Princess V40 - Model Overview
Performance, style, comfort and charisma – that is what the V Class is all about, and the V40 is a perfect example of this exiting breed of Princess.
The superb V40 raises the standards of performance and styling to a new level for her class, standards that have to be experienced to be fully appreciated.
From the distinctive profile, it is immediately apparent that this is a very special kind of craft and the deeper than usual V of the hull gives the boat a formidable performance at sea, with precision handling and beautifully smooth ride even in quite challenging conditions.
Power for the V40 comes from twin stern-drives, either diesel or petrol, giving very high top-speeds. Alternatively, high performance inboard diesels are available, utilising propeller tunnels for high efficiency and reduced draft.
The helm position itself has all the feel of a modern classic powerboat. Instruments are set into a very smart burr-elm console, with single lever engine controls alongside, and a sports steering wheel. Autopilot, log, VHF and electric anchor winch with remote control are all fitted as standard. The twin helm seat features a sit/stand facility for the helmsman.
With the accent on sporting performance in sunny climes, the cockpit of the V40 is, not surprisingly, one of her most endearing features. There are two separate seating areas, on different levels. The larger one in the stern has a u-shaped seating arrangement, and a dining table that drops down to convert the whole area into a large sunbed. Cool drinks are close to hand in the cockpit bar refrigerator immediately opposite. Up forward on the raised level, the second seating area features a small table and is well sheltered by the windshield when under way.
For the sun worshippers an alternative cockpit arrangement is available, featuring a sunbed aft and a large seating area opposite the helm position.
Both cockpit layouts feature a full-size transom, providing plenty of room for water sports, with foldaway swimming ladder and a hot and cold shower. Dingy or wet bike stowage can be arranged on the transom platform assisted with either an electro-hydraulic passarelle or a cleverly concealed electric crane. A transom storage locker is also provided and fender stowage is catered for by a specially designed compartment below the aft cockpit seat as well as in the bow locker.
If the V40 already sounds impressive, then prepare to be even more impressed when you go below. Interior style of this standard is rare sight indeed on a high-performance powerboat. The mood is set by an exquisite new furniture design featuring a choice of natural cherry wood or butt mahogany, inlaid with burr ebony details. Alternatively, the darker classic cherry furniture can be specified with deep-gloss lacquer, giving a glorious finish to the beautifull woodwork. Teamed with an owner’s personal selection from the exclusive new range of upholstery schemes, the overall effect is stunning.
Accommodation on the V40 comprises a splendid double master cabin with central double bed, a full-width twin-berth guest cabin starching right across the boat, and a large saloon area with comprehensively equipped galley. The spacious shower/WC features a separate shower cubicle and has direct access from the master cabin as well as from the passageway.
Performance, style, comfort and charisma – that’s what the new V class is all about, and the V40 is a perfect example of this exciting new breed of Princess.
Princess V40 - Range Overview
Combining competition-class performance and seakeeping with the elegant and sophisticated accommodation of a superyacht has hitherto meant one or the other is compromised. The Princess V Class has been created for the owner who demands no compromise.
Hull design that is capable of competing on seakeeping terms with the toughest conditions, but that can keep going at speed throughout. Push the throttles to the limit and the response is immediate. The boat flies through the water, responding to the thrust of its twin high-speed diesels, safely under the command of its driver thanks to state-of-the-art control mechanisms and the ultimate in deep V hull design.
Arrive at your destination, shut off the power and another world awaits you. Comfort worthy of a superyacht; every amenity you expect when you travel, the finest materials, hand crafted joinery, sleeping cabins with light and space, stylish finish and every facility you might need.
The Princess V Class has combined the twin advantages of every other Princess motor yacht - seakeeping and quality - in a high-speed design that exudes performance. Hull shape is subtly slimmer and deeper V'd to better speed through the sea, to handle waves, to steer like a thoroughbred in any conditions. Construction methods combine the immense strength needed by every fast boat at sea, with the lightness essential if performance is the aim.
Sophisticated design techniques, impeccable craftsmanship and a realisation of the twin requirements of the sea and the owner have been combined in a truly remarkable class of power yacht. But, in a yacht of this class, hull form and accommodation alone are not enough; style, panache, the sheer exuberance of living at speed must be expressed. She must look the part and feel right to those lucky enough to participate in life in the fast lane.
The V Class exudes dynamism even at anchor. Low, sleek lines, complemented by a wrap-around screen protecting the essential open-air living space, sweep aft to the raked stern. The classically timeless look of the thoroughbred that sets the craft apart from the rest and the subdued murmur of immense power, safely controlled by sophisticated engineering, promises thrills to come.
The V Class is about excitement and enjoyment - and it is about full-blooded participation in the world of the sporting superyacht. The sound and feel of precision engineering is unmistakable.
Princess V40 - Brochure Foreword
However you might wish to create your own definition of the word luxury, in order to create a high performance yacht that is worthy of having that nebulous term associated with it, the starting point is concerned with anything but.
If anyone had been foolhardy enough to brave strong wind and torrential rain on that grey November afternoon, they would have seen a sleek white 65 footer in Plymouth Sound behaving in a manner that might be considered immodest for a superyacht.
With 35 knots of wind ripping angry water into spume, the vessel accelerated to high speed, crested ten foot waves and then turned tightly with the heavy sea vainly attempting to thwart her progress. The boat displayed impeccable stability in the following sea and was unwavering as she repeated the manoeuvre several times.
To the casual observer, it may have seemed that this magnificent motor yacht was being driven in a reckless manner, totally at odds with its majestic bearing. It was in fact being driven by obsession. An obsession with creating the finest high performance motoryachts in the world, without any compromises.
For Princess, this means testing, testing and testing yet again in the volatile waters of the English Channel. This was simply one of the rigorous sea trials to which Princess subject every new model as a matter of course; the Princess way of doing things. Testing yachts in sometimes awesome conditions, in conditions unlikely to be encountered by their owners. To ensure each boat would safely rise to the challenge should it ever be called to do so.
This uncompromising attitude exemplifies every aspect of a Princess, from the initial design stage to the final product, testing in inhospitable seas on those grey November afternoons!
Every Princess starts life as a set of lines on paper, as a huge amount of data in a computer and as the combined knowledge in the heads of a team of designers so experienced that no computer could store the accumulated information.
Hull lines, something that perhaps might be taken for granted at a glance, have been developed and honed through scores of models, through many thousands of hours of testing in some of the toughest waters of the world. The test team have but one aim in mind, to move fast through an unforgiving medium - though it looks soft, water is as hard as concrete at 30 plus knots - while giving the occupants of that hull the smoothest possible ride in the most economical manner.
Every item that forms a part of a cohesive whole has to be evaluated, from the position of the spray rails and their effect on ride comfort, on spray control and turning performance. To the choice of which engine manufacturer to work with in order to extract the designed speed with maximum economy, complete smoothness and in the quietest possible environment within the craft.
The extra one or two knots that Princess achieve compared with most others may not seem much but at fast cruising speeds this can result in significant extra performance and range at continuous power settings. If this can be achieved with greater comfort and safety which in turn translate into seaworthiness, and with a style that is breathtaking, then that is a goal that is worth striving for.
Once the design team have done their job, the groundwork on which the Princess name has been created is in place. Seaworthiness and safety first and foremost. From that stems the unrivalled Princess reputation for comfort, for quality and for beauty.
Below, the comfort of fine materials, subtle lighting and the integration of function and form create a special atmosphere. Remember though this is a seagoing craft and no matter how suitable these surroundings might seem in the calm of a secluded anchorage, or moored in the familiar surroundings of your favourite harbour, they are also designed for comfort at speed in a seaway.
It is not possible to assess a Princess solely on comfort, on performance, on style, on seaworthiness, although they outperform in all these areas. Each area is part of the whole that is Princess and is designed without compromise so as to achieve the objective of being simply the best.
Technology & Craftmanship
Technology might be considered to have ousted craftsmanship from the modern-day world; the emphasis is on computer control, on state-of-the-art robot construction, on amazing machines that replicate every monotonous task without complaint. It might be so in some industries, but not at Princess.
Whilst the latest in computer technology deals with the tasks to which it is most suited, there is no substitute for the painstakingly learned skills of the true craftsman. Only the craftsman can work with the variances of natural materials such as cloth and wood, only the human eye and that most fabulous of all computers, the human brain, can make the subtle match of colour that creates the true feeling that is the Princess experience.
Of course the very latest CAD software is used by the Princess designers and is linked to CAM processes in some of the most modern factories in Europe. If the past had a convention of manual work, of skills passed on through word of mouth and demonstration, now the very latest machinery and technology are incorporated where it suits. So in today's world, the Princess motor yacht is the modern inheritor of uncompromising quality.
Application of control standards is a familiar procedure in any company; Princess 'are no different in that respect - their production methods are approved by Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance and comply with ISO 9001 /BS5750. In that Princess were instrumental in creating many of these standards, and had their ccmiplinnce with the latest EEC regulations in place virtually two years before statutory requirement, they are different indeed. For every Princess built has complied with CE regulations since November 1996.
Princess sports yachts are built to 'world-class' manufacturing standards in all areas of construction and engineering. Design, development and manufacturing processes do not accept compromise. It is recognised that ownership of a Princess is an investment in the real sense and value engineering methods are used to ensure investment quality, as well as lasting pleasure.
If the outward manifestation of craftsmanship is evident in every Princess in the fit of joinery, the flawless lustre of multiple coats of lacquer over marquetry veneer, then it is below the surface that the application of the highest standards must be of the greatest importance to any owner.
That the owner can be unaware of the workings of the craft is the goal to which every craftsman working on any Princess sports yacht strives. It is important to know with certainty that electrical wiring is completed to the most impeccable standards, with every wire coded and securely clipped and that every connection is made with integrity.
It is vital to be aware that the fuel systems that feed the sophisticated engines of your craft have been installed by an expert, who knows just what happens when you ask for full power to get you through to your destination.
Princess is about pleasure, about enjoyment and about making a new world of relaxation.
Having complete faith in your Princess with the knowledge that the design and build are without compromise is a vital part of that world. That is the true goal towards which that accumulation of technology, talent and craftsmanship strives.
At Princess there is only one final result; to be the best in the world.