I am considering the purchase of a new Fairline Gran Turismo vs. Sunseeker Portofino (both 52 feet). Any input in terms of how to differentiate these boats in terms of quality, fit and finish, ride and price would be greatly appreciated
Unfortunately I am only a Sealine person. I believe that the Fairline & Sunseeker are much the same in quality etc. but I think that you had better get an expert opinion on that. Why don't you just go for a test sail in each & trust instinct. Good luck.
I have been on a test ride on each, yet I am still conflicted. I was hoping someone might know or have experience (positive or negative) with each of the brands
I can not say that my opinion is 100% objective but i own a Sunseeker wich is now 13 years old (still in perfect condition) and I can tell you I would def. buy one again in fact we went looking for a new flybridge this year and compared Fairline Princess and Sunseeker all in the 50ft segment , only 1 had the wow factor of design, finishing and style and that was the Manhattan 50, my personal favourite is the Portofino 53 with the hardtop but that is another discussion. (keeping it here or the Med) every Sunseeker owner seems to say the same: if I buy another one it will be again a Sunseeker wich meens a lot… good luck you made a good choice.
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Take a look at the Azimut/Atlantis 55,hardtop and 3 cabins 2 are full doubles 3 heads and extremely modern. www.atlantisyachts.it
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I Agree. I was very impressed with the Atlantis range at the Southampton boat show.
No idea what they drive like though. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Sunseekers certainly have the glamour. And once you've bought one and you're on the sunseeker band wagon, its a hell of a ride. Good customer service and you are well looked after. Much like buying say an Aston Martin. Portofino 53 shouldn't suffer too badly on depreciation since there won't be any plans for a new model in the near future. However, camargue 50 prices have dropped considerably since the introduction of the new portofino range.
sunseekers are not built as well as they were in the 90s but are still well built boats. Certainly not slow. We've had 50knots!, no fairline can do that. Predator 55, same hull as 53 will do 50knots!.
I dont think there's much difference between either in terms of build quality and hull design so the decision would be down to other factors like price, resale, proximity of a dealer to your cruising location and, of course, personal preference
I did hear that Fairline were having difficulty shifting T52's so drive a hard bargain with them
In my mind Sunseeker are the Ferrari of the boat world and Fairline are the BMW.
So do you see yourself as a Ferrari owner (fast flash geezer who likes taking risks) or a BMW owner (company rep)?? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
If you have thoughts of taking it to the Med and at some stage doing a trade in there, then the Sunseeker has a more international name and in consequence may be more saleable.
To be honest at the boat shows there is very little difference in boat standards between Princess, Fairline, Sunseeker and Sealine.
I own a 2001 T48 and my friend owns a 1996 Camargue 55.
Sunseekers are flashier and have slightly better materials.
The fairline will be a far better sea boat - be sure of that, I've been on many.
Also, depreciation is a lot worse with Sunseeker.
Finally, as was also mentioned, you can bairgain a better deal with Fairline at the moment on a T52.
Hence, lower price now and higher in resale, makes for a less expensive hobby [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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The fairline will be a far better sea boat - be sure of that, I've been on many.
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I thought Sunseeker were renowned for their deep V hulls which inherintly give a better ride in the rough stuff, although wetter than the lesser V of a Fairline.
a sunseeker is typically wider and flatter at the stern to aid speed. they are usually built for speed as they do not expect their customers to travel at anything above force 4. also, their weight distibution and center of gravity are compromised for internall volume.
I should not dare to say that sunseekers are made to stay under force 4 [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] lets keep this a bit serious.
We travel in all kinds of seas and never had to back down to an other fast planning boat of our size yet.
The deep V makes them cut the waves so good that you dont jump round in heavy seas, as some other brands do, if they were posh boats only, they wouldnt have made it so far... just look at the range they produce...
They are always bit ahaid on design in the UK too, your boat always looks younger than another UK brand after a few years...
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I should not dare to say that sunseekers are made to stay under force 4 [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] lets keep this a bit serious.
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Indeed, lets keep this serious.
I don't think that there are any bad sea boats out of the big yards anymore.
There are differences, but they are subtle - i.e. the maximum sea state you can leave the autopilot on before you need to work the steering and throttle.
It is still my view that targas are a bit better at sea than the rest of the competition, but that is just my own conception - or misconception.
These conceptions are based partly on experience, but also on design differences: look at how deep the prop tunnels are on the SS boat; it vectors thrust more horizontally, but tracks less straight in a beam sea.
The foot print of the hull of the SS is more triangular compared to the targa; a shorter plane makes for less drag (look at gliders) but it lacks the forward bouyancy that helps in a following sea.
The deck level of the SS's is usually higher for internal volume, but that raises the center of gravity.
There are many differences architectually between the two brands - all you have to do is look for them.
I am still convinced that SS's are better built boats; I am still at odds regarding their faster depreciation. Why is this?
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a sunseeker is typically wider and flatter at the stern to aid speed. they are usually built for speed as they do not expect their customers to travel at anything above force 4. also, their weight distibution and center of gravity are compromised for internall volume.
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It just so happens that the deadrise of a portofino 53 is 19 deg and that of a targa 52 is 20 deg. so I guess taking as read what you said in your previous post, Targa 52's shouldn't go out in more than a gentle F3 [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Interesting comment on deadrise but I would point out that the higher the number makes for a deeper V. Maybe this is why the Targa appears to ride more bow up than the SS
Fairline vs. Sunseeker
Hybrid Mode
