The galley/dinette/lounge of the 52 is 13’ fore and aft and 15’4” full beam.

In our opinion Regal has gotten almost everything right in its new 5260 express cruiser. We’re not alone in that opinion as 52 people have plopped down deposits of $10,000 to reserve one for themselves. Regal has created a near “perfect storm” of marketing buzz for this boat with its edgy Italian styling, $695,000 base price, semi-customizable interior and deck plan, and its options of wood, fabric and counter top material and flooring. The Regal 5260 is so Italian that even some Milano boat builders flew to Ft Lauderdale to check out the boat first hand. (But Italy’s boat-building spies are so charming, who could resist them?)

Four interior accommodations plans and two bridge deck plans are available.

Three Design Teams

Regal pulled out all stops and spared no expense to develop this remarkable yacht. First they went to the Italian firm of GM Yacht Design in Venice, Italy to design the exterior. (The firm is currently working on a 243-footer called Big Shark.) Interestingly, the Regal’s look is very much like the Lazzara 75 which came out last year and the Marquis 40 which was also introduced this fall. The Marquis was also designed in Italy, so this squared off style and straight edges, which looks a bit like some of the lines in the new Cadillac, is the next new thing in design. Soft, fluffy sweeping curves and droopy foredecks (designed so that you can have some forward visibility when getting on plane) are out, sharp edges and flatter foredecks are in. Expect to see more of it – from many builders.

Below the waterline Regal went to Donald L. Blount and Associates in Chesapeake, Va. to design the hull. DLBA has a client rooster that reads like a Who’s Who in the boating world, drawing everything from small bow riders to megayachts. The Blount design group has designed some of the fastest large powerboats in the world and has worked for the last 10 years with Volvo Penta on developing the IPS drive. They probably understand the drive’s characteristics better than anyone, so it is little wonder that they are getting a lot of design work these days from builders planning on installing the IPS system. (They are also getting Zeus drive design work.)

Regal Engineers are Boaters

The interior and many of the clever user-friendly ideas were cooked up in Orlando by the Regal engineers and the collaboration of these three groups has produced what appears to be not only a design pleasing to the eye, but one that is functional in the traditional yachting sense of the word. That could be because top management at Regal are all boaters and spend a lot of time not only in their own boats, but those of other builders, too, so they know a good idea when they see one.

The Helm Works

Note the huge windshield, good sight lines, and black dash.

The 5260 has one of the best helm and companion seats on the market. Not only is its multi-density foam seating comfortable, but the seats move up and down electrically about 8” and forward and back as well. So, whether you are 5’2” or 6’6”, you will have a perfect view through the windshield. You should be able to stand up at every helm as well as having good sight lines whether you are standing or sitting, and the new Regal meets these requirements.

Note this is a Garelick helm seat which moves both vertically and fore-and-aft.

The instrument panel is well laid out and throttles, joystick and tabs are all easily at right hand. The dash is black all the way across so there is no reflection on the windows at night or during the day.

Single-Handed Piloting and Docking

Ample side decks allow one person to dock boat by reaching thru side window to the joystick.

Interestingly, Frank Stoeber, Regal’s Education and Development Manager, who has spent more time on the boat than anyone else, told us that he has docked the boat single-handled numerous times with ease. Before coming into the dock he rigs his fenders and dock lines along the rail, then reaches in through side window to manipulate the IPS joystick. When the boat is next to the dock, he simply throws a line around a piling and he’s tied up. A piece of cake.

An Aft Stateroom with Full Head Room

The large aft cabin – the master stateroom – has full standing head room.

The master has full standing headroom, extends the full width of the boat’s 15”4” beam and is paneled in the same high gloss, or satin cherry or dark walnut as the main salon. (Many megayachts are going with dark walnut these days and is noteworthy that Regal has picked that as one of the options.) There are five huge portlights along each side of the hull and two of them flood light into the master.

Regal Sales Manager Duffy Stenger and Dir. of Education, Frank Stoeber standing in aft stateroom.

The full standing head room in the aft cabin is remarkable, and only a couple of boats with a 36’ LWL and displacement in the 34,000-lb range have been able to accomplish it. Obviously, Regal has accomplished it by building height into the deck and thanks to the stylists at GM Yacht Design the boat looks massive rather than like a pregnant guppy.

Galley/Salon with Amenities

Three large galley portlights flood granite counter top with list in the daytime.

The other three windows are above the granite counter top in the galley and above the very comfortable sofa on the starboard side. Hardwood cabin soles, lighting around the molding, a large wine cooler, and tasteful sconces are just a few of the features that make the salon/galley spectacular.

A Raymarine console in the center arm rest of the sofa allows you to dial in the chartplottter on the 24-inch flat screen TV so you can see where you are, see weather coming, or just keep an eye on the helmsman with the ship’s four-camera option. The cooktop has only two burners but perhaps they could put in 4 if you wished.

The VIP stateroom in the bow is large and has a large head.

Ballast Tanks for Looks

The boat looks big and serious as she sits at the dock with her black hull and white decking. This boat looks trimmed right at the dock and also while running at 30 mph. How does Regal do that? The secret is a sea-water ballast tank in the stern which fills when the boat is at rest, trimming the stern down and bow up; then, when on plane the water rushes out, lightening the stern which rises, and lowers the bow. This is a device that Blount and Associates have used before, most notably in the breath-taking Palmer Johnson 135’ and 150’ megayachts that are largely responsible for bringing super-sleek express cruisers to the world of the mega-rich.

Tender and Engine Room Access Hide in Garage

8’ dinghy fits in garage and serves a stowage bin.

Hydraulics opens the bustle revealing a garage for a 8’ inflatable dinghy with small outboard. That in turn, raises up hydraulically to reveal the engine room which is then easy to access. In the engine room are twin 435-hp Volvo Penta diesels with IPS drives. It is the pod drive configuration which allows the boat to pick up about 20” of interior room.

The platform holding the tender rises up hydraulically to give good engine room access.

If you would like to have a larger tender, you can mount one on the swim platform with a Freedom Lift, and the garage converts into a massive stowage compartment ideal for fenders and life raft and much more.

Watch BoatTEST's video of Freedom Lift

The boat sells for a base price of $695,000 and $841,000 the way we saw it equipped in hull #2 with teak decks, Sat TV, and all of the other goodies – which is the only way to go with this boat. This is the deal of the year, but the trouble is that Regal has taken deposits for 52 and they can only build 25 a year. A spokesman for the company told us that they will try to increase production to 30 a year, but even at that it means there will be a two year wait for a new buyer. And in two years the boat will probably undergo two price increases.

Rising Prices Raise All Boats

Sales manager Stenger points out that while the boat will be going up, so will all of the other boats in its class, so he figures the boat will stay relatively the same to other boats. Evidently, there is about a 12-15% attrition rate on the fully re-fundable deposits. These boats are not being sold factory direct. If you are interested, you must call your local Regal dealer soon to get your production position.

To see all Regal Boats tested by BoatTEST.com