Horizon FD110 Tri-deck Review (2022 Edition)

The FD (Fast Displacement) series was designed in conjunction with Dutch design house Cor D. Rover with efficient cruising and interior volume in mind. The FD110, which is available as a Skyline and a Tri-deck (with added sun deck), meets this brief on both accounts.

Engine options are varied but with twin Caterpillar C32A 1,900hp motors it will cover 2,000nm at 10 knots thanks in part to its efficient hull shape and in part to a fuel capacity of 17,000 litres. The smart thing about this hull design is that it doesn't restrict the boat to displacement speeds, indeed if pushed the 158-tonne FD110 will top out at 18.5 knots and still cover over 700nm when cruising at 14 knots. 

The quality of engineering is outstanding, too, especially in the engine room which gleams like a surgical theatre and has over 6.1ft (1.86m) of headroom throughout. The attention to detail is great and includes underlighting beneath the engines so it's easy to spot any leaks in what is usually the darkest part of the space. It's the same story on board where the boat oozes quality thanks to high-end components and reassuring solidity throughout its decks and interior. 

Customisation is key to the Horizon ethos and you effectively start with a blank sheet of paper when ordering a new boat. You expect a certain amount of flexibility when it comes to specification on a yacht of this size but for a production builder Horizon is more willing than most to create a bespoke offering for the customer. 

In terms of styling, the FD range can appear a little top-heavy but being the second largest model in the line-up the FD110 wears its height well and the payoff is the amount of space this affords inside the yacht.

The FD110 is a traditional tri-deck design with its salon, galley, and owner's stateroom on the main deck and guest and crew cabins on the lower deck. Above the main deck is the pilot house, sky lounge, and aft deck, which is linked to the raised foredeck and to top it all off there is a sun deck at the yacht's summit. The 110 is a big yacht but the distribution of space makes it feel even larger than it actually is. 

The boat at Fort Lauderdale had been specified by Horizon Yachts USA, and its main deck struck a balance between luxury and home-from-home comfort. The furniture in the salon was modern and stylish with some stand-out features such as the shard-like chandelier above the 10-person dining table. There is clever design all over the place, such as the day head tucked inside the cockpit door to port and the position of the television, which doesn't pop up from behind the sofa but is mounted high in the aft corner of the deck so that it's in view of the lounge, dining table and even those in the galley.

The galley is lovely and with its central island and domestic fridge freezer it feels more like a domestic kitchen. It's flexible too. Between the pocket doors that close it off from the main salon and the partition that slides up and down at the touch of a button, the space can either be fully enclosed if the crew is preparing a meal or opened up entirely during the day when the owner and their guests may be in and out of the space to make a snack or a coffee. This is a well-trodden layout but it's been executed brilliantly on the FD110. 

The main salon is an expansive entertaining space so it's nice to have the more cosy and intimate space in the sky lounge on the next level up. This deck is split between the pilot house, sky lounge, and outdoor deck spaces but the lounge, which has a bar, pop-up TV and another day head is a lovely spot to retire to either in the evening or in the day when the air-conditioned upper salon would be a great place to cool off with a view. 

Time To Sleep

Right forward is the owner's stateroom which spans the nearly 25ft beam of the main deck. It's lavish in both finish and space and enjoys excellent views through towering side windows from its elevated spot on the middle deck. The layout of the ensuite incorporates separate toilets and sinks for each occupant with a large walk-in shower between the two. 

Guest accommodation is on the lower deck and, like the rest of this yacht, the exact layout is very flexible but the arrangement on the showboat worked well. Amidships it had identical double ensuite staterooms that had a smart bathroom arrangement with sliding doors opening to reveal a central sink and vanity area flanked by separate shower and toilet compartments. It's a smart use of the available space and these are two great cabins but there is the option to combine the two into one and create another full-beam double cabin and, effectively, two VIP staterooms on the lower deck.

Elsewhere, the boat has both a utility space and storage room off the lower deck hallway and a dedicated laundry room — both great additions if you intend to have the cabins full for long periods as they grant guests extra storage and the ability to do their washing if required. 

Right forward, there is a generous twin ensuite to port and the VIP stateroom in the bow. It may be positioned beneath the owner's cabin but headroom — and space in general — is excellent and it's topped off with lots of storage solutions and a spacious private bathroom. 

Premier Crew

A word on the crew accommodation because it's outstanding. Access is via either a door in the transom, the garage door when it's open, or a staircase on the port side of the aft deck. It has a proper crew mess with decent cooking facilities and a dinette plus a set of bunks on one side and a comfortable double captain's cabin with a private ensuite. Whichever version of the aft deck is chosen this layout is the same but opting for the extended crew over the beach club adds much more storage space inside the transom. At this size of the yacht, you couldn't ask for more.  

One word sums up the FD110's helm station: commanding. It's positioned high up on the yacht so the view forward is excellent, even with the optional hot tub on the foredeck. This is the only driving position on the 110 (except the wing station outside the wheelhouse) and it feels like the yacht's nerve center with a spread of 24in Garmin MFDs that handle systems control, radar, charting, and the boat's suite of cameras.

Three adjustable Stidd helm chairs provide a comfortable perch for the crew with a neat bench on the rear bulkhead so more people can sit and enjoy the ride from the business end of the boat. There's also a small desk so the skipper has a spot to fill out paperwork and spread out paper charts if necessary. 

This is a working space for the captain and crew so there is the ability to partition the bridge off from the sky lounge with a pop-up bulkhead and a pocket door, though a side door means the crew can come and go without going through the upper salon.

The FD110 runs on twin shaftdrives so there's a pair of ZF's tactile throttles sprouting from the top of the dash and a suit of ABT-Trac fin stabilisers and hydraulic thrusters to keep the yacht on the straight and narrow at rest and underway.

The theme of spaciousness continues on deck and starts at the water line with a truly enormous hydraulic bathing platform with a weight capacity shy of just under two tonnes, so there's scope to have a decent tender onboard. There's also a crane on the upper deck so you can split the toys between decks or have the option to carry the tender on the platform for short trips and stow it safely on the flybridge for longer passages. 

As mentioned above, there is the option to have a beach club or extended crew space beneath the transom hatch; the beach club adds a bar area with associated amenities and an L-shaped run of seating where guests can relax in the shade after a dip. The other benefit of this layout is that it extends the crew's living area when it's not in use and the transom hatch is shut. 

The cockpit feels enormous and still has acres of space despite a large, extendable dinette table with sofas on all sides. A TV that drops down from the overhang is a welcome addition and there's a bar tucked in the corner, as well. A flight of stairs to port leads to the upper deck where the layout, as you may have gathered by now, is flexible. The boat at the show had seating, a bar, and a tender crane in this spot but it could host the hot tub or some fixed sunbathing space instead. 

There's equal flexibility up front. This deck is asymmetric so the passageway forward is an unbroken one on the port side of the sky lounge. Here, on the showboat, there was a hot tub facing a broad U-shaped seating area with tables and some shelter from a canopy. The tub can be replaced with sun pads but the arrangement we saw worked brilliantly and had a real superyacht feel about it. 

Up another run of stairs on the aft deck is the sun deck, which as the name suggests is pretty focused on the catching of rays. Aft is a day bed with a set of side tables and neatly placed plug sockets so phones can charge while people sunbathe. Forward, under the shelter of the fixed hard top is a low-slung seating area opposite a small bar with a sink and fridge. Whether you want to sunbathe, dine, lounge, or wallow there is space to do it on the FD110's decks. 

Value for money is very much a relative theory when it comes to yachts of this size, but it's probably fair to say that a new Horizon will undercut its European rivals of a similar size on price.

The other consideration with Horizon is the freedom to customise, which it does to a greater level than many of its competitors in the semi-custom sector. You're essentially getting the near full-custom build experience for the cost of a semi-custom yacht.