Swedish builder, Nimbus, changes the game with a 50ft flybridge unlike any you’ve seen before. Alex Smit takes it for a test drive
Quality flybridge cruisers in the 50ft range are not in short supply. Brands like Absolute, Fairline, Galeon, Prestige, and Princess offer stellar options at this size. The competition is fierce. So why would a Swedish sportsboat builder like Nimbus step into this space with the Nimbus 495? Nimbus has never focused on this sector.
Despite delivering more than 12,000 boats in 86 models since 1968, the new Nimbus 495 Fly is the largest it has ever built. It’s also the first to feature IPS drives and one of only two flybridge cruisers in Nimbus’s current fleet.
The decision makes sense from a business perspective. Nimbus has a loyal customer base and wants to offer an option beyond the 40ft mark without forcing them to switch brands. The design and approach Nimbus is taking with this 50ft flybridge are different enough to stand out.
The 495’s compact upper deck is shifted aft and sunken deep, reducing the impact on its profile.
Coupé with a toupée
The trend for big, open-plan living spaces has made single-level decks almost standard in flybridge design. However, the Nimbus 495 picks up on the brand’s coupé heritage. Its compact upper deck is positioned aft and sunken, reducing the impact on the profile.
This allows for sunroofs above the lower helm. The shorter rear end also creates space for solar panels above the cockpit.
Despite its compact size, the flybridge provides enough space to serve as a leisure zone. Across from the helm, a starboard dinette and sun pad are combined, providing seating for 12. The cushions extend forward, making the skipper’s duties sociable.
Facilities on the flybridge are minimal but practical. There’s a drawer fridge beneath the co-pilot seat and a table with a sink and removable chopping board. The sink serves well as a quick-access stash for drinks or ice.
The flybridge dinette features a hidden sink in the centre of the table
Designer Joacim Gustavsson has cleverly mitigated potential downsides. The low-profile flybridge could compromise headroom in the lower saloon. But by placing the upper dinette on the starboard side, the saloon gets extra headroom where it’s needed most.
The flybridge deck reduces vertical space on the port side of the saloon. However, this space is used exclusively for lounge seating, making any headroom limitations irrelevant.
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Main deck day spaces
The flybridge steps are another smart design element. Joacim made them steep to maximize cockpit space, but they are sandwiched between the superstructure for security. The space beneath the steps is used for an electrical cabinet.
The semi-closed design of the aft deck is also noteworthy. A transom window swings out from the overhead moulding, separating the boat from the pontoon traffic at a stern-to berth. It provides better light and views than a canvas curtain.
The island sunbed comes with an integrated forward lounger
A traditional L-shaped settee faces a large starboard galley, where a fold-out bar connects the saloon and cockpit. Further aft, there’s a lazarette with a fold-out wet bar, a drop-down seat, and a hi-lo platform with an integrated ladder.
Though the cockpit bench is asymmetrical, you can still climb into the cockpit via the gunwale-top tread plates on the port side. The fender nets in the port hatches, though practical in theory, seem too tight to be genuinely useful.
Access to the bow is excellent, thanks to broad, deep side decks. The bow space is more sociable than the compact aft cockpit, but the saloon is the true highlight.
The reduced headroom created by the flybridge deck is well managed with a casual saloon dinette
The saloon places the galley at the center of the action and offers seating that doesn’t leave passengers envying the skipper. The raised companion seating to port, opposite the helm, is a beautiful feature.
Passengers sit at the same level as the skipper, with unobstructed views. The curved glass at the saloon’s corners enhances light and views, avoiding the boxiness of sharp corners. Nimbus’s styling remains subtle and refined, staying true to its Nordic roots.
Thoughtful design
Below deck, the Nimbus 495 features a full-beam owner’s cabin amidships, along with two bathrooms to port, leaves space on the starboard side for a bunk cabin rather than a twin. There’s also a VIP cabin in the bow, allowing for six people across three cabins.
Nimbus is exploring the option of splitting the owner’s cabin into two doubles, which would be great for charters or large families. Despite its sleek profile, the below-deck
The sheltered, sociable and fully specced upper helm is among the best we’ve seen
area feels natural and unobstructed, thanks to thoughtful design choices.
The owner’s cabin, in particular, stands out. Instead of the usual bulky storage cabinets on both sides of the bed, there’s a deep lounge seat on the port side and a full-length chaise longue beneath the starboard hull window. While some may prefer facing seats and a breakfast table, Nimbus’s manufacturing flexibility means custom options can be incorporated into the design.
The scale of the owner’s cabin means there’s only space for a bunk room to starboard
Radical refinement
The Nimbus 495 accommodation is separated from the engine room by a cavity containing twin 850L tanks and a gyroscopic stabiliser. This setup offers several benefits. It places core weight further forward and lower in the boat, and it reduces noise levels at the helm to less than 70dB, even at the 29-knot top end.
The result is a remarkably quiet and comfortable boat, with superior refinement compared to other models in this sector.
The Nimbus 495 is easy to handle, too. The skipper’s side door is large enough to serve both the helmsman and saloon guests, providing direct access to the side gate and offering convenient tie-off points.
Plenty of space in the forward VIP
The wheel and throttle are well-positioned, with a central hub for key switching and F1-style paddles for the windscreen wipers. On the high-spec test boat, Volvo’s Joystick Driving system allows for joystick-only operation. Some may find this odd, but it’s worth considering, especially if the joystick can be relocated to a chair-mounted plinth for added comfort.
Upstairs, the upper helm is one of the best seen on a flybridge cruiser. The gap between the helm seats allows the co-pilot to move freely without disturbing the skipper. The seats are low-slung for better protection, though this limits visibility of the bow. You can stand up or use the bolster if a clearer view is needed, or rely on Garmin’s Assisted Docking system for a bird’s eye view of the boat.
In terms of handling, the 495 behaves like the modified coupé that it is. There’s a slight bow lift on the plane, easily corrected with the tabs, and some heel in turns, quickly balanced with the wheel. The weight distribution is well managed, and the cruising band is generous. A 16-17 knot cruise gives a range of 230 miles, while the 29-knot top speed keeps fuel consumption under 7L/Nm, maintaining a range around 200 miles.
If the weight feels well distributed, the generosity of the cruising band is also quite striking
Nimbus 495 specifications
LOA: 49ft 7in (15.00m)
BEAM: 14ft 9in (4.60m)
DRAFT: 3ft 9in (1.20m)
DISPLACEMENT: 14,600kg (light)
FUEL CAPACITY: 1,700 litres
WATER CAPACITY: 520 litres
ENGINES: Volvo Penta IPS-650s
RCD: B10/C12
Nimbus 495 Costs & Options
From: €1,210,675 ex VAT. Test boat includes the following options…
Upgraded 16in MFD glass cockpit
DPS and Assisted Docking Interceptor upgrade
Proportional stern thruster
Quick anti-roll stabiliser
Zoned air-conditioning
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Verdict
If the idea was to deliver simple sportsbridge flexibility rather than flybridge volume, alongside a faithful coupé-style aesthetic, all wrapped up in a package that echoes Nimbus’s heritage while differentiating itself from the rest of the market, then it’s worked. If you own a Nimbus and are keen to upsize without abandoning the brand, this is the solution; and if you enjoy Nimbus coupés but fancy the extra flexibility of a flybridge, this will hit the mark. There are some provisos of course. The flybridge is small, the styling is understated and it doesn’t come with the option of a crew cabin. But if none of that fazes you, then this ultra-refined Nordic interpretation of the 50ft flybridge cruiser is likely to raise a very big smile
