Squadron Leader

As mainland China catches the wave for luxury yachting, British manufacturer Fairline has expanded its Asian reach by teaming up with Jebsen Marine.
jon wall steps aboard its beautiful, 24-metre-long flagship for a blast around the Island

IT MAY NOT quite qualify as a superyacht, and it’s certainly nowhere near as big as a gigayacht, but at almost 24 metres long the Fairline Squadron 78 Custom that’s tied up alongside the Aberdeen Boat Club is pretty damn impressive. From its sharply raked bow to the bathing platform at the stern, the gleaming white superstructure that dramatically culminates in the sweep of a flying bridge towers above us on the quayside. I reckon I’ve seen smaller vessels flying the White Ensign of the Royal Navy.

The largest in a fleet of vessels built at Fairline’s Oundle yard on England’s River Nene – the boats range upwards in size from the relative modesty of the Targa 38 sports cruiser, itself a gorgeous piece of kit that sleeps up to six and slices through the waves at speeds approaching 42 knots (78km/h) – the Squadron 78 is the company’s flagship and the last word in luxury motor yachting.
Introduced in 2008 and recently making its debut on the South China Sea coast at boat shows in Xiamen, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, it’s the culmination of 40 years of boat-building expertise that has raised the brand to a pinnacle of excellence analogous to that of Rolls-Royce in the automobile arena. As if to prove, however, that Fairline isn’t resting on its laurels, there’s a Squadron 80 on the way that will doubtless raise the bar still higher.

Sleeping up to 13 people, though perhaps more optimally eight passengers plus two crew members, the 46.25-tonne Squadron 78 is sleek yet classic. The yacht can be commissioned with a wide variety of customised interiors, and a choice of either twin MAN diesels that together produce 2,720mhp and a maximum speed of 33 knots, or a more potent pair of Caterpillar units jointly producing 3,244mhp and powering the yacht to 35 knots. Being whipped by the wind on the flying bridge while watching our wake disappearing behind us at 30 knots in the direction of Repulse Bay is exhilarating enough, but to talk about the Squadron 78 merely in terms of its maximum speed is to miss the point entirely, for this is a yacht that’s built to attain ultimate levels of comfort through the most painstaking skill and craftsmanship.

Having removed sturdy street shoes so as not to scuff the flooring, we step aboard the 78 via the stern platform, which along with the transom gate that divides the aft deck from the bathing area is raised and lowered hydraulically. Passing through deck-to-ceiling glass doors, we enter an opulent cocoon headily aromatic from the scent of a capacious, leather-covered three-piece suite, and whose dark wood panelling gleams from multiple applications of polish and sparkles from a constellation of spotlights. Facing that, and encased in yet more richly varnished timber, is a huge plasma-screen TV, while a plinth-mounted control panel for the multi-Bose-speaker stereo system sits atop a glass-fronted cocktail cabinet. All burr-wood panels are meticulously matched, much as in a luxury limousine; indeed, few homes are as exquisitely appointed as this.

Between the lounge and the main bridge is a fully fitted kitchen (with Miele cooking top and oven, and granite work surfaces) and dining area for six that again would be the envy of many private residences – though for those who’d prefer preparing dinner in the open air there’s a barbecue ingeniously concealed on the flying bridge, which on balmy evenings is the perfect spot for onboard entertaining. A short stairway (on ships they’re known as “ladders,” but let’s not get technical) down from the bridge leads to the sleeping area, which on this particular vessel is dominated by one enormous stateroom containing a master bed and a settee, as well as an ensuite bathroom, lit by large windows and screened by venetian blinds. Further forward are three smaller staterooms and bathrooms, two with a pair of single beds and, closest to the bow, one with a double bed. It’s all unimaginably opulent.

Says Bryan Jones, Fairline’s Asia president, as he shows us round the boat, “Fundamentally, we design, engineer and build a better motor yacht...This starts with the design, strength, performance and safety of the hull, a Fairline trait.

“We then create a superstructure that our competitors emulate, seeking the perfection of graceful yet contemporary lines. Matched to uncompromising interior fit-out and materials, the end-product is astounding.”

To serve a fast-growing appetite for boating in China, as well as the mature and fastidious market of Hong Kong, Fairline recently partnered with Jebsen Marine, a name that’s familiar with local yachtmen and boating enthusiasts through its association with names such as Archambault, Hanse, Nautitech and Riva, as well as an established yacht brokerage. It’s potentially a marriage made in heaven as, according to Jebsen’s Lars Petersen, the company is experiencing year-on-year growth in the region across its portfolios of luxury goods.

“We’re in a new era of luxury spending,” says Petersen, “and yachting has made it to that list.” Admiring the gorgeous lines of the Squadron 78, I’m left in no doubt why.