Welcome aboard. When I first started working at a boat rental dock, these Prestige yachts were just showing up on the West Coast, and I would stare at them all day while cleaning up other people’s beer. I still clean up beer, but at least now it is on much bigger vessels. This 2021 model was lent to me by Newport Yacht Rentals, and you can also find it on setsalemarine.com. For more.
Exterior and Bow
The boat is 42 feet with a 13-foot beam, and this blue color is by far my favorite. Compared to the Carver I already reviewed, the Prestige has more of a squared-off bow rather than the Carver’s steeper axe-style shape — that squared bow maximizes interior space differently, and you notice it once you go inside. Up front you have all stainless Lumar anchor equipment with a sun pad wrapped around stainless railing. The anchor locker is segregated from the chain with a separate storage compartment, windlass controls, and a hose. The black sections along the hull are not entirely window, which keeps structural integrity, and the mirrored finish makes the whole boat look sharp in the sun.
Stern and Flybridge
The swim step goes down into the water to launch the tender, which is about 10 to 12 feet. There is retractable shore power equipment back here. In the rear cockpit you have a beautiful teak table fixed to the vessel with walkways down both sides leading forward. The bow sun pad reclines and lays flat, and there is a side crane for swinging the tender into the water.
Up on the flybridge you have stainless rails on both sides of the staircase with a big opening so you do not hit your head. It is fully enclosed on three sides, which is all you need because air cannot flow freely through. There is a table, a fridge, grill, and sink along with another reclining pad. The helm sits low with great visibility around the entire vessel. The support posts are only three inches in diameter and come down towards the middle rather than off to the sides, which makes you feel more open and connected to the water. At the helm you have Raymarine electronics, autopilot, a Zipwake trim tab system, joystick controls, and a VHF radio.
The Interior
Enter through the four-piece sliding door — the first three slide across into the fourth — and you are greeted by a galley with a stovetop, sink, oven, microwave, and a coffee maker I do not believe is standard. On the other side you have a freezer, a refrigerator that slides out, an ice maker, and a bar area with cabinetry. The control panel by the door has your battery switches and gauges for water and waste levels.
This is where the Prestige starts to shine. The curtain between the salon and cockpit is corrugated so it folds up small but extends all the way across when you need it. The salon table spins to become bigger, and if you push a button it lowers electrically into a bed — it clicks itself in with no manual effort. Above the helm what I thought was a chart cabinet holds a television on a hinge — I have seen TVs come up out of cabinets but never on a hinge like this. At the helm you have two big Raymarine units, an engine computer, Fusion audio, autopilot, the same Zipwake system as the flybridge, and a chain counter.
Below Decks
Forward you have what they call a V-berth, but the bed does not taper at all because of that squared-off bow — it feels like the main cabin on most boats this size. There are outlets and AC controls on both sides so you can operate everything from bed, a mirror on one side and storage on the other. The door is actually two small doors cut in half so it does not get in the way. The day head has a shower with a shelf that folds over the toilet. The aft cabin sits under the salon with a television, a vanity drawer for us captains to do our makeup, and a porthole. The second head has a glass partition separating a full shower from the toilet. Two cabins, two heads, officially sleeps four — though you can fit more with the salon table converted.
The Christian Test
I looked at the engine compartment through the cockpit hatch and could not even get past the air filter — which is usually a problem for me in general. I was about ready to give up, but the galley has another hatch with a ladder and way more space. With both hatches open there is plenty of light. The galley side has all the Raymarine units and electronics easy to reach. On the other side you have power equipment and the generator in the middle. You can walk your way back to the engines and there is actually some space on the sides, better than I initially expected.
The Specs and Ratings
The 2021 Prestige 420 is a 42-foot motor yacht — closer to 43 — with a 13-foot beam at 22,000 pounds. Fiberglass, semi-displacement hull. The engines are twin QSB 6.7 diesels putting out 370 horsepower each on a V-drive system. The joystick operates with a bow thruster, and in my opinion V-drive is much better than pod drives — pods are difficult and costly to maintain. That gets you 22 knots cruising and 30 top speed with about 310 gallons of fuel for 210 nautical miles of range, 112 gallons fresh water, and 32 gallons waste.
On the star system — one to ten, five is average, not high school pass or fail — Performance gets a seven for solid speeds and the V-drive advantage. Comfort gets a seven because the space is above average, especially that forward cabin. Quality gets a seven — every cabinet perfectly aligned, everything functioning despite weather and humidity. Practicality gets an eight for the spinning table, corrugated curtain, cabinet TV, and the fact that you can single-hand this vessel with the joystick. Value gets a seven — more expensive than the Carver, but compared to what new Sunseekers cost, I cannot tell you what you would miss other than the name.
That brings the Prestige 420 to 36 stars — tied for second in the boats I have reviewed. I was honestly shocked at how nice this vessel is and how far Prestige has come compared to the earlier ones I used to drive. Browse similar boats on Set Sale Marine. Smooth sailing.
