The flagship moment
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show has always been a stage for innovation, but this year one debut stole the waterfront. Under the sharp Florida sun, few could miss the sleek new Palm Beach 85 glinting beside the superyacht docks, her silver-white hull mirrored in the still water.
For founder and chief designer Mark Richards, it was the realisation of a decades-long pursuit.
“The Palm Beach 85 is our first step into deep-boat production, building a timeless product,” he said. “It’s still very much an owner-operator boat — extremely manageable with one person.”
The crowd that day witnessed more than another sleek motor yacht. They saw a company cross an invisible line, from luxury cruiser builder to fully fledged superyacht creator, without losing its essential character. Richards called the PB85 “the pinnacle of composite engineering and balance and design and ergonomics,” adding that an 85-foot, 100,000-pound yacht capable of this level of efficiency “just doesn’t really exist in the production market out there.”
Palm Beach used the Fort Lauderdale debut to underline that philosophy. In its official statement the brand noted, “We debuted our flagship Palm Beach 85 and shared the next chapter of innovation with the transformation of Palm Beach XI during a special media preview — each moment a reminder of what makes this community extraordinary.”
The response from owners, media, and rival designers was immediate. The PB85 was recognised not only as a new flagship but as a symbol of what modern boatbuilding can achieve when performance and elegance share equal billing.
Design without excess
At rest, the PB85 carries the same visual DNA that has defined Palm Beach Motor Yachts since the first hull slid into the water in the mid-1990s. A long, uncluttered foredeck stretches ahead of a gently curving sheerline. The superstructure sits low and confident. Every proportion feels resolved.
Beneath the surface lies the key to the yacht’s calm authority, the V-Warp Technology hull, a proprietary design that combines hydrodynamic refinement with advanced composite engineering.
“My background is America’s Cup-level sailing,” Richards explained. “Convert that to the powerboat world and it’s about every bit of efficiency you can possibly get. That really has been the key to our success.”
Each hull uses a precise resin-infused laminate of E-glass and carbon fibre bonded directly to the bulkheads and deck. The fine bow entry and almost flat transom reduce drag while adding lift and stability. The result is a boat that runs flatter and smoother through the speed range, maintaining a steady five-degree angle even at 26 knots.
This approach pays measurable dividends. Cruising comfortably at 23 knots, the PB85 covers roughly 700 nautical miles on a single tank, burning about 58 gallons an hour. Owners seeking extra pace can opt for twin MAN V8s, lifting top speed to about 27.5 knots. Efficiency, in other words, no longer comes at the cost of exhilaration.
Inside the hull, carbon bulkheads and lightweight composite joinery maintain stiffness while keeping displacement low. The boat feels poised, neither heavy nor flighty, and the helm responds with fingertip accuracy, traits Palm Beach owners will recognise immediately.
Living spaces that connect
Open the cockpit doors and the PB85’s philosophy of simplicity becomes tangible. A single-level salon runs from the forward helm to the covered aft deck, creating an unbroken line of sight and conversation. Glass surrounds every space; light and air flow naturally.
Richards describes it as “beautifully balanced and beautifully engineered and beautifully fit and finished — that’s what it’s all about for us.”
The interior layout is flexible but always refined. The full-beam master suite sits amidships, isolated from engine vibration and framed by panoramic hull windows. The ensuite is generous yet restrained, lined in warm timbers and brushed stainless accents. Guest cabins follow either a three- or four-stateroom plan, while the crew quarters astern rival those of much larger yachts, a deliberate choice in a segment where crews often live in cramped quarters.
Three configurations define the model line: Sedan, Flybridge, and Skylounge. The Sedan offers clean exterior lines and direct connection with the water. The Flybridge variant adds an upper salon for extended cruising, while the Skylounge transforms the top deck into an enclosed, climate-controlled space suited to blue-water passages and high-latitude adventure.
Every element is functional, but never cold. Finishes are hand-crafted; edges are softened; materials invite touch. From the polished teak cockpit table to the discreet LED lighting along the side decks, there is a sense that nothing has been added without reason.
The drive that defines Palm Beach
Richards lights up when describing how the PB85 performs.
“When they start that boat up, feel how quiet and smooth it is, then take it for its first sea trial and just blow it away with its performance and smoothness — you just can’t beat that feeling as an owner, designer, and builder.”
Under power, the yacht reportedly carries herself like something half her weight. The helm delivers a tactile sense of control, and the hull reacts instantly to trim or throttle changes. The twin Volvo IPS 1350s hum quietly under the deck, their pod drives providing efficiency and manoeuvrability that make docking a near one-handed affair.
At cruising speed, the PB85 rides level, spray peeling away from her chines in a steady ribbon. Noise levels stay remarkably low thanks to composite isolation and meticulous balance. Richards attributes this serenity to racing discipline: weight forward, lift aft, and minimal wetted surface.
The numbers are impressive, but it’s the feel that defines the experience. Long passages become effortless. Fuel consumption drops to around seventy percent below comparable yachts, extending range and opening routes once reserved for trawlers or expedition hulls.
“I think we’re going to see some fantastic voyages through these customers and owners around the world,” Richards said. “They can go long distances quickly.”
That combination of speed, silence, and stability gives the PB85 something rare: a sense of lightness that belies her size.
A philosophy refined
The story of Palm Beach Motor Yachts is as much about persistence as it is about design.
“It’s been thirty years since I started Palm Beach Motor Yachts,” Richards said. “My inspiration back then was to build the most fuel-efficient and highest-quality powerboat in the world. It’s all been driven by passion and evolution.”
That evolution now spans nine models in the Classic series and three in the GT line, yet the guiding idea has never changed. Each boat must perform as well as it looks. Each must be beautiful because it is efficient, not despite it.
Richards still sees himself as a sailor first. His time in Sydney to Hobart and America’s Cup campaigns shaped his obsession with hull efficiency and weight distribution. Those lessons translate directly into Palm Beach’s success on the water, hulls that plane easily, run flat, and use less energy to move faster and farther.
“We’re still building smaller boats,” he said, “but it’s just a more comprehensive range now. To put all of our technology into a boat this size and achieve what we’ve achieved with unbelievable fuel efficiency — it’s a big deal that not many other companies in the world are doing.”
Behind the marketing lies genuine enthusiasm. Richards’ sentences often end with the same phrase: it’s all about perfection. He means it literally, the constant drive to refine every detail, from lamination schedules to interior ergonomics.
That pursuit has produced a vessel that bridges worlds. The Palm Beach 85 has the presence and amenities of a superyacht yet retains the personality of a boat that an experienced owner can helm alone. It rewards curiosity, invites exploration, and looks at home in every harbour.
Palm Beach’s leap to 85 feet was bold, but it feels inevitable. As Richards put it, “Just that constant drive for perfection is what I’m all about.”
A new standard of elegance
The Palm Beach 85 proves that progress and purity can share the same deck. It delivers the autonomy and comfort of a true superyacht while retaining the agility, efficiency, and understated grace that have always defined the brand.
At sea or at anchor, it radiates quiet authority; the kind that comes from confidence, not size. The PB85 invites its owners to travel farther, stay longer, and enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
Scale changes everything except intent. The Palm Beach 85 stands as proof that true luxury lies in simplicity, performance, and time well spent at sea.
