The Fairline Squadron 55 is a 56-foot luxury motor yacht with a flybridge that was launched by illustrious British yacht builder Fairline Yachts in 2010. The original Squadron 55 from the mid-1990s sold over 400 models, so this entirely new iteration had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, it was an instant hit with the critics, garnering two “Boat of the Year” awards from a pair of British yachting magazines. A sleek profile with swooping architectural flares, sharp angular windows and a low-slung, open-air flybridge give this yacht a strikingly modern feel, while lounge spaces present guests with a series of curved and sedate retreats both inside and out. A rugged and time-tested Olesinski hull proves to be a stable and efficient performer in coastal conditions, while powerful engines give this yacht still-competitive top speeds.
Teak decking across the flybridge plays host to a hook-shaped white leather sofa that traces the rear end of this level. There is room for a pop-up table back here along with a wet-bar station with an outdoor grill. Further bench seating, a starboard side sofa, a trio of comfortable helm chairs and a forward sunpad round out the living space up here, while a centrally located upper helm offers the potential for thrilling elevated piloting. One level down and you will find a double sunpad out on the foredeck and, in the shaded aft cockpit, a comfortable transom sofa paired with a dining table. Side steps to stern lead down to a full-beam swimming platform that, with the addition of a Besenzoni crane, can be used to store a sizeable jet tender.
There is barely a right angle to be found once you step into the main-deck salon through a set of sliding glass doors. Instead, you will find C-shaped sofas, curved settees, rounded cabinets and circular tables. Buyers can opt for a materials scheme that utilizes glossy American cherry, satin-finished oak or rich, lacquered walnut, while a sole of tufted carpet will always feel bouncy underfoot. A sprawling, cushioned lounge sofa to aft is joined by a dining sofa with a table further forward, while recessed lighting, fin-style windows and plenty of shimmering steel fixtures enhance the sense of light in here. There is a sunken galley accessed to starboard where you will encounter Avonite counter-tops, a four-zone hob, a combination oven, a full-height fridge-freezer tower and a double sink, while directly ahead of this sits the main-deck helm station. This modern dashboard boasts Raymarine touch-screen technology, VHF radio, power-steering, bow and stern thruster controls and much more.
Three cabins on the lower deck provide capacious sleeping quarters for up to six overnight guests. Across the front half of the deck a starboard twin with plenty of storage shares a bathroom with a VIP double to the bow that features a skylight, two lockers and hull-side portholes. The full-beam owner’s stateroom is located amidship and includes triple mullion windows, a king-sized bed, bedside cabinets and a semi-open bathroom lined in timber with a waterfall shower and a ceramic sink.
Standard engines on this model are a pair of 775hp Volvo Penta D12 diesels with top speeds of approximately 30 knots. Upgrades to twin 865hp Caterpillar C15 engines or two 900hp Volvo Penta D13 inboards should deliver even higher speeds, while a fuel tank holding 650 gallons will keep you well-stocked for long-haul voyages.