D5 is a Fairline Squadron 78, one of the most successful British flybridge yachts of her generation, and she makes an unusually easy case for a family or a group of friends who want the Riviera at speed. At just under 25 metres she is small enough to feel personal and quick to move, yet she carries four cabins, a full flybridge and a proper crew of three. She is the kind of yacht you take out for the day on a whim and stay on for a week.
Twin Caterpillar engines and a planing hull give her a genuine turn of pace, a cruise of 18 knots and a top end near 30, so the run from Antibes to the islands off Cannes, along the coast to Monaco, or across to Corsica and Sardinia is a quick and easy hop rather than a day passage. That speed is the whole point of a yacht like this. It turns the Riviera into a set of destinations you can reach on a morning notice, and for a week that mixes beach clubs, lunches ashore and quiet anchorages, that reach matters.
Her interior is warm, modern Fairline: high gloss walnut, cream leather and plenty of light through large hull windows. The main deck is open and social, with a salon that runs from a comfortable lounge and bar aft to a lower helm and dinette forward, so guests and crew stay connected while she is under way. Sliding doors open the salon to the shaded aft deck, set for dining with the sea a step away.
Below, D5 sleeps eight across four cabins. The master is a full beam room with an oval bed and its own bathroom, the VIP takes the bow with natural light from hull ports, and two further twin cabins make her genuinely flexible for families or mixed groups. Every cabin is finished in the same warm walnut, and the layout keeps the sleeping accommodation quiet and separate from the busy main deck, so early risers and late sleepers rarely disturb one another.
On deck she is built for sun and water. The flybridge carries a bar, an alfresco dining table and sunpads under a bimini, with a clear view over the bow while she runs. The foredeck adds a second sunbathing area, and the tender and toy inventory, a jet ski, paddleboards and a full set of inflatables and watersports gear, keeps active guests busy off the swim platform. A crew of three, captain, chef and deckhand, runs her with the easy informality that suits a yacht of this size.
D5 is a practical, sociable, quick and good looking yacht at a price that opens the Riviera to a wider charter party. For guests who want the freedom to move fast, anchor where they like and keep the whole thing relaxed rather than formal, she is a smart and enjoyable choice. She is easy to book for shorter periods too, which makes her a natural pick for a first charter or a special occasion on the water.
