Princess Yachts has unveiled the C48 Open — the brand’s first-ever outboard-powered model in more than 60 years of history — with a world premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS, October 28 – November 1, 2026) in the United States. The company describes the first model in its new C Class range as “the fastest model we have ever built.”
Michael Peters’ SVVT Hull and a Five-Year Development Journey
Measuring 14.91 metres (16.11 metres with outboards raised) and 4.16 metres in beam, the C48 Open’s underwater lines carry the signature of American naval architect Michael Peters, inventor of the patented Stepped Vee Ventilated Tunnel (SVVT) hull. The exterior architecture was sculpted by Bernard Olesinski Limited, while interior and exterior styling came from Princess’s in-house team led by Andy Lawrence. Development took more than five years and was shaped directly by dealer feedback.
The yacht is offered with three engine configurations: triple Mercury V12 600hp Verado outboards for 52–54 knots, triple Mercury V10 400hp Verado outboards for 44–46 knots, and twin inboard Volvo D6-480 diesels for 32–34 knots. Princess presents these figures as performance “setting a new benchmark in the centre-console sector.”
The open deck features a hardtop, an aft sunpad, forward-facing seating with a dining table, twin wet bars each with a grill, and a helm station with triple seats. Below deck, two cabins come as standard, with a convertible lower saloon, day head and aft cabin, plus optional lower galley or forward cabin layouts. An enclosed Deck Saloon version will follow later on the same platform.
Princess sums up the model in a single line: “This is what freedom looks like.“
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