French builder Prestige is renowned for its cleverly designed, accommodating, and elegantly styled cruisers, which are tailored for owner-operation. Therefore, the introduction of a new 13m (42ft) flybridge model is central to Prestige's ethos. With the Prestige 420, Prestige aims to deliver a near-perfect blend of value and luxury, featuring amenities like a full-beam owner’s stateroom. We had the opportunity to go on board during a bustling launch event to assess if the reality lives up to the promise.
A new 42ft flybridge yacht caters well to the owner-operated market, providing ample onboard space and on-water performance while remaining manageable for a two-person crew.
Prestige and Garoni Design have a long-standing partnership, crafting cruisers with enduring style and functional layouts. Their yachts often incorporate innovative features like asymmetrical decks and versatile seating arrangements, prioritizing value and accommodation.
The 420 model continues this tradition, boasting a sleek design and offering a variety of hull colours. Its standout feature is a spacious full-beam owner’s stateroom, an impressive inclusion for a yacht of its size and price range.
Size Matters
In this size category, even a small increase in length can significantly enhance interior volume. The Princess F45 received praise for its spacious owner's cabin, but despite being over a meter (12in) shorter, the 420 manages to excel in providing ample cabin space.
The 420 offers two excellent cabins, including an impressive forward double. Opting for a galley-aft layout maximizes the salon's space. Utilising glass contributes to the interior's brightness, with prominent side windows enhancing the overall luminosity. The design feels compact yet well-executed, with no significant compromises in space, whether inside or out.
Drive System
Prestige maximizes the owner’s stateroom space by positioning the twin engines aft, utilizing V-drives instead of pod drives. This shaftdrive system, featuring forward-facing gearboxes and doubled-back shafts, ensures intuitive handling. For enhanced manoeuvrability in tight spaces, an optional bow thruster joystick system is available.
Powered by a pair of 425hp Cummins engines, the 420 achieves a top speed of approximately 30 knots and cruises comfortably between 22 and 26 knots.
S Line
The 420 design also offers a smart sports yacht S Line version, maintaining the same interior layout with a full-beam owner's suite. The bright salon is further enhanced by an overhead sunroof. By omitting the flybridge, the Prestige 420S provides a slightly more affordable option, making it worth considering if the extra deck space is unnecessary for your needs.
The owner’s cabin features a private entrance, with the ensuite accessible from a short companionway. Ample cabinetry and natural light characterise the cabin, with two long hull-side windows enhancing the sense of space. The design prioritises maximising headroom without compromising the salon above.
The forward guest cabin offers a comfortable setting, featuring long windows set into the bows and a conveniently low double berth. Currently, the inability to specify twin berths forward limits the 420's suitability for family use.
Liveaboard Option
For those considering extended stays aboard, there's a practical option available: the guest ensuite can be exchanged for a utility area equipped with a washing machine. This layout modification also includes a walk-in wardrobe for the owner’s cabin.
Salon Style
At deck level, a simple step up leads to the salon, providing crucial additional headroom for the cabin below. The salon features facing seating, creating a highly sociable atmosphere. Elevated positioning and deep glass sections contribute to the overall appeal of the space. In the evening, with blinds drawn, an optional fold-out TV can be activated from a forward locker.
The galley aft layout is consistently popular, catering to both the deck and salon effectively. While the galley appears compact, it is complemented by a separate worktop to starboard, offering space for a drawer fridge and freezer.
Options to Consider
Prestige provides an extensive selection of optional fabrics and finishes for the interior through its Preference and Luxury packages. It's worth mentioning that these packages also incorporate a combi-oven and hob for the galley, a feature that arguably should be standard and is consistent with considerations on deck.
The lower helm benefits greatly from the abundant glass, offering visibility close to 360 degrees. While there may be limited space for two individuals on the bench seat, it functions better as a single seat, with the dashboard comfortably accommodating two MFD screens.
It's worth mentioning that the opening side window for the lower helm, which is useful for crew communication or ventilation, is an optional extra.
The flybridge helm is designed as a single seat, with a sunpad adjacent for guests to relax. The console on top can accommodate two MFDs, although the test boat was equipped with one and some speed and depth displays.
Access to the flybridge is facilitated by a well-designed skeletal ladder, which is easy to climb and improves aft visibility for the lower helm. On the upper deck, Prestige emphasises what it terms 'designated areas.' However, it feels more like a unified space where the helm, forward sunpad, and aft dining areas seamlessly connect and are within easy reach of each other.
At the heart of the layout is a small wet bar, which can be customised with a barbecue and fridge. The galley aft layout proves advantageous here, simplifying the transport of food and beverages up the steps or to the tidy aft cockpit with its social L-shaped seat and teak table.
Side deck access is excellent, particularly when approached from the starboard side where Prestige’s asymmetrical design provides a deep, wide deck. The entrance is located inside a full bulwark, with a step forward placed a considerable distance. The foredeck is equipped with long sun pads featuring another set of flip-up backrests.
At the aft, an optional hydraulic bathing platform is accompanied by a highly functional transom locker, offering ample space for storing a sea scooter or a small deflated tender.
In the production yacht market, there are typically two approaches: builders who aim to provide a competitive base price but require additional support through an extensive options list, and those who offer a well-rounded standard specification with a higher base price. The ideal scenario is finding a boat that offers good value with a reasonable base price, requiring only a few substantial options such as air-conditioning, a hydraulic platform, or navigation equipment.
Base Price
Prestige has undoubtedly put considerable effort into offering a very competitive base price of €360,800 ex-taxes for its yacht. Its primary competitor, the Bavaria Virtess 420, starts at a similar price of €360,700 ex taxes but opts for a three-cabin layout and smaller 380hp Volvo Penta D6 engines. For broader comparison, the larger Princess F45, also featuring a full-beam master, begins at around €658,000 ex-taxes with 435hp IPS-600 engines.
Specification Extras
Regarding specification extras, Prestige's build quality and finish have improved noticeably, with the yacht showcasing meticulous detailing and luxurious touches, exuding a sense of refinement. However, there is some room for improvement to reach an optimal specification level.
The pursuit of a low base price has led to a few questionable omissions, such as optional spring cleats, a sliding (manual) helm window, and galley equipment. Additionally, typical options like air-conditioning and navigational equipment, as well as items like deck cushions and canopies, need to be added. Prestige offers a wide range of optional finishes, including various hull paint colours and cabinetry and fabric choices.
Depending on the final specification chosen, the on-the-water price may exceed €500,000, which represents a significant increase from the initial base price but remains substantially lower than other 12m (40ft) flybridges.
Our Verdict
Featuring a full-beam owner’s stateroom within a 13m yacht is undoubtedly remarkable, distinguishing the Prestige 420 in the competitive 42ft range. This vessel demonstrates a strong emphasis on design and functionality.
Expanding the standard specification to include more cruising essentials within the base price would significantly improve its value proposition, bringing it closer to the ideal balance of affordability and features. Nonetheless, the Prestige 420 remains one of the most stylish and functional entry-level flybridge models available on the market.
Reasons to Buy
- Spacious staterooms
- Excellent side deck access
- Customisable wet bar
- Competitive base price
Things to Consider
- Some essentials are included only as options
- Limited helm space
Looking to own a Prestige 420? Use YachtBuyer’s Market Watch to compare all new and used Prestige 420 Boats for sale worldwide. You can also order a new Prestige 420, customized to your exact specifications, with options for engine choice and layout configuration. Alternatively, explore our global listings of new and used boats for sale and find your perfect boat today!
Rivals to Consider
The 420 delivers a very cohesive two-cabin, galley aft layout that will ensure everyone on board feels connected but also has enough space to spread out or gain some privacy. Importantly for many buyers, the Prestige also has a full-beam ensuite Owner’s cabin.
There are plenty of smart flybridge rivals offering 30knots and two cabins. At first, the stylish Sessa Fly 42 feels very similar to the Prestige, with a bright salon and near-identical flybridge. But it places the galley down, with a twin cabin amidship and a forward Owner’s cabin.
Bavaria offers two yachts in this sector, the R40 Fly is a two-cabin boat that matches the Prestige design in most areas with its full-beam Owner’s cabin but gives the entire port side of the salon over to the galley. The longer Virtess 420 is a three-cabin yacht with twin cabins amidships and a forward Owner’s suite. Interestingly the 40 Fly and 420 Virtess are near-identical in price and very close to the Prestige.
Galeon also has two models to challenge our test boat, and both feel very different onboard with deep-sided salons and three cabins. The 420 Fly has a more conventional flybridge deck that is quite similar to the Prestige, the 430 Skydeck feels more contemporary, it shares the Fly’s layout but adds more glass and a sunroof to the salon, the design leaving a smaller flybridge above.
The American Carver C40 is a powerful-looking yacht with a good flybridge loaded with seating, including a proper twin helm. The interior is bright and welcoming, the omission of a lower helm opening up the salon. The conventional layout has a twin cabin amidships with the Owner forward.
Finally, the German-built Sealine F430 might just offer the strongest, toughest competition to the Prestige. The Sealine feels big inside and out, with a spacious galley aft salon, a very social flybridge, and a full-beam owner’s cabin and forward VIP, both en suite. Finish and design are class-leading.
Considering a new boat? Explore Prestige's entire current range to find the model that best suits your needs, and compare it with alternatives from competitors to ensure you make the perfect choice.
Specifications
- Builder Prestige
- Range F-Line
- Model 420
- Length Overall 42.848ft
- Beam 13.451ft
- Draft 3.609ft
- Hull GRP
- Cabins 2
- Berths 4
- Cruising Speed
- Max Speed
- Fuel Capacity 309 Gallons
- Fresh Water Capacity 112 Gallons
- Engine Model 2x Cummins QSB6.7 425mhp
- Engine HP 425
- Engine economic speed 9.4 knots
- Engine max range (speed type) 267.7 (nm)
Prestige 420 Layout
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Flybridge
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![Flybridge Prestige 420]()
A social, cohesive design keeps everyone within arms-length and adds a big sunpad, wetbar and convertible dining area. The single helm can be joined by guests, with hinged backrests to the adjacent sunpad.
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Main Deck
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![Main Deck Prestige 420]()
The deck salon design hits all the right points, with a galley aft, facing sofas and plenty of glass. The design connects the interior with the aft cockpit with an adjoining galley bar.
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Lower Deck
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Standard lower deck layout
![Lower Deck Prestige 420]()
Two good ensuite cabins, including a full-beam Owner's cabin, make the most of the space below decks, the forward double enjoying the 420's beam that continues a good way forward.
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