Prestige F4.3 first look: Is this the perfect family boat?

The Prestige F4.3 was on show at Düsseldorf boat show in January and it impressed with some very clever design tricks

Prestige kept the lid on the Prestige F4.3 – its latest launch – right up until the covers came off at Düsseldorf boat show. What it revealed wasn’t quite an all-new boat, but thanks to an entirely different deck, superstructure and layout, it might as well have been.

In fact, the F4.3 uses the same hull as the 420 flybridge, partly because there was nothing wrong with the old one and partly because it enabled them to get a new boat to market much more quickly than starting from scratch.

It has done the trick because the F4.3 looks and feels like a brand new boat. Printed glass fashion plates that envelop the side decks add presence to the side profile and protection to the cockpit, while a dark grey moulding at the front of the flybridge reduces the visual height.

There are doors on both sides of the new aft-facing galley

However, it’s the new main deck layout that will make or break this boat. That starts with an oversized hydraulic bathing platform with access to a big watersports locker for paddleboards and the like, plus an optional transom wet bar with a grille and sink.

Steps lead up from here to the cockpit and its ‘ocean view’ galley. Essentially, this is an aft-facing galley with a full-width window that opens out into the cockpit, creating a bar where you can sit and chat to the chef. The key to its success is a door on both sides of the galley, allowing guests to come and go without having to shuffle past anyone.

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The only downside is that it makes for a rather short but wide lounge area ahead of it. It’s actually quite a good size and has the benefit of an unusually long forward-facing bench, but we’re so used to long, thin saloons that it feels a bit odd. The flybridge has also expanded out over the side decks, creating a bigger dining area at the stern with a fridge tucked into the table support.

The lower deck stays largely unchanged with a surprisingly big full-beam owner’s cabin amidships and a forward VIP with the option of a second ensuite bathroom at the expense of a utility room. While headroom is restricted on one side of the bed, a full-beam owner’s cabin is still a rare luxury on a 43ft boat.

The owner’s full-beam cabin is a bonus on a boat of this size

Twin Volvo D6 engines on V-drive gearboxes linked to a bow thruster and an Aventics control system should give the reliability of shaftdrives with the easy berthing advantages of joystick control, making it ideally suited to families in search of their first proper cruising boat.

Prestige F4.3 specifications

LOA: 42ft 10in (13.07m)
BEAM: 13ft 5in (4.1m)
ENGINES: 2 x Volvo Penta 440hp D6 V-drive
TOP SPEED: 31 knots
PRICE: From £605,263 ex VAT
CONTACT: prestige-yachts.com

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This article Prestige F4.3 first look: Is this the perfect family boat? appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Source: https://www.mby.com/news/prestige-f4-3-first-look-is-this-the-perfect-family-boat-134671