Yachting July 2022

GETTING OLDER MEANS THAT SOME MEMORIES stick better than others. I’m sure guilty of that. But when it comes to boating memories, most of mine seem to stand the test of time. The exact dates occasionally get fuzzy, but the day’s events are always crystal-clear. ¶ Case in point: I can recall like it was yesterday the first time I was in awe of having a life on the water. It was July 4, 1976, during Operation Sail ’76. ¶ I was 6 years old when OpSail happened, and the United States was celebrating its bicentennial in a big way. More than 200 vessels—including sailboats, warships from around the globe and more than a dozen tall ships—gathered in New York City to mark the country’s 200-year anniversary. Thirty-plus countries sent…

262'5" LENGTH OVERALL 2025 DELIVERY DATE Mega-yacht design has always been a playground for some of the most fertile minds on the planet. Construction, in turn, routinely represents an evolution in engineering. All of that and more is on display right now around the world, with numerous projects that are nothing short of mind-bending. ¶ In March, Royal Huisman in the Netherlands turned the Alustar aluminum hull on Project 406, which is on its way to becoming the largest sport-fisher yacht ever to ply the world’s waters. Building this 170-foot-long, six-deck machine would be enough for any shipyard to create headlines, but the Dutch builder—the same month it turned that hull—announced that it also had inked a deal to build the world’s largest sloop, the 280-foot Project 410. ¶ “It…

48'9" LENGTH OVERALL 14'11" MAXIMUM BEAM Boating clubs that introduce people of all ages to the joys of boating have become increasingly popular in recent years. One such club is Barton & Gray Mariners Club, which offers skippered cruising along the East Coast and Great Lakes aboard iconic brands such as Hinckley Yachts and Boston Whaler. ¶ Now comes the Daychaser 48, which launched from Boston BoatWorks this past spring as a purpose-built model for Barton & Gray members. Longtime designer Doug Zurn was tasked with combining classic yacht styling with the modern cruising sensibility of a shared onboard experience. ¶ “The large swim platform will appeal to a lot of members,” Zurn said, explaining one of numerous features that should work well for longtime boaters and newcomers alike. “It…

38'5" LENGTH OVERALL 11'5" MAXIMUM BEAM Lomac’s GranTurismo 12.5 Cruiser builds on the hull of the company’s previous cruiser of similar length but adds interior volume. The Milan, Italy-based builder converted that volume into an upgraded accommodations plan. The RIB’s hull is built using isophthalic vinylester resin and a vacuum-infusion process, while its tubes are built using a strong and lightweight multiaxial fabric. Owners can spec their rides with two or three outboards (up to 900 max horsepower), which hang just abaft an aft-deck seating area. A center console with a windshield provide protection when the boat is underway, and the bow area is a great location for relaxing when the anchor is set. Whom It’s For: Anyone seeking the performance of a coupe and the sensibilities of a sport…

INDOOROUTDOOR STYLISH COMFORT Generally speaking, two types of furniture have always been aboard yachts. Some designers pluck sofas and chairs from home stores and bolt them through so they will stay put in a seaway, while other designers create custom, built-in boating furniture. Both solutions work in their own ways, with the home pieces often being more stylish, and the built-ins generally offering more practical features such as undercushion stowage. ¶ The new Jacques-Yves line of modular furniture is aiming to be both. It’s the brainchild of the team at Zuccon International Project, which has long worked with yachtbuilders such as Ferretti Group and Sanlorenzo, and the team at Poltrona Frau Custom Interiors, which increased its focus on the yachting sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.¶ “Boats, and yachts in particular,…

80'4" LENGTH OVERALL 32'6" MAXIMUM BEAM SILENT-YACHTS and VisionF Yachts have collaborated to create the former’s first hybrid-powered boat: the Silent VisionF 82. It’s an aluminum catamaran with three driving modes: electric, hybrid and power. A fully electric model is also available; there are 34 solar panels atop the 82. Top speed is reportedly 13 knots. ¶ In terms of size, the 82 is most comparable to the Silent 80: The 82 is 6 inches longer than the 80 while surrendering about 3.5 feet in beam. According to the builder, on the 82, more space is allocated to the foredeck and its “sunken lounge area” with a table, an L-shaped settee for four to port and an overhead shade from the extended flybridge deck. There’s also space for four personal…