Above is the Palm Beach 55 I tested in Australia. Nice freakin’ boat. I thought that burnt-sienna hull color signified we had a Longhorns fan on our hands but it’s actually Hermès orange. Either way, I liked it. Really thought it popped. Some of the other guys at the show I spoke with preferred a more traditional blue hull to match this boat’s classic Down East lines, but I thought the orange did the trick just fine.
This is the boat just before we headed out into 8-foot seas outside the inlet, where the 55 really put on a show. The boat’s hull, which was designed by Palm Beach founder and sailing champion Mark Richards, has a fine entry and a convex bulge as it moves aft. It’s essentially modeled after the hull of a racing sailboat, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering Richard’s pedigree. And the effect is that the boat dominates in rough water. I was impressed with her soft landings and effortless power, as was everyone else onboard. And I haven’t even started telling you about her fit and finish and some eye-popping onboard gadgetry. That’ll have to wait for a full review in an upcoming issue of Power & Motoryacht.
