The Prestige M8 offers the space and luxury equivalent to that of an 85-foot monohull, with much greater comfort and connection with the sea
In early June, Prestige invited us to be among the first to test their new mode, the 19.82-meter long M8 – the largest catamaran they’ve built so far. With its tall hull, two rows of side windows and the master cabin placed in the bow between two hulls, M8 was designed as a power catamaran, and is not just a power version of a sailing catamaran.
Gently sloping, but sharp bows merge into a deck that covers the entire space between the two hulls. The superstructure is glazed, covered by a wide fly deck, adding a sporty, stylish touch to the profile.We step aboard via one of the two small platforms that also serve as stairs down, toward the hydraulic swimming platform. The three platforms can be joined into one large aft platform, while the central part – the hydraulic swimming platform – can be lifted and rotated to fit into the deck, or submerged to allow easy access for swimmers. This platform also serves as storage for tender.
The decks is wide and spacious, using almost the entire combined hull width. Aft, there is no fixed furniture, and the owner gets to choose both elements, layout and even makers. Wide and safe passages lead toward the bow, and the bow – several steps higher than the rest of the main deck – serves exclusively as a large, comfortable sundeck, with mattresses in front of the windshield and a sofa on the very bow. In the superstructure, there is the main salon, easily accessible via double glass doors, separated by a small bar.
On the left, there are the stairs leading to the fly deck. Inside, the salon is breezy and light, with 360-degree view, as there is almost no tall furniture. In look and feeling, it’s almost identical to the main deck outdoor salon, all the way to the free-standing furniture. On the left, there are the interior stairs leading to the fly deck, and on the right, a stylish stainless steel bar that doubles as handrail of the stairs leading below deck.
Forward in the salon, right under the windshield, on there right there is the galley with a semi-circular worktop and a fridge; on the left, the dining space, with a table seating six, and between them the stairs leading below deck. Right next to the stairs, a small cabinet hides an essential command console, with engine and autopilot commands and the GPS plotter.
Prestige M8 layout
The master cabin is wide and large, with a central double bed, a small sofa and a coffee table on the right, and a private bathroom on the left. The unit we tested had four cabins; the master, the VIP in the left hull (large bed, small private salon, small working space with a desk, private wardrobe) and two guest cabins in the right hull (one with a Pullman bed and one with a double bed; both with private bathrooms and showers).
The model is also available with four cabins and the galley below deck in the right hull, or with five cabins. All versions have two crew cabins in the bows. The fly deck is as large as the salon – 50 square meters – also has almost no fixed furniture: only the command console and the two seats serving it, the grill bar behind the seats, and the small bar next to it are fixed.
On the fly deck, we found a large dining table seating eight, and two large and comfortable sofas aft. Most of the fly deck (except the very aft) is protected by a sport top with a central window which can also be covered by a soft cover.
In navigation, Prestige M8 displayed all the skill expected from a boat its size and style, proving to be extremely stable even with no stabilizers, and executing turns without any rolling. With two 600-hp Volvo Penta D8-600 engines, M8 is at its most efficient at 8knots, using only 21 liter of fuel per hour @1250 rpm, while at 14 knots and @2500 rpm fuel consumption rises to 168 l/h.
How fast is the Prestige M8?
On our test we reached top speed of 21 knots (241 l/h). Although the model is almost 20 meters long, the Volvo Penta joystick and Garmin Surround View allowing for bird’s-eye view make it super easy to execute docking maneuvers.
Prestige M8 is in the very top of its segment, and we can see why that segment – power cats up to 20 meters in length – has been gaining popularity. This model has everything necessary to become its maker bestseller and the top model in the segment.
Photos Prestige Yachts
