Palm Beach GT60 - photo © Palm Beach Motor Yachts
Dear Recipient Name
Palm Beach Motor Yachts turns 30 in 2025. Commencing operations in Palm Beach, Australia with the Palm Beach 38, it wasn't long before more space was required. They then moved to Mona Vale, just a bit further down Sydney's Northern Beaches peninsula, and it was not long after that the Palm Beach 50 arrived and then the Palm Beach 32.
One new factory quickly became two, then three, and ultimately four. After five years, Mark Richards purchased a facility in Berkley Vale, which lies on the shores of Tuggerah Lake on the Central Coast. From humble beginnings of a mere 100m2, they were now 600m2.
Just under ten years ago Grand Banks Yachts acquired Palm Beach Motor Yachts, and about five years ago the last of the moulds were moved up to Grand Banks Yachts shipyard in Malaysia, and the organisation is now known as GB Marine Group.
Step forward to today, and the new Palm Beach 107 models have just been announced. For what it is worth, I am tipping there will be another model announcement soon between it and the 85...
So, time stands still for no one or nothing, and it is a testament to not only the Founder's faith in the definitive and quintessential quality for Downeast-style luxury motor yachts, but also a relentless pursuit of the joy of time at sea, and an unheralded grasping of the efficiency mantra.
Richards stated, "This is going to be a big year for us. The biggest year in my business career, and it's really exciting. We now have 110,000m2 of factory space as we set about building these large vessels with our passionate and dedicated 1,200-person crew."
The other crucial aspect to the greater business is looking after their customers, and over the last decade a factory-direct model has unfolded for not just sales, but total service, with Australia and the USA being the key markets. "Now that we have more resources, we can bring everything in-house. I want every single one of our customers to be looked after by us. Even when you do have a third party, you end up having to do it anyway, so being under the one umbrella is more streamlined. More efficient, just like our boats are."
Palm Beach Motor Yachts is not a brand to be turning out boats every few weeks. Indeed, Palm Beach Motor Yachts and Grand Banks are at about 28-30 vessels per annum, and then new larger craft (85 feet plus), which are exceptionally bespoke, do take up to 18 months to complete. It would be easy to say that these vessels are dreams, but in reality, the people who have them have moved past that stage and are into making memories. Loads of them, too.
In terms of these new superyacht sized craft, Richards said, "The first Palm Beach 85 is launching next month, which is really exciting. It's a beautiful boat. This is a world first Downeast big boat. There is simply nothing like it on the market! It is very different, and unbelievably fuel efficient. From its twin, one thousand horsepower Volvo-Penta D13s it will achieve an amazing 30 knots. It is also so easy to use, and can be handled by a couple, no problem."
Indeed, many things are impressive about it. Having personally crawled all over the mould, the first would be the staggering 22-foot beam. The next would be the gargantuan bridge deck. Another would be because of the layout, with the crew accommodation aft (which can also be additional VIP spaces), meaning they do not have to go for'ard to access their quarters, and so an extra element of privacy and intimacy remains. This is an important element to a lot of boaters in this space.
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Now at more like three times the size of some of the original offerings, the Palm Beach 107 is taking on the charge of efficiency and style in a whole new way. Richards, who is deeply involved in the design of their craft, says, "The goal is that we're trying to keep the boats as small as we can, yet achieve the biggest possible volume from them. For me, the Palm Beach 107 is still a very simple boat, and it's still quite an intimate build, being more of a domestic pleasure boat than anything else really. Once you go past 110 feet there are a lot of other aspects to incorporate, and our Palm Beach 107 will only need a small crew, which is important to our buyers."
One of those quintessential ingredients to any Palm Beach Motor Yacht is that there is nothing else like one. Many an impersonation, but nary a replica, and the difference in that is exactly what Richards is so keen to imbue into each and every vessel that leaves the yard. There are British, Italian, and Turkish craft that could be said to be in the same segment, but when it comes to build technique an outright efficiency, there are so very few that meet a Palm Beach Motor Yachts on paper, let alone on the water.
"We have started on the moulds for the Palm Beach 107," said Richards. "Our new 35,000m2 factory is about revolutionising and streamlining our resin-infusion process for all our hulls and parts. The smaller craft will be made here, and in the older, bigger halls, the new large vessels will be constructed."
It is a good time to note that all Grand Banks Yachts and Palm Beach Motor Yachts hulls are E-Glass, which means the composite (sandwich) has incredible strength and a much larger measure of sound tolerance, unlike a full carbon fibre hull. All of the decks and superstructures are vinylester resin infused carbon fibre, and the large craft also use this process for bulkheads, stringers and formers. Continuously accurate, delivering low specific weight, along with incredible strength, are all attributes that prevail with this methodology. At this point, it must be said that the 'refrigerator' at the factory where the resin is stored is about the same size as a decent restaurant.
The warped plane hull form, V-Warp® Technology in Palm Beach Motor Yachts' speak, has a very shallow draft (say just 12 inches deep at the transom in the case of the Palm Beach 107, which makes it ideal for the Bahamas, for instance), and also has an exceptionally low running angle, which keeps the fine entry bow down, and thereby utilises the vast majority of the LWL in behind it.
Overall, it is a delicate balance between wetted surface area, and it being easier to propel a longer hull through the water than a shorter one. Expressed as 1.3 times the square root of LWL it sounds simple enough, but the complexities of getting there present many a challenge. There are also benefits to stability, pitch, yaw, and roll, as well, to say nothing of the often-mentioned fuel efficiency and overall performance of the vessel.
Mass. Not a religious ceremony, nor the style of manufacturing conducted by Palm Beach Motor Yachts. Our reference is displacement. The Palm Beach 85 is just 48 metric tonnes. Others will have surpassed that with their 60-footers. It also goes a long way to explaining why said craft can top out at 30 knots WOT.
Now, ponder the new Palm Beach 107. It should be just south of 70 metric tonnes when it arrives, which is a figure many a 75-footer would love to claim. It is to be powered by four Volvo-Penta D13s of 1000hp each. WOT should equate to a blindingly swift 35 knots BTW.
Thing is, it will only have the two of Volvo's IPS 40 pods down below. Less drag and all. The vessel will only require two of the four donks to be running for all the mooching type speeds, and only engage the other pair for the express work. Think efficiency here, for a pair of 13 litre straight six Iron Ladies will burn less than a pair of 27 litre V12 brutes just desperate to get up to their operating zone with all three or four hairdryers spinning at full boost.
More consumables in terms of oil and filters, for sure, but the system also manages all the hours across all four, so you are not loading up just the inboard or outboard pairs.
Now it is going to be at least 2800kg plus box and fluids for the 12-cylinder mountain movers, whereas the D13 will be more like 1635kg, plus fluids, box and pod. So yes, you are lugging about the other two for a lot of the time, but then the wicks are not lit, either, and you most certainly do not need all of the utterly immense torque the 12s can smash out, all of the time.
Do note however, that the sixes will be spinning much smaller wheels, so those contra-rotating, forward facing screws will be really thrashing about when the throttles get pinned!
"We've got a big affiliation with Volvo-Penta, and the running costs and some of the maintenance costs of the D13s is but a fraction of the other offerings. The D13 is such a fantastic engine. We've used a lot of them for a long time. It's probably one of the most reliable diesel marine engines on the market today. Our craft have incredible range, as a result. Plus, the system that runs it all is brilliantly clever," added Richards.
You would be correct in saying that the aspirational aspect of Palm Beach Motor Yachts' ownership is stronger than ever. It certainly is a motivating factor to the team, as well. Overall build and finish quality, style and aesthetic, efficiency and performance are always to the fore.
"We use 50-70% less fuel than our competitors, right from 6 or 8 knots, to 12, 15, 18 and as hard as the others can go before we blast right past them. Our Grand Banks 65 uses 70% less fuel than another brand's 65, which is similarly priced and has comparable volume. That is a huge number. People come on sea trials, and we burn less fuel for both combined than the others do per side. They can't believe it!"
Richard's excitement is palpable, and for good reason. There is lot to happen in 2025, which will make it a grand year for the two brands. Richards has always had a clean factory, and in Malaysia it has gone to another level with people tasked solely with making it so.
More customers than ever are making the trip to see their craft come to life, and in doing so, they get to see that efficiency is not just for the craft, but the entire way the operation is run, from having a tank to test boats in, right in the middle of the workshop floor, to tools and parts located right next to the installer, so they are not walking everywhere to get materials. Truth is, you probably could eat your lunch, just about anywhere inside the compound. It also extends to recycling, and the pride displayed by the team is self-evident.
Like many a luxury brand, Richards highlights that they are seeing many new-to-boating buyers step right up to one of their vessels. Often it is linked to the sale of a business, and there are more and more people not only recognising the Palm Beach brand, but wanting to be part of it. In Australia, that has been commonplace for years, but in the US, far less so, until now. Seems the best on offer translates nicely across oceans and borders...
Of course, all of that means Richards can now spend a few moments reflecting on Asia and Europe, where the toehold on the beach head is far less significant. "We have sold a few boats into Japan recently, which is terrific, but yes, Thailand, and then Europe do await us. Now that the whole group is firing on all cylinders, we can start to address directions to move forward, and pitch the brands at the level to which they are now operating at. This will be exciting, and there are certainly wonderful locations in both areas to go boating in. We're just getting dialled in..."
Richards may not get on the tools any more these days, but is quick to respond, "I'm a shipwright. Once you're a shipwright, you're always a shipwright," and it has to be said he does know every piece of the boat, including being able to get in the engine room and fix an impeller issue when you're meant to be out for a cruise with friends.
Seems these days you have a stabilisation discussion with everyone, and Richards is firmly in the fin category. "There's the maintenance with gyros, and the power consumption. Plus, they don't work at speed. Fins have a low power requirement, and the new ones from the Sleipner Group (used to best known under the Side Power brand) are brilliant. They tap into our wide beam and give exceptional performance, even at rest."
Equally, the brushless motor style of electric thrusters has got Richards on side, and "...with IPS, you just don't need them as much. These electric thrusters run infinitely, and there is less weight, along with no hydraulic pipes to run up to the bow."
So, with the spectre of manoeuvring having been raised with the IPS comment, it is time to reflect on how Grand Banks and Palm Beach Motor Yachts have been offered with both shaft and pod since Richards came on board. By way of example, of the five 85s built so far, three are IPS and two are shaft driven. Do note though, that the pod boat is a pair of IPS 1350s (1000hp 13l sixes), and the shaft boat uses MAN 1300hp 16l V8s, to deliver essentially the same performance outcome.
Seeing as this is a time to utilise a cliché or two, the only one to finish on would then be that the cream will always rise to the top.
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Finally. Please look after yourselves.
John Curnow
Global Editor, Powerboat.World
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