Pershing’s GTX80 Trades Performance for Easier Handling and Efficiency

When you first see the Pershing GTX80, as I did at the recent Cannes Yachting Festival, it appears much like its sisterships in a lineup known for matching Italian luxury with thrill-inducing performance. There is the familiar silver paint and the bullet-like profile that have become synonymous with this brand. But there is also something a bit different about this 78 footer, and it’s not something most would readily associate with a Pershing. This yacht is meant to be user friendly rather than a roaring speed demon.

When most people think of Pershing, they picture the iconic, high-powered X series, a fleet of vessels that rocket across the water at speeds approaching 58 mph, with dazzlingly white rooster tails frothing behind them. The launch of Pershing’s 116GTX was something of a sea change for the brand, chasing the recent trend among builders to favor comfort and fuel efficiency over performance. In other words, breakneck speeds are being left in the wake.

The GTX80 still has a respectable 39.1 mph top end—still sporty enough for most boaters, but not a true performance boat. That’s a tradeoff even the biggest speed junkies are happily accepting these days. Both the GTX80’s top end and its easy operation are largely owed to Pershing’s choice of propulsion. The yacht is powered by triple 1,000 hp Volvo Penta IPS1350s. The IPS system makes maneuvering even a boat this size relatively straightforward in tight quarters, at slow speeds or backing into a slip.

As for onboard amenities, one most noteworthy features I noticed on my walkaround was the large beach club, which measures 301 square feet when everything is folded outwards. A transformer at the after end of the swim platform can lower and raise to three levels, from underwater to deck level, while terraces to port and starboard flip down to expand the width to nearly 29 feet.

Vallicelli Yacht Design did the interior, a departure from the 116 penned by by Fulvio De Simoni. The 390-square-foot salon has an open-plan design with an aft galley and bar to port. While the 80 is certainly large enough to for extended cruises, it is also pretty clear from the main-deck layout that it will largely be used as a social weekender for owners and multiple guests.

Down below the GTX has four staterooms (with a three-stateroom configuration being an option), including a full-beam amidships master and a forepeak VIP. Guest staterooms to port and starboard offer twin berths. Notably the GTX has four heads (each with a brushed-metallic finish), which is one more than its sportier cousin, the Pershing 8X. Stylish LED strips light the rather dark passageway connecting the staterooms as well as the bedrooms, lending a futuristic, almost Tron-like vibe to the design.

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The 80GTX will make most captains happy with two helm stations—one in the salon and another on the large, 250-square-foot flybridge. Pershing says its “skybridge” offers 60 more space than competitors. The upper deck has an optional carbon-fiber hardtop, which was on the Cannes vessel, a dining area, a bar and a rear, full-beam sunpad. The helm can have up to three pilot chairs, while navigation and systems stats are monitored via two Simrad displays.

But my favorite driving spot is the lower salon helm, a raised area designed with an owner operator in mind. It has significantly better lines of sight than one might expect on a large Italian sportboat. The carbon-fiber dash and racing wheel imbue add panache to the space, while triple Simrad screens aid with navigational duties, and the Volvo joystick is used for slow-speed maneuvering and dynamic positioning.

This helm is a departure from the fully captained Pershings the yachting world knows, but it also delivers a measure of versatility to a brand that has, until now, championed performance with a single-minded devotion. The 80GTX is driving in another direction.