Prestige Yachts has spread their wings and established a new boat line with the premier of the Prestige X70. With the X line, they’re going for the superyacht feel but in a more compact and manageable platform. Not just another mini-superyacht, the X70 has a few features that show the French builder is thinking out of the box.
Concept and Design
Prestige calls this a crossover yacht, I presume because the X70 has one foot in the owner/operator cruiser market and the other in the crewed superyacht world. At over 94,000 pounds of cruising displacement, this is a big boat but can still be operated by a capable couple, so it can go both ways.
The new model’s unique styling is apparent right from the dock. The designers, Garroni Design and Militerno DeRomedis, have reimagined the profile by reinventing the available space and eliminating traditional side decks. Instead, from the cockpit, you walk up a staircase on either side to the flybridge and then down again to the foredeck. This allows for a bright full-beam salon with excellent views, and it also changes up crew traffic to minimize intrusion on guests (more on this later.)
The profile is a mix of competing lines including a shippy reverse windshield and layering of multiple black and white bands that have the trompe l’oeil effect of cutting overall height.
On Deck
Step aboard the aft swim platform and check out the beach club that includes a wide lounge, perfect for relaxing at the waterline or watching the kids play behind the boat. When not in use, the pillows tuck in and you simply lift and close up the seat into a traditional looking transom. That’s a great, low-hassle idea for transforming space in seconds.
Step up the staircase on either side and you’ll be in the massive cockpit. There’s some versatility of layout here, but our model at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show featured twin settees, one on either side, and a combination aft-facing seat/sunbed in the middle. The backrests on the sunbed don’t attach in any way (by either snaps or Velcro). Instead, they’re weighted so that there’s an infinite combination of ways to position them and create comfort, but they won’t go flying in the wind. Since superyachts tend toward loose furniture, you can add two ottomans aft behind the coffee tables. The railing is stainless steel and glass, so the view aft is unimpeded. Prestige calls this the “infinite cockpit.”
You can opt to not have the middle lounge and instead, replace it with a free-standing dining table for six, or you can place the table inside into the salon. The salon and the cockpit are on the same level. With the glass door open, it feels as if the interior and exterior are one and the same.
There are two ways to get to the bow from the cockpit. You can ascend the staircases on either side to the flybridge and descend to the bow area with its enormous sunbed and optional awning. The other way is to move through the salon to the pilot house and out a side door.
The flybridge is substantial. Twin helm chairs and the dash are to port, and there’s L-shaped companion seating to starboard. Just behind, there’s a space that’s a bit hard to define. Our version had another dining table for six under the hardtop, but it felt a bit crowded. If the table were moved aft onto the open deck behind the galley module, the area would be more open, but there would be a bit of wasted space in the middle. It’s hard to understand what the designers had in mind here.
The entire deck is at once a series of separate social spaces and conjoined relaxation zones meant to bring people together with their environment. The twin exterior staircases have not been done previously on a vessel in this category. Time will tell if the concept will find an audience.
Accommodations
The Prestige X70 layout includes three or four cabins plus snug crew quarters for one or two. A signature feature on Prestige, the master suite has its own access from the portside next to the galley which is amidships. The full beam cabin is a sumptuous space with a large bed, a vanity desk, and a lounge as well as indirect light and soft surfaces to dampen vibration and sound.
The galley is on the main deck and in the middle of the salon. That works well for owner operators who want to cook and entertain in the living room. There’s a partition available if the crew will be doing the cooking in private. Just ahead is the pilothouse with a large dash and companion seating.
Access to the machinery space is via the crew quarters that are themselves entered by a door at the swim platform. The engine room is impressively laid out with everything nicely accessible and a midship space for a Seakeeper gyrostabilizer.
Naturally, there are many aesthetic choices available to completely personalize this yacht. A wide selection of loose furniture is available and the Foglizzo leather and Duvivier sofas are reminiscent of the yachts this boat is meant to emulate.
Propulsion
A somewhat unusual feature on the X70 is that it has the IPS system with forward-facing propellers. The standard package includes twin Volvo Penta 900-hp diesels, but you can upgrade to 1000-hp models. Both will deliver a respectable 20-knot cruise.
Thoughts
With this foray in a new direction, Groupe Beneteau (the parent company of Prestige) is testing the waters. Currently, Prestige offers models 42-69 feet in the F (flybridge) and S (sport) lines. The new X line adds a new option and provides both an opportunity for their existing clients to step up within the brand, as well as to attract a new upmarket clientele. Prestige has taken the task seriously and re-thought the proverbial box. Of course, if you have to be in a box, this is a nice one to occupy.
Prestige X70 Specifications:
LOA: 71' 7"
Beam: 17’ 6”
Draft: 5' 7"
Displacement (light): 73,634 lbs.
Fuel: 1057 gallons
Water: 201 gallons
Engines: 2 x 1200 hp Volvo Penta D13 (upgradable to 1350 hp)
Base Price: $4.2 million
Local Dealer: Chesapeake Yacht Center in Baltimore, MD: (410) 823-2628 or chesapeakeyachtcenter.com
By Zuzana Prochazka