WRITTEN BY: Rob Bowman
Aug 30, 2019 
Each year Princess Yachts dealers from all over the world come to Plymouth in the United Kingdom to visit the world renown Princess factory, sea trial the latest models, and learn more about the innovations that are leading the builder to record sales across the globe. The SI Yachts team is dedicated to being product experts which is why we make the trek each year "across the pond" to attend.
From the moment you enter the misty town of Plymouth, you can sense the nautical history that permeates through the town and its people. There are memorials at piers and ports dedicated to the men and women from past generations who fought, sacrificed, and died protecting their homeland. Many of the old production plants that once built great naval ships now dawn the name Princess Yachts.
The same pride and dedication remains though with the new generation of craftsman that work at the factory and is the lifeblood of this amazing company. From the management down to the newest employee, there is a sense of pride and a culture that has taken hold at Princess and the results are seen in the final product. "Handcrafted in Plymouth" is more than a catch-phrase for marketing Princess, it's a way of life for an entire town.
Princess has become a truly vertically integrated company that has refined the ability to produce boats at a faster pace without sacrificing quality. In fact, Princess recently even slowed production at a time when most manufacturers are rapidly churning out boats in an effort to focus on quality control. Note to the competition - be scared! Princess builds some of the most beautiful yachts on the water today and the SI Yachts team is proud to be one of their top dealers.
We would like to congratulate our team and our Princess customers for helping SI Yachts become the 4th largest dealer of Princess Yachts. Another congratulations is also in order to SI Yachts Sales Professional David Hallinan on winning the award for 3rd most Princess sales. We are honored to have been recognized by Princess for these efforts! Vice President Jay Hendrix below with the announcement on Facebook:
One of the highlights of the trip was the opportunity to test drive the new Princess R-35, a revolutionary new model that uses an AFE (Active Foil System) that works with the hull of the boat to greatly increase stability, comfort, and improve seakeeping abilities. Additionally, the drag is reduced by up to 30%. When you talk about being technologically advanced, the Princess R-35 sets the standard. The on board computer constantly calculates the positions of the port and starboard foils 100 times per second. These foils adjust independently of one another for amazing high-speed cornering and handling. Add in the fact that it has speeds in excess of 50 knots making it the fastest Princess ever made, and you have one exhilarating boat!
Another little known fact about the Princess factory is that they make their own furniture for every yacht that's built. 500 pre-finished sheets of wood are cut by a CNC (Computer Numeric Control) machine 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Over 5 tons of hard wood are used every week to create more than 5,000 different pieces of furniture. This not only makes the Princess factory the largest furniture producer in the U.K., but it also allows them to customize each piece to maximize the space and design of every yacht.
While taking in the sights and sounds of one of the most advanced factories in the world was exciting, it paled in comparison to viewing the exciting new models being finished right now. Princess has a broad model range from the R-35 and the smaller end to the magnificent Princess 40M that's over 130 feet long with many different styles mixed in. "Princess is always tweaking their model line by listening to customer feedback and learning how to improve upon the improvements they've already made," said Jay Hendrix. "There is this anticipation every year to see what changes have been made to each new model. This year everyone was excited to see the new Princess V55."
The new Princess V55 - Hull #1 - has been completed and will be tested in the Plymouth Sound.
The old saying that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" still remains true, but the beauty of Princess Yachts is not just "skin deep". It is all the things and more that the consumer does not see when running through a boat show. Come talk to us at SI Yachts about Princess and we'll tell you a story about the people behind the boat. They are the ones making Princess what it is and the story begins with them.
