Motor Boat & Yachting – May 2018

When the 500 launched in 2011, it

was a bit of a game changer. From

the hull windows instead of portholes

to the mirrored saloon glazing and

taut clean lines, it was very much

a product of the Teenies. But the

real game changing took place inside.

INTERIOR

The galley-aft layout, putting the

kitchen directly inside the saloon

doors, whilst modern, was nothing

new, although the one-piece glazing

either side of the saloon is pretty

swish. What was unique on an aft-

cockpit flybridge cruiser just under

50ft was separate access to the

master. The forward companionway

leading to cabins two and three is in

its usual place forward of the saloon,

but to reach the owner’s quarters

you need to hook a sharp right as you

pass through the saloon doors to your

own private stairway. A useful corollary

of this layout is a narrower forward

passageway as it no longer has to

allow access aft, resulting in twin

beds rather than bunks in cabin three.

EXTERIOR

Unusually, the saloon doors slide

in both directions. Slid one way, they

make an easy route from saloon to

cockpit, slid the other, they give direct

access to the galley. On the flybridge,

creating more headroom inside results

in a large sunpad next to the double

helm. But that still leaves space for a

generous L-shaped dinette further aft.

PERFORMANCE

Twin Volvo Penta IPS600s gave

435hp aside for a top end of 28.5

knots when we tested it, for 20-25

knots of cruise speed.

SEAKEEPING

A main benefit of IPS is siting the

engines further aft than traditional

shaftdrive, which is what creates

space for the big mid cabins. Unusually

though, Prestige chose to sacrifice

a little of that by positioning the

engines slightly further forward and

linking to the pods with jack shafts.

Doing so moves the centre of gravity

forward to keep the bow planted.

DATA FILE

2015 £584,950

Length 49ft 10in (15.2m)

Beam 14ft 9in (4.5m)

Draught 3ft 5in (1.1m)

Displacement 13.5 tonnes

Fuel capacity

286 gallons (1,300 litres)

Engines Twin Volvo Penta

IPS600 435hp diesel

FOR SALE Burton Waters.

Web: http://www.burtonwaters.co.uk

KEY CRITERIA

OSpace

OPace

OGrace

Prestige 500

Fuel tanks on

the small side

Private mid-

cabin access

++++

RATING

FIND ME A USED...

50ft

fl ybridge

Words Nick Burnham

Plenty of seating

at the aft end

of the fl ybridge

The two-tiered helm makes

room for two plotters as well

as analogue instruments

The full-beam

master has its own

private entrance

A narrower forward passage

allows twin beds in cabin

three instead of bunks