This section iteration of the Princess V52 (itself, the fourth in the V-class sportcruiser range) packs an awful lot into its 54ft LOA
During its first 15 years in business, you might argue that Princess Yachts developed its skills and reputation by concentrating on relatively workmanlike designs. Then in 1980, up popped design guru, Bernard Olesinski, and the firm’s transition to sportscruisers began. It would take a further 15 years for the original V-class to arrive – and while it did so in style with two models, the V39 and V52, these first generation V-class craft were open boats and so very different to our review boat.
What we have here is a hard-topped 2014 V52 sports yacht on offer with Princess Yachts, Swanwick for £530,000 UK VAT paid. It comes from the second incarnation to carry the V52 badge, which was launched at the 2010 Southampton Boat Show and remained in production for six years.
A mid-life facelift in 2013 also saw the hull’s three vertical glazed hull windows replaced by direct bonded glass to spruce up the boat’s profile and increase interior light. And that production run resulted in around 120 V52s being built. Just a cursory internet search reveals examples as far afield as the Caribbean and Australia, but given its global success, you don’t have to go that far to find one. We found ours in Chichester, where owner Paul Tredwell, showed us around…
“I’ve been around boats all my life and came to Princess after owning a Fairline. We had a Targa 43, which we used a lot until the kids got slightly bigger and the aft cabin they shared wasn’t quite good enough anymore,” said Paul. “So we needed to find something with three cabins to appease the children. We also wanted something a little larger and with the same sea keeping as the Targa 43, which was superb.
Slide-out stools that stow under the table increase the dining capacity to eight
“Apart from space below, the other issue with the Fairline was the canopies, which you would put on and take off quite a lot. As fantastic as it is when you have an open boat, we all know the weather changes in the UK and you end up scrambling to put the canopies on and off. Then at the end of the day, it’s always the person who owns the boat, washing it down and putting the canopies on for two hours while everyone else goes out and enjoys themselves.
“After a while that got a bit tedious so our aim was to find something that we could step on and go. That was our challenge, and in early 2022, we ended up with the V52.”
Family day spaces
The V52 certainly ticks lots of family boating boxes. At the aft end, there’s a standard hi-lo bathing platform big enough to carry a sizable tender. There’s also an aft cockpit with a massive ten-seater horseshoe seating unit, plus a starboard wet bar and grill.
Nestled beneath the seating unit, and accessed by way of steps, is a compact crew cabin which we suspect is more likely to be used for stowing toys and baggage rather than crew. As for sunbathers, they’re best catered for up front, where a pair of hinged sunpads recline at whatever angle you fancy. Access is good too, thanks to sturdy guardrails and teak-clad side decks that gently rise towards the bow.
Sliding aft doors and a single-level deck create a sociable connection between the cockpit and saloon
Moving forward from the aft cockpit, the wheelhouse is entered via a super-heavy but nicely balanced three-part sliding door. Touch and feel is an important factor for premium builders and Princess’s commitment to quality is abundantly clear here. Inside, the saloon is defined by straight unobstructed lines. Running the full length of the port side is the principal indoor dining area, where a second large horseshoe seating unit wraps around a generous dining table. By our count, the settee would comfortably accommodate eight guests, and there are also two extra pull-out pouffes ready and waiting beneath the table.
To starboard, a straight run of Rovere oak-faced cabinets provides plenty of storage and a fridge. It’s topped by a smooth wooden counter top which, just like the table opposite, is reassuringly thick, robust and beautifully finished with a stylish leather inlay. Completing the saloon’s key features is a pop-up TV and an ice-maker below the navigator’s seat.
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The helm keeps on ticking those premium boxes. Twin leather seats? Yes. Adjustable helm? Yes. Anti-glare surfaces? Yes. Excellent all-round visibility? Yes. Crisp and ergonomic control layout? Yes. Among those controls are two Carling switches, which operate the saloon’s ventilation system: an opening side window alongside the helm and a sunshine roof above.
We have seen one or two electric sunroofs that appear a bit worse for wear (possibly due to maintenance shortcomings) but the one fitted to our 11-year-old review boat opened as if it were brand new. And that’s important because it’s an absolutely enormous panel.
The quality of finish at the leather-trimmed helm is typically Princess
Down four steps from the saloon lies a U-shaped galley. Despite its relatively compact dimensions, it packs in everything you could reasonably require – a fridge/freezer, three ring ceramic hob, microwave/oven grill, sink, dishwasher, storage space and plenty of worktop. Forward of the galley are two of the review boat’s three cabins. The first is located to starboard (although on some V52s this space is occupied by a second dinette, which Princess offered as an option).
Even though this is the smallest of the V52’s cabins, it’s far from cramped with full size bunk beds, a three-drawer storage unit, full-height wardrobe, space for dressing and excellent headroom throughout. What this cabin does not have is an ensuite, so facilities are shared with the second cabin, which occupies the forepeak. Thanks to the Jack-and-Jill doors connecting it directly to the spacious day heads, this bow cabin is able to claim ensuite status. And in addition to V-berth beds that can be swung together to form a double, it offers a tall wardrobe and loads of storage.
The galley-down layout may no longer be in vogue but it still works very well
The full-beam master cabin is accessed from a door to the rear of the galley, adjacent to the steps down from the saloon. Two further steps take you past the cabin’s spacious ensuite and down to the bedroom area, which in addition to a king-size double provides a two-seater settee, a full height wardrobe and bags of storage space. Being a post-facelift vessel, our review boat’s master cabin also benefits from the large lozenge-shaped bonded glass windows for extra light.
Proven performance
In terms of propulsion, Princess offered three options for the V52: twin Volvo Penta D11s rated at either 670 or 725hp, or twin 715hp Caterpillar C12s. In our original test of the V52, we drove a model equipped with C12s, which achieved 34.9 knots. But our review boat has the larger 725 hp D11s and owner, Paul, reports a top speed of 36 knots, even with a full tank.
The bonded windows of this later generation V52 bring big benefits for the owner
“At that speed, you’re using around 144 litres per hour per side,” he adds as a cautionary note. “However, drop down to 24-28 knots and you’ll use between 70 and 84 litres, or go down to 18 knots and it falls to 50-60 litres. So fuel economy-wise, the boat’s actually very, very good – unless you open the throttles wide up!
“At 28 knots, it sits really comfortably and will go through pretty much any sea. I remember returning from Cowes when we had sea coming all the way over the top of the boat, but inside, we were relaxing with a cup of tea. No one in the family was worried at any point. The boat just ploughed through it all. Its seakeeping is as good as any boat I’ve ever been on. Slow speed manoeuvring is no problem either – it has variable bow and stern thrusters and the windage is less than a flybridge, so you can put this boat anywhere.”
The day heads sits directly across from the guest twin
The upshot
Although Paul is selling his V52 as part of a plan to move to Med boating, he remains firmly committed to it as the right boat for a growing family in home waters: “The kids now have their own cabin each, and they can bring a friend. We’ve had eight people on board, dining, fishing, barbecuing and swimming on the rare occasions it’s warm enough to get into the sea. It’s brilliant, it just does everything, In fact, in my view the V52 is the perfect UK boat.”
Princess V52 specifications
MODEL: Princess V52
DESIGNER: Princess Yachts with Bernard Olesinski
HULL TYPE: Variable Vee
RCD: B (12 people)
LOA: 54ft 6in (16.61m)
BEAM: 14ft 7in (4.45m)
DRAFT: 3ft 9in (1.14m)
DISPLACEMENT: 13,200kg
FUEL CAPACITY: 2,000L
WATER CAPACITY: 364L
TOP SPEED: 34.9 knots (with CAT C12 715hp engines – fuel figures below are for same engine)
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 166.38l/nm @ 25.4 knots
RANGE: 244nm at 25.4 knots with 20% reserve
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