The Princess Y80: When British Engineering Meets Real-World Cruising
The Princess Y80 is a go-anywhere flybridge yacht: optional MAN V12-1900s deliver a 33-knot top end, four en-suite staterooms, and British i…
Read the articlePrincess Yachts: Everything You Need To Know
You want a yacht that behaves the same in a building Channel chop as it does on a flat Saturday morning. Princess has been building to that standard in Plymouth since 1965. Here is our expert assessment of the brand.
— Tony Smith
Founder, Minted Yachts
The thing to understand about Princess is where the boats are built and how much of them. Princess says more than 80 percent of every yacht is crafted at its own Plymouth yards, and you can feel it in the parts of a boat nobody photographs — the back of a locker, the run of a wiring loom, the way a hatch still shuts properly in year six. That is the argument for paying the premium, and it is the reason these boats trade well when it is time to sell.
Here is the honest counter-argument. The published figure for each model is a maximum speed range spanning the engine options, so anyone quoting you a precise Princess cruise number is estimating. Ask for the sea-trial data on the exact engine package you are buying, because the spread between the options is real: the X80 is a 25-knot boat or a 30-knot boat depending on which MAN V12 you specify.
Where to start depends on what you actually do. The V Class is the sports-yacht line and the most fun to drive. The F Class is the practical family flybridge and the best value in the range. Y Class is where the crew quarters and real distance begin. The X Class is the odd one out and the most interesting — Princess calls it the Super Flybridge, and it trades top-end speed for an enormous amount of enclosed living space. If you cruise with more people than you race, look there first.
Explore the Princess Yachts Series
FThe family flybridge line — 47'1" to 66'7", Volvo and MAN power, 29 to 33 knotsPrincess Yachts F series guideVThe sports-yacht line — 58'5" to 67'7", deep-V hulls, 33 to 36 knotsPrincess Yachts V series guideSThe sportbridge line — the S65, 67'7", twin MAN V12-1400, 34 to 36 knotsPrincess Yachts S series guideYThe flybridge motoryacht line — 74'9" to 83'8", MAN V12 power, 33 to 35 knotsPrincess Yachts Y series guideXThe Super Flybridge line — 82'5" to 88'11", MAN V12 power, 25 to 30 knotsPrincess Yachts X series guide
Feature Model Lineup
Deep-dive specs and expert opinions on current Princess Yachts models. Don't see the Princess Yachts you're looking for? Reach out for new and pre-owned brokerage options.
Photo credit Princess Yachts.
The Princess F45 is the first flybridge under 50 feet with a true full-beam master cabin — twin Volvo D6-480s on IPS 650 pods give it a 31-knot top end, joystick docking, and owner-operator simplicity.
The Princess F55 is a 58-foot flybridge cruiser with a full-beam owner's cabin and a genuine three-couple layout — twin 900 HP Volvo D13s deliver a 33-knot top end and 26-knot cruise.
The Princess F65 delivers a 31 to 33-knot top end from twin 1,200 HP MANs, with four ensuite cabins, crew quarters, and flybridge proportions built for genuine four-season cruising.
The Princess V55 runs at 35 knots on twin 1,000 HP Volvo D13s with a salon quieter than most sedans at cruise — a full-beam amidships master, three real staterooms, and a transom tender garage.
The Princess V58 pairs 1,600 combined horsepower with a deep-V hull for a 36-knot top end and 28-knot cruise — a legitimate three-cabin, two-head layout with a full-beam master amidships.
The Princess V65 pairs twin 1,400 HP MANs with a 36-knot top end, wrapped in a 40-foot continuous deck under a sliding glass roof — four full cabins in a 67-foot sportscruiser.
The Princess S65 is a 67-foot sport-bridge yacht that merges flybridge space with sports-yacht speed — twin 1,400 HP MANs deliver a 34 to 36-knot top end and four full staterooms.
The Princess Y72 is a 75-foot flybridge yacht with a true single-level main deck and full-beam owner's suite — twin 1,650 HP MANs deliver a 35-knot top end, four ensuite cabins, and crew quarters.
The Princess Y80 is an 84-foot flybridge flagship built for real distance — twin 1,900 HP MANs, a 33-knot top end, four ensuite cabins, and crew quarters, over 80% built in-house at Princess's own Plymouth yard.
The Princess X80 is an 82-foot dual-deck crossover with an enclosed upper salon and five ensuite cabins plus crew quarters — twin 1,900 HP MANs take it to 30 knots wide open.
The Princess X90 is an 89-foot crossover with drop-down balconies port and starboard, an enclosed flybridge sky lounge, and a main-deck owner's suite — twin 2,000 HP MANs take it to 27 knots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Princess yachts built?
In Plymouth, on the south coast of England, where the company has built boats since 1965. Princess says more than 80 percent of every yacht is crafted in-house across its Plymouth sites, which include Newport Street, Lee Mill, Langage, Coypool and South Yard, part of the city's historic dockyards. That vertical integration is the core of the brand's quality argument.
How should I read Princess speed figures?
Princess quotes a maximum speed range for each model, spanning the engine options offered — the X80, for example, is a 25-knot boat or a 30-knot boat depending on which MAN V12 you specify. Treat any precise cruise figure in a listing as an estimate rather than a manufacturer specification, and ask for sea-trial data on the exact engine package you are buying.
How long has Princess been building yachts?
Since 1965, when the founders fitted out their first boat in a rented shed in Newport Street, Plymouth. The company began as Marine Projects (Plymouth) Ltd in 1963 and took the Princess name from the Princess 32, launched at the 1970 London Boat Show. It became Princess Yachts International in 2001 and marked sixty years of building in 2025.
What are the Princess yacht classes?
Princess organises its range into six classes. V Class are sports yachts on deep-V hulls. F Class are practical family flybridge yachts. S Class are sportbridge yachts, faster than a conventional flybridge of the same length. Y Class are larger flybridge motoryachts with crew quarters. X Class are Super Flybridge yachts with enclosed upper decks. C Class are the smallest, at around 14 metres.
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