300 FLY
The Galeon 500 Fly is a 53-foot luxury motor yacht with a flybridge that was launched by Polish boat-building firm Galeon in 2015. Galeon Boats have made a name for themselves in recent years by equipping their mid-sized or entry-level yachts with the sort of innovative features usually only found on much larger vessels, and the 500 Fly is the yacht that kicked it all off. Boasting two fold-out cocktail terraces, a rotating cockpit lounge, sliding side windows, a bow-rider living space on the foredeck and ultra-modern, hand-finished details, this model heralded a revolution in yacht design. Crafted in collaboration with renowned naval architect Tony Castro, this sleek and sporty yacht has been billed as the ultimate party vessel, and its ground-breaking design concept won a slew of awards including but not limited to “European Power Boat of the Year 2016” and “Polish Boat of the Year 2016”.
Though it may be the inventive main deck that gets most of the plaudits, the adaptable teak-lined flybridge is just as remarkable. Though there is room for a pair of pilots to steer the 500 Fly from the raised, port-side upper helm, this is a space that is first and foremost about partying. A curved hook-shaped sofa traces the rear and starboard side of the bridge, and hugs an extending dining table ideal for drinks, meals or just good conversation. This adjoins a modular seating space that can be divided up into a snug, U-shaped sofa with backrests and a full-beam sunpad, or simply turned into one lavish, sprawling daybed, sure to please any sun-worshippers you may bring aboard. Also to be found up here is a wet-bar station with chilled drinks storage, a Kenyon grill and a sink.
Out on the foredeck there is a modular living space that can be used as a C-shaped lounge or as a wide sunpad for up to four guests, though if you want to entertain on a larger scale, then head to the aft-cockpit. Here you will find the two fold-out gunwales that can be turned into 10-foot-long cocktail terraces, massively expanding the width of this entertaining area to over 20-feet. Sliding side windows directly connect these balconies to the internal cockpit, offering galley access with bar-seating to port and a fold-out sofa to starboard. At the stern you can choose between a large tender garage with a transom sofa, or a smaller tender locker sitting beneath a rotating dining sofa that, you guessed it, can also be transformed into a sunpad. Even if you go with the smaller garage option then you will be pleased to know that a full-beam hydraulic swimming platform attached to the stern is powerful enough to be used as tender storage in its own right.
Interior spaces on the Galeon 500 Fly come in either high-gloss Walnut, Lati Grey, whitened oak or Caravaggio gloss, while furnishings are quilted in diamond-stitched suede or leather, for a feel that is at once both comfortable and stylish. To the rear of the cockpit and accessed by sliding glass doors there is an open galley with marbled Corian work surfaces, a two-zone induction hob, an extractor fan, under-counter fridge-freezer units and a microwave, with a loveseat directly opposite. Moving further into the salon, and benefiting from dramatic, double-height side glazing, there is a U-shaped sofa with a Hi-Lo table and further rotating seating for up to four. Galeon have made sure that the main helm is just as innovative as the rest of the boat, and have fitted it with Raymarine electronics, thruster and trim tab controls, an optional Penta joystick and power-steering.
On the lower deck there is room for up to six overnight guests across a starboard twin bunk berth, an en-suite double stateroom to the bow and a full-beam, en-suite owner’s bedroom with a side sofa, a work desk, a queen-sized bed and a full-height closet.
Though the Galeon 500 Fly is built around entertaining it is no slouch when it comes to performance. Top speeds in excess of 30 knots and cruising speeds of 25 knots come thanks to a pair of 670MHP Volvo Penta D11 diesel engines with a cruising range of over 200 nautical miles.
