Tested: Fairline Phantom 65
I’m not sure which was more impressive: the helicopter flying backwards at 37 knots less than 50 yards above the 65-foot yacht, or the 65-foot yacht topping out at 37 knots beneath the helicopter. Either way, I was having a hell of a time trying to take it all in while driving that yacht, Fairline’s new Phantom 65.
Our illustrious editor-in-chief had deemed Fairline’s new $4.6 million “sportsbridge” speedster worthy of a helicopter from Florida Coast to Coast photography. With lensman Robert Holland strapped into the open cockpit, pilot Drake Olson bobbed and weaved above the boat while we bobbed and weaved off Fort Lauderdale. I’ve found that sometimes, driving a boat this big amidst fairly calm seas is a lackluster endeavor; a thundering diesel drone, uninspiring acceleration to a top speed of 25 or so knots, and steering that feels ship-like. Not so aboard the Phantom. When her twin 1,622-hp Caterpillar D32’s reach 1,600 rpm, turbos spool, acceleration becomes urgent. Laying her hard over, the 95,000-pound yacht corners like a 65-foot Bentley Continental GT.
Photo: Robert Holland
Of the big three British yachtbuilders, Sunseeker, Princess and Fairline, the latter is the smallest. Despite being afloat for 55 years and having a robust U.S. profile in the late 90’s and early aughts, Fairline simply hasn’t been a major force in the last decade. But they’ve been on a serious rebound since the pandemic. According to Fairline’s Marketing Director Miles Moorhouse, they’re sitting atop the biggest line of pre-orders in company history and now have around 50 authorized dealers around the globe. In March of ‘22, they partnered with Nautical Ventures—a company seeing huge growth here in the states—as their Florida dealer partner. “It’s taken us awhile to begin supplying inventory to the Americas – demand across the world has been astronomical for the last three years,” Moorhouse told me. “But we are now seeing a flow of product from our F-LINE 33 to our flagship Squadron 68, beginning to hit US shores.”
Stepping aboard Phantom hull number one on a skin-melting August morning, I was met by Moorhouse and our piratically monikered Capt. Bill Blacketer. I found plenty to like.
Starting aft, I was immediately impressed with Fairline’s canny engineering. First was a flip-up panel next to the garage that creates a bona fide outdoor stand-up shower. Next was the beach platform itself. As wide as the boat and offering nearly five feet of extension, it submerges completely for swimming or loading an optional Williams Sportjet tender. There’s also room for a few bikes or standup paddleboards. Next to that starboard panel, stairs lift to reveal a dayhead and a space that can serve as an optional—but fairly claustrophobic—crew cabin, or a substantial second gear storage area. I was taken by a fold-out, loveseat-sized sofa built into the garage door with cushions stored just above in a custom bin. Other brilliant touches—including a bin on the rear deck crafted specifically for a Seabob, and a recessed hatch under the rear deck stairs for an optional passerelle—are just all over.
Moving up to the rear deck, the Phantom becomes a serious entertainer. A wraparound seating area is almost entirely shaded. Tough and comfortable cushions could seat upwards of ten when you deploy a clever extension that creates a huge, L-shaped settee. The settee’s table is a triangular slab of sustainably harvested teak with a single, huge mirrored leaf that opens to accommodate most patrons of that settee.
The cockpit and galley can be sealed from the stern via a substantial pair of gleaming, stainless-framed sliding glass doors and a three-foot-tall starboard window. When it’s all opened though, indoors commingles with outdoors. Standing at the marble countertop of a galley equipped with a dishwasher, full-size fridge, and induction cooktop, you could gaze seaward while prepping a salad and chatting up a guest who’s seated just to starboard at the leafed maple foldout cabin table.
Inside, the Phantom’s joinery is second to none. Many of the walnut walls and doors, closets and walls, are set off with a hand-sanded, fluted design pattern that gives beautiful, three-dimensional tone and texture. The wood grains on adjoining panels are also painstakingly matched so marbling lines up exquisitely. The full-beam, stern-set master suite is house-sized, with huge windows that lend a spectacular fisheye view of the passing ocean. The near full-beam master bath does the same—while also providing an engine room sound buffer. Suites have copious outlets, over-shoulder serpentine reading lights and ridge-lined non-skid nightstands to keep phones and books secure. The VIP cabin spans the full forward beam, also copiously windowed. In the guest cabin, the push of a button turns the twin berths into a double bed—revealing a hidden nightstand.
Out front, retractable mood lights can be sprung up from the flat deck and there’s a massive forward sunpad and lounge area served by, yet again, a beautiful retracting teak table. And above all this looms the sportsbridge. Shaded by an optional motorized bimini, it’s smaller than a standard flybridge, but I reckon at least ten passengers could still sit comfortably.
If the Phantom has any shortcomings, they come in the form of the windowless crew cabin, literally short siderails that hit my six-foot frame mid-thigh (that’s higher than on some yachts we’ve tested, but it’s still not the easiest grab height for a six-footer) and a cramped engine room. That Caterpillar nest is well-designed and labeled, with easy access to components like fuel filters, but on this scorching day, not even the insulation on the exhaust and turbos could shield you from the swelter. That’s just the space price you pay for that big garage.
I could go on, but suffice it to say, if this swooping, blindingly glossy black and white beast is indicative of Fairline’s current range, the future is bright. Moorhouse said that depending on how the 65 is received here in the states, Phantom name might eventually appear on more than just a 65—so watch this space.
Photo: Robert Holland
Fairline Phantom 65 Test Report
Fairline Phantom 65 Specifications:
LOA: 65’ 4”
Beam: 17’ 2”
Draft: 5’ 2”
Displ.: 84,400 lb (dry)
Fuel: 1,103 gal.
Water: 285 gal.
Power: 2/1,622-hp Caterpillar C32;
2/1,150-hp Caterpillar C18
Base Price: $4.1 million w/CAT C18s; $4.6 million w/CAT C32s
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This article originally appeared in the November 2023 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/boats/tested-fairline-phantom-65
