Boat Review - Horizon V72

In a quickly changing world it is nice to honour a shipyard like Taiwan’s Horizon Yachts. Since its inception in 1987 Horizon has developed as the leading Asian brand in the luxury megayacht market despite worldwide economic fluctuations. Taiwan is one of the top five superyacht manufacturing capitals and Horizon Yachts has been honuored as Best Asian Motor Yacht Builder for the last 10 years in a row at the Asia Boating Awards.

A day on board the Horizon V72 certainly had me dreaming. She’s actually a fraction under 75ft (22.85m) overall hull length and just under 63ft (19.18m) waterline length. Horizon Yachts has packed plenty of boat into the huge volume created by the 6.25m beam and multitude of decks and living areas. Overall she draws only 1.55m with full fuel capacity of 6056lt and 1135lt of water. She comes in at 51 tonnes (dry, light ship) and is fitted with twin Caterpillar C18s as well as 22.5 and 13.5kW Onan generators as standard. With a team including 30 staff all holding degrees in naval architecture and 70 fulltime engineers all with college degrees, you can be assured they got it right the first time.

The striking feature of the Horizon V72 is the comfortable flow throughout the boat. From the moment you step aboard the large elevating teak swimplatform you just know you are in for a treat. The platform also provides an excellent stage for water play and an easy loading point for toys and tenders. Either side is a moulded stairwell leading up to a graceful rear deck that is large enough for a small cocktail party. Our review boat layout has an external bar with refrigeration, icemaker, bench top and storage as well as an external TV.

Layout and design

From the flush teak deck the Horizon V72 flows with smooth transition through the alfresco rear door and into the galley and saloon completing one large living area. The layout is most appealing for entertaining or simply living at rest. The starboardside of the rear deck has a teak-lined stairwell leading to the upper level and there are nice wide companionways either side for access to the bow.

Up front is a foredeck settee with convertible table and large sunlounge. The foredeck layout really adds another functional living area for sun-loving passengers, as well as safe and secure access to the bow with deep bulwarks and strong stainless steel rails. The anchoring and mooring equipment are suited to a craft of this size and complemented with a Maxwell VWC3500C winch.

The galley is immediately to port on entry and contains all the elements of a luxury kitchen in a high-class apartment. There is a handy breakfast bar with three upholstered stools that pivot in and out on innovative stainless steel pedestals. The galley utilises a nice combination of textures including off-white leather, white marble laminate bench tops, mushroom cabinet laminates, light and dark timber veneer accents, etched glass cabinet doors, and stainless steel trims and appliances.

The fully equipped galley includes a monster Fisher & Paykel fridge with French doors and freezer drawer, twin stainless steel sinks with mixer, Miele dishwasher, four-hotplate electric cooktop and oven, Miele microwave convection oven, garbage disposal, and plenty of bench, cupboard and servery space.

Interior

Overhead the entire interior over the Horizon V72 has white leather linings with a lovely ceiling feature. Opposite the galley is the staircase entry to the crew and facilities area below, and ahead a long sideboard. The sideboard cabinet has plenty of storage plus a wine chiller and a twin-drawer fridge. Bordering all lined ceilings is the reverse-cycle heater/air-conditioner ducting and there’s no shortage of natural lighting throughout with panoramic windows that enhance the grandeur.

Take two small steps up into the saloon lounge area and you will immediately feel right at home. There is a magnificent U-shaped leather lounge portside with a convertible timber table and pullout ottomans set against a plush pile carpet.

Overhead is yet another imaginative ceiling feature complete with all manner of drop and mood lighting to match the occasion. Leading to the upper deck is a starboard spiral staircase which, to be overly critical, is just a little steep yet beautifully presented with timber steps. Next to it is the entertainment unit with a large pop-up flatscreen TV enclosed in even more sideboard storage.

Master cabins

The owner and guest accommodation on the Horizon V72 is forward and amidships. There is a luxurious master stateroom centrally positioned with a north-south queen bed, a VIP guest stateroom in the bow that you can be forgiven for mistaking as the master, and a separate kids room with full-length singles. Each cabin has a TV, entertainment system, climate control, suitable mood lighting as well as en suite with vanity and full-height separate showers.

The modern Euro theme flows throughout the accommodation too, with a combination of white oak panels and deeper walnut trims, off-white linings, optional granite bench tops, attractive furnishings, splashes of small attractive wall tiles, mirrors, stainless steel trims, panoramic windows, decorative yet functional stainless steel portholes and off-white manchester with lime green accessories.

The master stateroom is quite a statement in modern styling and design, in fact to my taste it is possibly the most functional master I have ever had the privilege to inspect. It is more than just a stateroom but a very comfortable living zone. It takes on the full-beam of the V72 making it around 6m wide internally. The bed will be somewhere between a queen and a king and sits proudly in the centre with tons of plush carpet and a large backing/dress mirror that further enhances the spacious feel.

Just outside the stateroom door is a terrific feature that I don’t recall seeing on any similar vessel. It has its own small galley nook unit complete with stainless steel sink and fridge drawer and is an ideal position for an espresso machine for that morning coffee or late-night hot chocolate. There is also a separate cabinet in the hallway containing a full-size Miele front-loader washer and dryer.

The VIP guest cabin has an inviting queen island bed with terrific access and a small step-up on each side. There is a full-length wardrobe to port and the ladies will love the make-up table with its own pullout ottoman, independent mirror and subtle lighting. The en suite is quite spacious, with plenty of mirrors, separate shower, large vanity, bench space and cabinetry.

The third cabin is also quite spacious and more than suitable for a couple of large fellas if required. It also has a good deal of wardrobe, cabinet and drawer storage as well as a shelving unit with good overhead lighting plus a sealed window and porthole.

Wheelhouse helm

We gain access to the upper wheelhouse via spiral stairs in the saloon, or a comfortable staircase leading from the aft deck.

The fully integrated helm features a pair of Garmin multifunction screens allowing easy-to-navigate position, course, sonar and radar options. The Caterpillar engine monitors (complete with alarm systems) are immediately underneath alongside a ship-shaped panel monitoring system for important equipment (e.g. bilge pumps, blowers, nav lights etc.) just in front of the twin throttles. There is a monitoring system for tanks (fuel, freshwater, blackwater) as well as a fuel/water level indicator system. Compass, communications, trim tabs, autopilot, thruster, anchor control, switches and further instruments are all neatly presented in a low-glare black leather and graphite composite dash. The magnificent Stidd helm chair and gorgeous stainless steel steering wheel all complete a magnificent presentation.

The functional wheelhouse also has a dinette/map table so guests can join you sociably while underway, and there is a further passenger seat to starboard just in front of the stairwell. There’s no need to leave the wheelhouse when nature calls with a separate head and vanity – most sensible. The visibility from the fully enclosed wheelhouse can only be described as panoramic.

Engine room

Back downstairs we come to the working part of the Horizon V72. The crew is amply provided for with separate quarters in the stern. There is a pair of multilevel bunks, an en suite and minimal galley facilities. The electrical cabinet is sited in this quite large area, as is the watertight doorway to the engineroom where we find a pair of 1150mhp Caterpillar C18 ACERT six-cylinder turbo-diesels and the gensets.

The access, plumbing, fit-up and electrical installations are world-class with a non-skid floor, full sound insulation, plenty of lighting and a clean white panel finish. There are more features than can be listed including air-compressor, insulated engineroom door, DC LED lighting, AC/DC blowers, AC outlets, NuTone central vacuum cleaner system, colour-coded wiring, four AGM batteries for engine and generator start-up plus another four for ship service power, with both 50 and 75amp chargers, a 3kW inverter, 40amp AC-DC converter, and two 50amp shorepower connections aft to name a few.

The Horizon V72 has terrific range from its fuel capacity, using as little as 26.2lt/h per side at 1100rpm doing a brisk 11kts. You can cover plenty of sea miles at 18kts and 2000rpm where you’re only using 160lth, while at a top speed of 22kts consumption jumps to 222lt/h at 2360rpm.

The Trade-a-Boat verdict

There is just so much more to see, feel, touch, smell and enjoy on this magnificent luxury cruiser — you’ll just have to search a Horizon V72 out for your own pleasure.

HIGHS

• Contemporary interior design

• Upper helm and wheelhouse

• Caterpillar C18 power

• Majestic appeal

• Long-range seafarer

• Bow settee and lounge

LOWS

• No lip on country kitchen benchtops

• Spiral staircase a little steep

Horizon V72 sea trials

Twin 1150mhp Caterpillar C18 ACERT turbo-diesel marine engines.

* Sea-trial data supplied by Horizon. Fuel-burn is per engine.

Horizon V72 specs

Horizon V72 motoryacht price: $4,815,000

Price as tested

OPTIONS FITTED

Hydraulic swimplatform, Aqualuma underwater lights, skylounge and country kitchen, air-conditioning unit, 26in LCD TVs, wood interior finish in semi-gloss varnish, wooden dining table, teak/holly floor, helm console with custom-made black leather, Stidd black leather helm chair, stainless steel rails around boat deck, hydraulic stern thrusters, extra 750lt fuel tank, granite bench tops in galley and heads, honeycomb granite floors in three heads (except showers), custom design aft galley, watermaker, Garmin navigation package, and more

PRICED FROM

$US3,380,000

GENERAL

MATERIAL GRP

TYPE Deep-vee monohull

LENGTH 22.85m

BEAM 6.25m

WEIGHT Approx 51 tonnes

CAPACITIES

PEOPLE 12

REC. MHP RANGE 2 x 1150

REC. MAX MHP 2 x 1600

FUEL 6056lt

WATER 1135lt

ENGINE

MAKE/MODEL 2 x Caterpillar C18 ACERTs marine engines

TYPE Turbocharged and after-cooled six-cylinder diesels

RATED MHP 1150 (each)

WEIGHT Approx 1700kg (each)

DISPLACEMENT 18.1lt

PROPELLER High-performance four-blade

SUPPLIED BY

Horizon Motor Yachts Australia

31 Masthead Way,

Sanctuary Cove, QLD, 4212

Phone (07) 5577 9009

Fax (07) 5514 8190

Email sales@hmya.com.au

Web hmya.com.au

See the full version of this review in Trade-A-Boat #471, on sale October 29, 2015. Why not subscribe today?