New Jolly Prince 33 CC: American premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
Europeans are well ahead of US boaters in certain ideas and one of those is using large rigid inflatables (RIBs) as primary yachts rather than just as tenders. One Italian builder who understands this is Nuova Jolly Marine and their designer, Matteo De Francesco, who’s responsible for the Prince 33 CC, a sleek walk-around design with few limits.
Nuova Jolly builds center consoles 22-50 feet and has been in business nearly six decades. In that time, they’ve learned a thing or two about fast boats with long legs. The version I visited at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat show was the US premier and was rigged with twin Mercury Verado 400-hp V10 outboards. These are possibly the quietest engines on the market and you can expect a cruising speed around 30 knots. (Inboard propulsion of 700-hp is also available but the US market loves their large outboards so this version will be the most popular.)
Able to take rough water in stride due to the deep-V forward and a 25-degree deadrise, the Prince 33 CC has a fiberglass hull with Hypalon tubes. Up to 12 passengers can enjoy all the onboard space including the forward sunpad that takes up literally the entire bow area, and the U-shaped aft settee with a hi/lo table that converts to another sunbed.
The onboard aesthetic is minimalist with clean lines but also nautical with a teak sole and accents throughout. Italian styling can’t be beat.
The center console amidships uses the generous 11-foot beam to its advantage. Twin seats face the helm dash that holds a single 12-inch Raymarine MFD, Mercury’s Vessel View screen, a premium audio system with six speakers, a VHF radio, and a bow thruster which comes standard.
Below the helm seats is a refrigerator and when the seats are tilted forward, you can work at the hidden sink and optional cooktop. It’s a small but functional galley so you can provision for a multi-day outing and not go hungry. The entire console and galley area is covered by the hardtop and fronted by a low windshield. Visibility all the way to the bow is excellent as is the storage space throughout the boat from one end to the other.
The Prince 33 CC can be weekended easily since there is a large air conditioned double cabin below. The enclosed head has a marine toilet, a sink and a shower so there’s really nothing stopping you from stretching your weekend into a week.
Nuova Jolly’s co-owner, Teo Aiello, walked us through the boat. He believes in the durability and performance of his product so much, that he took a larger sibling, the Prince 38, across the Atlantic Ocean with one other crewmember. After nearly 1,800 nautical miles, they arrived safely in less than a week with 700 liters of fuel to spare and not looking much worse for the wear.
Wait time for this model is about three months and equipped as we saw it at the show, you’ll pay around $330,000. Nuova Jolly has partnered with Highfield in the US for distribution.
The versatile Prince 33 slots in just about in the middle of the builder’s range. Sure, it would make a sexy tender to a superyacht, but with a cabin, a galley, plenty of storage, and oodles of power, this is a respectable choice for a primary and only vessel in any boater’s fleet. It may be time that American boaters seriously consider RIBs as more than tenders. “It’s the right moment for this concept,” says Aiello. “And this model can go on a real vacation.”
| LOA | 32’ 3” |
| Beam | 11’ 3” |
| Draft | 2’ 4” |
| Deadrise | 25 degrees |
| Weight (hull only) | 5,070 lbs |
| Fuel | 125 gallons |
| Water | 24 gallons |
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