There is a moment at 30 knots when a well-sorted sports yacht goes quiet — the hull settled, the helm light, conversation still possible in the salon. The Princess V55 is built around that moment: a proper sports yacht for the owner who actually drives, with three genuine cabins hiding under the profile.
Who This Boat Is For
The V55 is for the driving owner — fast passages, weekends measured in miles covered, and no permanent crew. The joystick docking and secondary cockpit helm keep every maneuver a one-person job, and the transom tender garage means the toys travel without a chase boat.
The Layout
Three staterooms and two heads, led by a full-beam amidships master — real accommodation, not a two-cabin boat pretending to sleep six. The salon stays quiet enough at speed to hold a conversation, which says more about Plymouth's build discipline than any brochure adjective. Above, the cockpit and helm flow as one sociable, driver-centered space.
Performance
Twin 1,000 hp Volvo D13 diesels push the V55 to a published maximum of 35 knots, drawing from 660 gallons of fuel on a hull displacing 63,028 pounds. Princess quotes maximum speeds rather than cruise figures, so let the sea trial write your numbers: hold your intended pace, log the observed burn, and plan from that.
Against the Alternatives
The V58 is the newer take on the same three-cabin sports brief; the V65 steps up to four cabins and the sliding roof. Cross-shop the Sunseeker Predator 55 to feel the two British philosophies side by side — the V55's case is usable volume without surrendering the drive.
Where to Start
Drive it. Specifically: run it at pace into a bit of chop, bring it back, and dock it yourself on the joystick. The V55 is bought at the helm or not at all — the three cabins below are what let you justify the decision to the family.