Grand in Every Way

Spending time aboard the all-new Nimbus 495 Flybridge makes clear why this luxury yacht claimed the coveted European Power Boat of the Year award at the recent Dusseldorf Boat Show. The 495 Fly is unique for its innovative design that blends interior and exterior spaces, as well as its asymmetric deck layout and large, versatile flybridge.

Founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1968, Nimbus has come to enjoy a global reputation for its forward-looking designs, spirited performance, extraordinary build quality, and emphasis on sustainability.

The most logical starting point is the 495 Fly’s expansive stern swim platform, which raises and lowers on hydraulic arms, making it a cinch to get in or out of the water or launch the tender. It also serves as a great platform for setting up a couple of chairs and sitting half-submerged to keep cool.

A short step up leads into the cockpit, accessed through a starboard-side transom door. Here, a sumptuous L-shaped settee surrounds an elegant wooden table on two electrically activated pedestals to create an inviting space for drinks and conversation or an al fresco dining area. An overhead glass panel lowers to enclose the stern for greater comfort on cooler evenings.

To port, a wide staircase leads up to the flybridge deck, where a similar table and settee await. Farther forward is a fully equipped helm station complete with a sun lounge to starboard for companions. Apart from the standard radar arch, a Bimini top can be added to provide more sun protection.

Back on the main deck, the asymmetrical design of the 495 Fly yields a starboard-side promenade with access to the bow. There, a triple-wide, forward-facing sun lounge with raised wraparound views assures total relaxation.

From the cockpit, occupants can also head into the salon. An aft galley layout allows the 495 Fly to serve diners in the salon, out in the cockpit, or up top on the flybridge with equal ease, with two L-shaped facing quartz counters housing a refrigerator and dishwasher to port, and a stove, oven, and sink to starboard.

The yacht’s primary dining space sits to the port side immediately ahead and one step up from the galley, with a U-shaped booth dinette surrounding a large wooden table. A facing settee opposite creates a great spot for conversation once meals are done and conceals a large-screen TV that raises on an electric lift for late-night entertainment.

Nimbus wisely equipped its 495 Fly with a wide sliding door on the starboard side immediately behind the helm seat, making it quick and convenient for the captain to duck out and attend to mooring lines when docking. This door really opens up the boat, especially in concert with the yacht’s retractable windows and enormous overhead sunroof—a rare feature in a flybridge yacht. Plenty of boat builders talk about flooding the salon with sunlight and fresh air, but on the Nimbus 495, it is no exaggeration.

Outside that sliding door is a dock-level boarding door in the gunwale, which opens to fit neatly into a corresponding recess so it doesn’t impede traffic flow.

The captain gets spoiled with a main-deck helm station that features a seat with power-adjustable height control, a large dash for electronics, and outstanding views thanks to the yacht’s reverse-raked windshield. Power comes from a pair of Volvo Penta IPS650 pod drives generating 480 horsepower apiece, which gives this yacht a top speed of around 55 kilometres per hour and a range of over 1,100 kilometres.

The helm also comes furnished with Volvo Penta’s Dynamic Positioning system and its assisted docking system, allowing even less experienced captains to dock like a pro in any weather.

Opposite the helm is an additional lounging space, and between, a stairway leading to the belowdecks accommodation.

The full-beam master suite in the Nimbus 495 Fly is positioned aft in a spacious stateroom with above-average headroom. There is loads of space here for an island king bed, a sitting area to port, a full-length chaise to starboard, and a roomy ensuite head.

Forward of the master stateroom are a day head to port and a guest stateroom to starboard with two bunk beds. This space can alternatively be configured as an office or used for storage on long-range cruises—with space for an optional washer/dryer.

Far forward, the 295 Fly presents an inviting VIP suite with a central queen bed and plenty of space for clothes and gear. Guests will think you assigned them to the owner’s suite by mistake.

Nimbus has clearly done its homework in designing the 495 Fly. With the company’s legendary build quality and attention to detail, this is one elegant cruising yacht that is impossible to not like. Expect to see it more frequently as word gets out.

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