Squadron 53
The Fairline Squadron 78 is a 79-foot luxury flybridge motor yacht produced by renowned British yacht-building firm Fairline Yachts between 2008 and 2013. This may be Fairline’s biggest ever hull launch, but the Squadron 78 carries its heft with remarkable grace, presenting guests with a set of cool and contemporary living spaces lined in sleek leather and warm timber. From profile you will notice swooping lines of fiberglass, a super-sharp, extra-high bow entry and the sort of wrap-around glazing that never goes out of fashion. Combine this with a sturdy category B hull that slices through waves with ease, and you have the sort of yacht ideal for the globe-trotting life.
The open top fly bridge features a mechanical Bimini roof for a touch of shade when you need it, but the theme up here is all about soaking up the rays in an elegant setting. There are two U-shaped sofas each paired with extending timber-topped dining tables, while a walk-in wet-bar with an ice-chipper provides the perfect place to mix a few drinks and grill shrimp on the electric barbecue. To the rear, just aft of a radar tower, is space for a set of sun-loungers or tender storage, while to the front and hidden behind a curved windscreen sits an upper-helm station. Down on the main-deck you can enjoy the sunshine while relaxing on a double-width foredeck sunpad surrounded by steel grab-rails, or head to the shaded, teak-lined aft-cockpit where a transom sofa awaits. Side steps lead down to an extended, full-beam bathing platform that is robust enough to lower a jet-tender into the water.
Sliding glass doors lead into a spacious salon lined in plush carpet with satin-finished timber surrounds. There is a three-piece sofa set in pale leather, a coffee table and an ottoman in here, directly facing cabinets with room for a home entertainment system. A few steps forward takes you to the port-side, on-deck galley with dark granite work surfaces, a four-zone hob, a pair of convection ovens, a full-height fridge-freezer tower, a stainless-steel sink and a dining sofa. The starboard main-deck helm is raised for extra visibility and sits behind an opaque glazed screen for a semi-private feel. Two leather piloting seats face a modern dashboard with Garmin multi-function display screens, Side Power thruster controls, stabilizer switches, FLIR night-vision, VHF radio and twin compasses.
Four lavish staterooms on the lower deck provide sedate sleeping space for up to eight overnight guests, with a separate crew quarters for two positioned to the stern. A VIP en suite double with skylights occupies an enviable position to the bow, while a pair of twin rooms, one with an en suite bathroom, are positioned amidship. A full-beam master stateroom to the rear impresses with a king-sized island bed, cherry surrounds, a walk-in dressing room, a side-sofa, triple hull mullions, a work-desk and a bathroom with an enclosed waterfall shower and its own opening portholes.
Twin Caterpillar C32 ACERT 1200hp diesel inboard engines offer top speeds of around 34 knots with a fuel-efficient cruising speed of 24 knots providing a cruising range of at least 500 nautical miles.
