The Vicem 65 Flybridge, which made her U.S. debut at March’s Palm Beach International Boat Show, is a boat that should quickly make her mark on the domestic market. She is instantly recognizable for her old-school-cool, classically nautical lines. Indeed, her profile will be the thing that makes most boaters fall in love. But there’s more to this yacht than enviable aesthetic qualities.
Vicem, a Turkish builder, is renowned for its mastery of traditional cold-molded boatbuilding, wherein many pieces of thin wood veneers are coated in waterproofing epoxy, then layered over one another time and again to create the boat’s hull. The end product is tough to argue with. Cold molding generally produces hulls that are lightweight, strong and quiet. And the 65’s hull should prove no different.
Hull No. 1 will live in Florida with her owners, who requested customizations, like extra headroom throughout, (including 7 feet 4 inches in the salon). The owner not only has the means and desire to choose a $2,750,000 Vicem 65 Flybridge, he apparently is also quite tall. Some guys have all the luck.
A three-stateroom layout belowdecks features a forepeak master with an en suite head forward, as well as another somewhat unusual customization: An additional berth is accessible through the portside VIP. The space will mostly be used for the children, and an adjoining door between the cabins creates a de facto family suite. That’s a smart design choice made by a seasoned yachtsman, one that, in this case, was executed by a team of equally seasoned craftsmen.
On the 65’s main deck, a galley-up design drives home the point that this boat was built for family use: The designated chef for the evening need not be isolated from the onboard festivities. Fit and finish is another point of pride for Vicem, and the yacht’s woodwork, joinery, lacquer, stitching — all of it — promises to be at the top of its class. That’s something any discerning owner (and his guests) will definitely notice — and surely appreciate.
As for performance, the 65 will have twin 900 hp Volvo Penta D13-900s that are expected to give her a range of more than 1,000 miles at a slow cruise of 10 knots; at a fast cruise of 21.7 knots, she will be able to go 400 miles without needing to fill up her tanks. What’s more, the Vicem 65 Flybridge has a respectably sporty top end of 27 knots.
When you own a boat that’s this pretty, though, what’s the rush?
The Finer Points
