Ask a boat manufacturer about the laminate on a typical cruiser and the response usually features the phrase “solid-glass bottom.” I expected the same response when I inquired about the Sabre 52 Salon Express. Instead, Sabre took a more complex approach that made my inner geek glow with excitement.

The 52 Salon Express’ hull is solid glass extending out 1½' from the keel on each side, then switches to 1"-thick Divinycell foam coring until the chines, which are solid fiberglass again. The hullsides are cored with Divinycell sheets for fewer seams, and the transom consists of doubled Divinycell. And it’s all vacuum-bagged in place.

For the bulkheads, decking, and cabin sole, Sabre uses Nidacore honeycomb panels. It’s 4" thick in the salon sole, which offers outstanding noise absorption as well as stiffness. Composite PVC Nidacore encapsulated in E-glass and topped with steel plates form the stringers beneath the engines. The hull and deck fit in a shoebox joint that’s sealed with silicon, bolted, and bonded with fiberglass.

The results of the construction are best seen in the 52 Salon Express’ performance and heard in its low sound levels. My test boat reached a top speed of 35.4 mph at 2350 rpm and cruised at 30.6 at 2100. When I accelerated hard, the surge pushed me back against the Stidd seat. And in turns, the boat felt more nimble than other boats in this class. It turned inside its own wake and the bow stayed up. Pushing a lighter boat also makes things easier on the engines, which provides better fuel economy and range.

Let’s see how the 46,000-pound 52 Salon Express compares to the competition. The Grand Banks 55 Eastbay XS ($1.5 million with the 853-bhp CATs) tips the scales at 63,000 pounds. Alden Yachts’ 56 Express ($1.7 million with the test power) weighs in at 48,000 pounds. The Sabre is a couple of mph faster than both of them.

SOUNDS OF SILENCE. The other bonus from the 52 Salon Express’ thick, honeycomb-cored decking is the quiet ride. At wide open throttle, I recorded only 80 dB-A at the helm. You can have a conversation in normal tones. The double-cored deck felt solid underfoot and no vibration was transferred. What’s more, I could see all the gauges clearly. The large chart/glovebox in the port dash is the perfect place to chuck your car keys, wallet, cell phone, and other sundries.

Perhaps the most convenient installation on the 52 Salon Express is at the main distribution panel. When you power up the ship’s main switch, every circuit on board is live. It eliminates the shouting between skipper and crew, “Is this on?” “Is that on?” The items that you want to stay on full-time, such as the refrigerator and the inverter, are isolated. One thing that needed improving: The hatch for this panel hits the console. Sabre said it will put a rubber bumper on the console.