Flagship unfurled
The new flagship Grand Banks 85 will make her European debut at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival.
Photography by One Van der Wal / Grand Banks
30 June 2022
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The highly successful and revolutionary introduction of the Grand Banks 60 in 2017 saw a response from owners and the boating industry alike that has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.
The evolutions of the new design maintained the elegant lines and opulent interiors that define the Grand Banks style, while taking the company in a bold new performance-driven and fuel-efficient direction.
The Grand Banks 54 followed the 60, debuting in 2020 and almost immediately selling ten hulls to eager yachtsmen around the globe.
Now, due to both customer demand and established confidence in the marque’s adoption of the V-Warp platform, Grand Banks is once again pushing the envelope for design and engineering with a new flagship, the Grand Banks 85 (GB85).
Like all new Grand Banks models, the GB85 benefits from the infinite knowledge gained from building cruising designs for nearly seven decades and delivering more than 7,000 yachts.
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Whether it’s a focus on maximising storage allowing an abundance of fresh air flow, or ensuring comfort both at sea and at anchor, there’s not a detail on the GB85 that has been ignored.
True to the brand’s heritage, the GB85 is an ocean-going bluewater cruiser that’s also nimble with a shallow draft, making it equally suited for coastal cruising.
Designed to travel efficiently at 21 knots for extended cruising and easily handled by owner-operators, the internal configurations also accommodate spacious and impressive crew quarters, should that be the owners’ choice.
Hull number one is powered with twin 1,000 HP Volvo IPS 1350s. During the pre-delivery test, the GB85 reportedly met all expectations.
Like the entire range of the new generation of Grand Banks, the GB85 runs flat and pushes very little water, demonstrating the superior efficiency of the V-Warp platform.
A beam of 22 feet allows Grand Banks to offer a range of internal configurations and amenities for both guests and crew. For long-distance cruising, special attention was given to both sociability and privacy.
First, we focused on what makes a superior long-distance cruiser while underway for long legs,” said Grand Banks CEO Mark Richards.
“This means understanding the rhythm that occurs while on passage and creating various spaces where you can separate from others off-watch.”
“Some people onboard are focused on running the boat, others are relaxing and others may be sleeping. This approach ticks a lot of boxes in how the design comes together.”
The first hull of the GB85 will be on display for the first time in Europe at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival, from 6 to 11 September.
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