For more about the history of Fairline, check out "A Look Back at Fairline".
Just standing on the dock and gazing up at Fairline’s Squadron 50 gives you a sense of her magnificence. My test vessel had a steel-blue hull, which added to her impact, and with acres of black glass windows, she’s a head-turner. I’m not going to bore you with the whole couch-to-starboard tour, because there are three features of this yacht that I really want to share with you.
One is a tender valet service. No more struggling with a crane or consuming interior space with a garage. Designed by Fairline and built by Besenzoni, it’s a huge improvement over the submerging swim platform. A 9½-foot Williams jet tender sits on a pair of chocks on the teak transom platform, and at the touch of a button, a section of the platform slides out and down, still holding the tender. At this point, you can comfortably and securely board her. Another touch of the button lowers her into the water. When you want a swim platform, the chocks fold flat: slick!
Click here to see a full photo gallery of the Fairline Squadron 50.
Boarding is easy even if the tender is stowed, since twin stairs lead to the teak-plank cockpit, which gets sun protection from the overhanging cantilevered bridge. Access is via easy stairs to port, and this bridge is huge! Stretching forward from above the transom to the venturi windscreen, it could comfortably seat all of your in-laws on the full-width divan aft, which curves into another couch to starboard. A folding table serves the family dinner or cocktails for a few. A console on the port side holds a grill and wet bar with refrigerator or ice maker.
The helm’s thoughtful portside location gives the skipper a good view down the steps to the corner of the 50 for docking. The captain also gets a double-wide helm seat behind a modest fiberglass dash. I particularly liked having the engine gauges (not digitals, but good old round dials like the ones from my flying days) right in my line of sight.
