The Princess V65: When 36 Knots Meets Four-Cabin Practicality
The Princess V65 pairs 36-knot British performance with a nine-square-meter sliding roof that turns saloon and cockpit into a 40-ft open liv…
Read the articleThe Princess Yachts V Series
The sports-yacht line — 58'5" to 67'7", deep-V hulls, 33 to 36 knots
You want to be at the anchorage while the flybridge crowd is still clearing the inlet. The V Class is Princess's sports-yacht line, and it has been the brand's performance identity since the V39 and V52 arrived in the 1990s.
The formula is consistent across the three boats we have reviewed: a deep-V hull, a low single-level main deck, and enough power to make a 60-footer feel like something much smaller. What changes going up the range is how much of the boat you get to keep once the speed is paid for — the V55 and V58 are three-cabin boats, the V65 is a genuine four-cabin yacht with a nine-square-metre sliding roof over a continuous 40-foot deck.
The V Lineup, Smallest to Largest
Every Princess Yachts V model we review in depth, in the order owners step up through the series.
Photo credit Princess Yachts.
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.
Don't see the V model you're after — or a brand-new launch? Request specs through Yacht Specs Direct.
Moving Up the V Series
The V55 is 58'5" on a 15'3" beam at 63,028 lb, on twin Volvo D13-1000s for a published 33 to 35 knots. Three cabins, two heads, 660 gallons and a transom tender garage. Straight shafts rather than pods, which keeps the maintenance conventional.
The V58 is the longest of the three at 60'4" but the lightest at 45,200 lb, on twin Volvo D13-800s for 36 knots. Three cabins and two heads on a 15'3" beam with 581 gallons. Princess has since retired it, so it is a brokerage proposition rather than a new-build one.
The V65 is the flagship and a different class of boat. It is 67'7" on a 16'7" beam at 80,418 lb, on twin MAN V12-1400s for a published 34 to 36 knots — four en-suite cabins, 1,083 gallons, and the sliding roof that turns saloon and cockpit into one space. It shares its hull platform with the S65.
Our Take
The V65 is the one I would buy, and it is not close. The extra cabins matter less than the roof: on a sports yacht the whole argument is that you are outside, and Princess is the only builder in this size band that lets you open the entire main deck to the sky without giving up an enclosed saloon in bad weather.
The honest counter is money and berth. The V65 is a materially more expensive boat than the V55, and at 67'7" it prices differently in a marina. If your running is genuinely short-hop and two couples, the V55 does that job and leaves you change.
The V58 is worth a look secondhand precisely because Princess dropped it. It is the lightest boat here and the fastest on paper, and a retired model with a good survey is usually the best value in any range. Just go in knowing the yard has moved on.
Princess Yachts V Articles & Guides
Watch Our Princess Yachts V Reviews
Official Princess Yachts Premieres
Videos courtesy of Princess Yachts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What defines the Princess V Class?
The V Class is Princess's sports-yacht line, built on deep-V hulls with a low single-level main deck and enough power to make a 60-footer feel smaller than it is. The line dates to the V39 and V52 in the 1990s. The three models we have reviewed run from 58 feet 5 inches to 67 feet 7 inches with published maximums between 33 and 36 knots.
Which Princess V Class models are still in production?
The V55 and V65 remain in Princess's current range, alongside the V40 and V50 which we have not yet reviewed. The V58 has been retired and is now only available on the brokerage market. Princess's current V Class runs from the 42-foot-6-inch V40 up to the V65.
Which V Fits Your Life?
Tell us how you plan to use the boat — guests, range, crew or no crew — and we'll give you the straight story on where in the V series you belong, new or brokerage.
Explore All Princess Yachts ModelsOr reach Tony directly: TS@MintedYachts.com · +1 (404) 805-9819