Testing a designer sports cruiser from a British manufacturer.
The launch of the Fairline F-Line 33 marked the launch of a completely new F-Line for the shipyard, which will include small open boats with an original design by Alberto Mancini, fast and stylish. I had the opportunity to test the first case of this model in a picturesque location on the Cote d’Azur near Cannes, where it premiered in September. For Fairline Yachts, this boat is so atypical that I was looking forward to the day of testing and imagined how I was sailing on it across the bay. It was interesting to know how the manufacturer, which has made a name for itself in the segment of larger cruisers, interprets the concept of a 10-meter open sports model, and if he will bring anything special to the established type of pleasure craft.
Outside
The first thing I thought about when I saw the boat: it doesn’t look very much like the renders that flashed in press releases and articles and reminded me of the first model-concept of a sports cruiser from Lexus. There was no generic resemblance to the F-Line 33 with what the shipyard had produced so far.
By design, the model is laconic and solid, with a sporty character. The hull with an almost vertical stem is relatively wide, with a complex profile on which horizontal planes cannot be found, which evokes associations with sports cars. A dark decorative element looks impressive, starting in the midsection area and leaving, gradually narrowing, to the stem. Two sofas in the stern serve as bright color accents on the white hull, with contrasting upholstery in orange and dark gray. By the way, for the F-Line 33, the shipyard offers a wide range of hull colors, including such “responsible” colors as red and yellow: they look very decent.
Dossier Fairline F-Line 33
Length Width:
9.99 m / 3.50 m
Draft / Displacement:
0.87 m / 6.6 t
Water / fuel supply:
680 l / 220 l
Engine power:
860 h.p.
Cabins / Capacity:
2/10/8 people (T-Top)
RCD category:
“C”
The F-Line 33 is optionally equipped with a hydraulically operated bathing platform, which rises to form a transom protecting the cockpit before going out to sea. You can get to the foredeck, where the sunbeds are located, only through the side aisles, but due to the lack of handrails and rails here, you will have to reset the course.
But in the cockpit there is plenty of room for movement due to the chosen layout option: sofas, wet bar and armchairs are placed in the center and have the shape of trapezoids with rounded corners, so that a company of up to 10 people can comfortably rest on the boat. The design of the sofas and dinette table provides for the possibility of their transformation into sun loungers. The vetbar, which separates the rest area in the stern from the helm station, is equipped with a gentleman’s set: a massive lid hides a sink and a grill, under them – a refrigerator, an ice maker and shelves for dishes. Only a folding teak table stood out a little from the general picture (in my opinion, a variant made of a different material would look more organic here).
Konstantin Pribytkov, Sales Director, Fairline Russia
By far the most elegant boat in the Fairline range. She definitely emphasizes the good taste and status of the owner. Driving performance and performance are at the highest level, while it is difficult to say exactly where it is more in demand: on the sea coast or, for example, in the canals of St. Petersburg. It is appropriate and understandable everywhere. This boat will definitely bring pleasure to its use and ownership.
Inside
A curved, tinted glass sliding door to the left of the console protects the passage to the two cabins of the boat, and the pedestal to the left of the gangway has a wide surface, providing a convenient place to throw a book or a hat under the roof protection, without going down the steps … For a boat of this size, the bow cabin is quite spacious, and its height is comfortable for a tall person. The room is devoid of portholes, but there is a skylight on the ceiling. The U-shaped sofa around the table can accommodate six people, and for relaxation, the dining group transforms into a spacious sleeping place.
The effect of visually increasing the space on the test boat was achieved in a simple but invariably working way: there was a large (1 × 0.5 m) mirror in the bow, although someone would want to install a TV panel in this place. A bathroom from the category of “nothing more” is equipped with a shower, but there is no special tray for it. Natural light enters here through a tinted skylight, which is completely inconspicuous from the outside. The second cabin for two (midships), oriented across the hull, is intended exclusively for sleeping: its area and height do not imply any other use.
This bow room is a great place for gatherings in inclement weather, and at night it can be converted into a cabin for two
For a boat of this size, the bathroom with a skylight is very spacious.
On the run
On the test boat was one of the two most powerful power plants for this model – the latest generation petrol Volvo Penta V8-430 (430 hp) with a displacement of 6.2 liters. The engines, according to the manufacturer, have become more economical than the previous version V8-430 by about 10%. The results of our measurements confirmed this: in the test, the fuel consumption at the maximum 6000 rpm was 246 l / h versus 266 l / h. With these engines the maximum speed will be 47 knots, as with the MerCruiser V8 (8.2 L) of the same power. Two other options are petrol Volvo Penta V6-240 and diesels Volvo Penta D3-220; with them, the F-Line 33 will be able to accelerate to 33 knots.
With the powerful and noble roar of the engines, the boat confidently, without noticeable efforts, overcame the oncoming wave and sharp turns and generally had the ability to add gas. The noise of the engines did not affect the acoustic comfort on board: at high revs, the performance of the music system was impressive. The structure of the hull reliably protects the cockpit from splashing: in tight turns at high speed, clothes remained dry even for those who were sitting in the stern. And only a provocative entry into the wake of the boat in front caused a cascade of spray that spilled over the stern sofa.
At high-speed turns, the boat heeled pretty much, and people in the cockpit had to hold onto the table or the back of the sofa, which was not suitable for this: it was not fixed, easily folding forward. However, such experiments did not cause serious discomfort or fear – unless, of course, you do not stand up at full height at full speed.
47 knots
This top speed is achieved by the F-Line 33 with two Volvo Penta V8-430s.
The British shipyard has endowed its F-Line 33 with a Mediterranean character, although, for example, in the Marina of Port de la Rague, with its abundance of yachts and boats, I could not find anything like this boat. Fans of open designer cruisers will surely appreciate the bright memorable design and excellent running potential of the novelty. Other important advantages will be the “social” nature of this model and the ability to choose from four options for power plants. Time will tell what the next models of the F-Line series will be, but the first step that Fairline Yachts took in a new direction for itself was definitely successful. We look forward to the January boot Düsseldorf, where the winners of the European Powerboats 2020 will be announced: the F-Line 33 is among the nominees for this prestigious award.
Outcome
ECO FAST MAX MODES RPM 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Speed 5.0 8.5 15.4 22.8 36.3 47.2 Flow 11 27 60 87 147 246 MPL 0.45 0.31 0.26 0 .26 0.25 0.19 Power reserve 275 190 159 159 153 116
Engines Volvo Penta V8-430, 430 hp at 6000 rpm, 8 cylinders, 6.2 liters, gasoline. Speed in knots, distance in miles, flow in l / h, cruising range at 10% reserve. The figures shown are based on the readings of the on-board instruments and may differ from the data you received. Loading: 80% fuel, 30% water, 4 people on board, life raft. Air temperature +26 ° С, water temperature +22 ° С, wind 4 points, excitement 2 points.
Text
Ivan Golubev, Pyotr Shestakov
Text
Fairline Yachts, Ivan Golubev
Chief Editor
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