Best Princess Yachts for Sale
Princess Yachts is an example of sophistication, elegance and creativity in British modern yacht design. The Princess Yacht name is recognized as one of the UK’s leading names in luxury yacht building. Founded in 1965 as Marine Projects Ltd out of the city of Plymouth, this British shipyard built its first Princess flybridge motor yacht, the PRINCESS 37 V HULL, with high-performance inboard diesel engines. Princess is recognized worldwide for many boat-building accomplishments and awards. They are the first luxury yacht builder to create the first electronic diesel engine in Europe.
In addition, the shipyard has received several boat building awards worldwide including the Motor Boat Award in the Flybridge category as well as the “Best Imported Large Yacht” at Boat of the Year Japan. The Princess S72 and V48 both won their class at the Motor Boat Awards. As a testament to always being at the cutting edge of the time, their PRINCESS 40 model also appeared in the James Bond film, “The World is Not Enough” shortly after launch. The luxury yacht builder’s primary aim is to construct yachts exactly how their owners have envisioned them and Princess design and builds 80% of their components in-house. A culture of both innovation and dedication is evident in the stable workforce and the craftsmanship in a Princess yacht.
When it was created in 1965, Princess Yachts was founded as Marine Projects (Plymouth) Ltd and in 1995, an alliance was formed with luxury yacht builder Viking Yachts of New Gretna, New Jersey, to market Princess Yachts in the U.S. Currently, Princess Yachts America (formerly Viking Sport Cruisers) remains a major distributor of Princess Yachts. In 2001, Marine Projects became Princess Yachts International PLC. Princess Yachts expanded fast and by the time the company had reached its 40th anniversary in 2005, it could boast over 870,000 square feet of space and 1,450 employees.
French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH acquired Princess Yachts International in 2008 and interior assets from its wide portfolio of global luxury brands, such as Fendi, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton began to be introduced to the design options for Princess yachts.
Princess Yachts entered the superyacht sector in 2011 with the first of their new M Class models. This 105-foot (32m) build elevated the brand to heights never before achieved and offered clients a semi-custom motor yacht of superyacht standards, complete with multiple double ensuite cabins, a flybridge and a Jacuzzi.
Following this milestone, the shipyard continued to expand. Currently, the company employs more than 3,000 people across seven manufacturing plants and has raised production from 230 boats a year to more than 300. In 2016, Antony Sheriff joined as Executive Chairman and since then, the company has experienced record growth and advanced orders, with 2019 being its busiest year to date.
The company continues to form global brand partnerships as a way of promoting the Princess name. Plymouth Gin, which has a strong association with the Royal Navy, is one such link. Other recently announced partnerships include affiliations with SeaBob and the Marine Conservation Society.
Princess Yachts, owned by LVMH, is one of the UK’s leading names in luxury yacht manufacturing.
Today, the company specializes in the build high-quality production and semi-custom motor yachts in fiberglass composite. The Princess model range spans from 35 to 131 feet (13m to 40m) in length. Princess shipyards cover an area of over 1.1 million square feet, much of which is itself rich in British maritime heritage. The South Yard is a former naval yard dating back to the 17th century, and home to the latest range of Princess M Class superyacht construction. Princess has a large Design Studio that is responsible for major product development and upgrade projects. The Studio is available to assist buyers with their personal requirements, and also offers the option of collaborative working, together with an owner’s design team in order to meet his or her more specific needs.
The Princess yachts collection ranges from 35 to 131 feet (13m to 40m) in length. Reviewing the brand’s overall chronology, notable highlights include the 1974 launch of the first Princess motor yacht, the 2001 launch of an 82-foot (25m) motor yacht and, in 2011, the first M Class superyacht – to be shortly followed by a larger 131-foot (40m) vessel, in 2014. This 131-foot yacht, named SOLARIS, features an exterior styling by Princess developed in collaboration with Bernard Olenski, and has an interior design by Mark Berryman. Olenski, a Princess designer for almost four decades, also designed the 131-foot (40m) SEED that was launched as the brand’s new flagship in 2019.
During 2018, the R Class was introduced; a new range of performance sports boats. In a first for the yacht industry, Princess partnered with BAR Technologies and drew on their technology developed for the America’s Cup, as well as the talents of legendary Italian designers, Pininfarina. The R Class sports boat is full carbon fiber and features Princess’ Active Foil System, to enhance aerodynamics.
Princess unveiled five new models at the 2020 edition of Boot Düsseldorf. The brand launched the F50, V55, S62, S66 and Y78 models.
If you’re interested in buying or listing a Princess yacht for sale, charter a Princess yacht, or want to build a new yacht, contact a Northrop & Johnson representative today!
