural
System (ISS), with a multi-dimensional
grid covering the entire length and
beam of the hull – floors, ceilings
and bulkheads affixed with fibreglass
supports. The interior is installed into
the hull mould before the deck is fixed
in place, forming – the builder claims- an incredibly strong unit. Despite
this, all the boat’s components are
easily accessible and can be removed
for maintenance without destructive
surgery. On the 50 Fly, features
seem to come in threes – it’s a three-
level, three-cabin layout with three
entertainment precincts. Okay, strictly
there’s a fourth (optional) crew cabin at
the stern but in the test boat this was
configured as storage space. As well
as gains to internal space from the IPS
drive and ISS construction, the hull
carries its 4.43m beam well forward. It
is relatively wide higher up in the bow
but stepped in to present a narrow
entry below the waterline. The ride is
also by softened by the running strakes
and narrowed chines easily visible
at rest. While she is a big boat for a
50-footer, she carries her size well, with
the fresh lines common to the latest
Absolute Flybridge range. A lustrous
white hull is offset against dark saloon
and cabin windows, while a white
fibreglass structural support continues
forward of amidships, rising to form a
Targa arch over the rear section of the
flybridge. A full-width hydraulic swim
platform is clad in solid teak and leads32 tradeaboat.com.au