Gulf Craft, one of the world’s top seven shipyards, celebrated a significant milestone with its flagship megayacht, Majesty 175, successfully completing her maiden sea trial. The yacht, which is due for delivery later this year, was sold to a prominent UAE businessman.

The highlight of the Majesty 175’s first sea trial was her remarkable maneuverability, speed, robust hull and rigidness. The Majesty 175 undertook a series of inclination experiments for multiple factors at sea in which she reached a top speed of 17 knots powered by her twin heavy duty MTU 12V 4000 M63 engines, delivering 1500kW each.

HE Mohamed Hussein Alshaali, Chairman of Gulf Craft, said the success of Majesty 175’s maiden sea trial highlights the world-class megayacht construction competencies of the company. “When we announced Majesty 175 at the 2016 Monaco Yacht Show, we had a single-minded goal: To create a masterpiece megayacht with exceptional design and performance standards. Our team worked for four years at our facility in Umm Al Quwain to build this magnificent composite megayacht, our largest project to date.”

Built to the specifications outlined by the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for yachts over 500 GT, Majesty 175 has a beam of 31.6 ft (9.62 metres). Despite its gross tonnage (GT) of 780, she can cruise even through low-draft areas, drawing just 2.25 metres of water, as she is built using advanced composite materials such as carbon fibre and vinylester. The shallow draft also enables close beach access.  

Majesty 175’s exterior and interior design are by the award-winning Cristiano Gatto Design Studio in Italy. The naval architecture is by Massimo Gregori of the Yankee Delta Studio. Majesty 175’s stand-out features include a 5-metre infinity pool at the forward deck and a hybrid sky-lounge that can be converted to an open sun deck. The smart layout accommodates guests in seven lavish staterooms and a crew of up to 10 members with six large crew cabins and a private captain accommodation.  

At the helm during the Majesty 175’s maiden sea trial was Captain Patricia Caswell, Gulf Craft’s Quality Control Manager. She said: “We are excited to have taken this beauty out to sea. She has performed brilliantly on her first sea trial covering multiple factors, including the engines at full speed, the pair of generators, and fin stabilisers as well as the navigation and telecommunication systems. Preliminary noise and vibration levels are outstanding, and these will continue to improve when the entire interior elements are completed.”

With two fixed pitch six-blade propellers, Majesty 175’s electricity supply comes from 175 kW Kohler generators and two pairs of TRAC fin stabilizers. Safety features include a SOLAS rescue boat and an emergency generator.

The eagerly awaited project designed by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Filippo Salvetti unites the architectural language of the maritime tradition, living materials, fine craftsmanship and the power of light, encompassing them in a perfect circle.

Custom Line Navetta 30 marks a new chapter in the brand’s evolution. This romantic yacht is full of charm and makes an extremely elegant and contemporary style statement.

At 28.43 m (93 ft) in length and with a beam of 7.3 m (24 ft), Navetta 30 is a product of collaboration between the Product Strategy Department led by Mr. Piero Ferrari and the Ferretti Group Engineering Department. The yacht is the first project with exteriors designed by Filippo Salvetti and interiors by architecture and design firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel. The influence of these top professionals can be seen in every stylistic choice.

An in-depth approach to the design process, referencing stylistic features in the finest tradition, has generated the many unusual elements that make Navetta 30 a new icon of the sea. They range from the choice of natural, living materials like leather, wood and rope, to an unprecedented celebration of light.

The sea metaphor is also clear to see in the colourways, and particularly in the choice of blue. The constant reference to seafaring tradition can also be seen in the rounded lines and curves of the interior spaces, furniture and window frames, combined with the use of natural materials like solid wood, leather and teak, which are free to continue their natural cycle and live a new life at every stage in their story.

The return to the historical memory of “going to sea” is also emphasised by the use of the colour blue for the walls and furnishings, as well as for the fabrics and coatings with their custom textures, all helping to enhance the continuity between interior and exterior at a stylistic level too, in an unfiltered experience with the sea.

Right from the very first glance, the exterior of Navetta 30 stands out for her classic, perfectly poised silhouette. The lines stretch out horizontally, highlighting this aspect of the design so that the vertical connections between the decks almost go unnoticed. The tinted windows and powerfully architectural design aim to reduce vertical contrasts still further and impart an emphatic horizontal movement to how the pale colours are ‘read’.

The design gives an innovative twist to the brand’s heritage values of seaworthiness, comfort, safety and customisation, making it instinctively recognisable while retaining a sense of formal purity. A design made to last. The exteriors maintain seamless continuity of finishes and furnishings and are designed for socialising and relaxation, adding to the convivial and private spaces on board.

All the furniture and furnishings are custom-made using sophisticated handcrafting and cabinetmaking techniques that can clearly be seen at first glance in the stern flag mast, in the curving solid wood window frames and in the teak ceilings. The pairing with natural leather and wood creates a textured mood that is fresh and youthful.

Navetta 30 has three decks with every comfort and a total of over 320 square metres of space in which she can accommodate 10 guests in five cabins, with a master stateroom on the main deck and four guest cabins on the lower deck.

Special care has been lavished on the lighting design to ensure the perfect integration of architecture and light. Decorative wall-mounted lamps enrich the spaces with reflections and light effects, giving them personality. The use of warm dimming technology to adjust the intensity and tone of the light allows guests to create different lighting moods and personalise their living experience.

Overall, the yacht has a dynamic personality expressed by taut, sweeping lines, with volumes, performance and comfort on a par with much larger models and an exterior design in which form and function are perfectly balanced.

Not only the first three-deck yacht built by Azimut Yachts, but also its largest to date, the Grande Trideck exemplifies the Italian brand’s capacity for pushing the boundaries of design, style and construction.

The exterior design by Alberto Mancini introduces a host of innovations in terms of layout, each of which is not only the consequence of a particular design choice, but also inspires or creates further artful and original features. The idea of including an aft raised cockpit, for example, led to the development of new outdoor areas with unexpected concepts, functions and characteristics.

The interiors are designed by Achille Salvagni, who has moved away from the traditional arrangement of on-board spaces to create an environment that reflects the lifestyle of today’s owner who is seeking versatility, informality and somewhere they can truly relax and entertain guests in comfort. On that note, there is also an option of a sixth cabin on the upper deck.

The water lines are by Pierluigi Ausonio’s firm P.l.a.n.a., with a D2P® Displacement to Planing hull designed together with the Azimut Research and Development centre guaranteeing maximum efficiency at all speeds.

When it came to designing the layout of this 38.2-metre long, 7.9-metre wide yacht, the rule book was completely rewritten, and the result is a series of informal, dynamic and versatile spaces, perfect for the contemporary owner who sees their boat as a convivial place for socialising and hosting guests in a relaxed setting.

As one would expect from an Azimut flagship, the exterior lines are elegant and dynamic, but the twist comes in the form of a raised deck in the stern that creates a series of unprecedented new exterior spaces, strategically spaced out around the boat. With so many options, both owner and guests are spoilt for choice, whether they are looking to seek out quiet moments alone or spend time together in a convivial, comfortable setting.

The central idea around which the design develops is clear from the moment you step on board: the Trideck welcomes guests from the central gangway directly onto the Aft Raised Deck, which could be described almost as a mezzanine that sits slightly above the Main Deck.  The creation of this raised deck in turn opened the door to a trio of new zones: a Sea View Terrace, Beach Club and Private Patio.

Clever styling gives the exterior lines a lighter feel, creating a sensation of dynamism that is far from easy to achieve on a boat this size. The sides of the yacht are given a sense of movement and tension by the ribbing that runs continuously from the stern right through to the bow, while the exhausts and fairleads become design.

Achille Salvagni has wholeheartedly embraced Azimut’s challenge to redefine the role of space by rethinking the traditional functions of many of the boat’s areas. In completely reconsidering the way many of the internal spaces are used and abandoning preconceptions and established norms, the boat becomes a more fluid, informal environment, and a space that is genuinely conducive to relaxing. This is fostered by the way in which the height and width of the interiors are amplified, and the seamless integration with exterior zones so that they seem to flow into each other.

This atmosphere that encourages owners and guests alike to completely let go of the world outside and give themselves up to total relaxation is also a result of Salvagni’s décor, which builds on the fluidity of space, inhabiting the interiors so that they appear sculpted rather than simply filled.

The interiors also contain surprises from a layout point of view, with a private patio on the main deck fitted out as a sheltered lounge area providing access to an indoor lounge. The cut of the bow at two different angles offers a dynamic look without compromising on space by optimising the interior volumes.

The D2P® Displacement to Planing hull is designed by Pierluigi Ausonio in collaboration with the Azimut Research and Development centre, making use of proprietary CFD software, FEM analysis and tank testing. The double chine hull reduces drag at cruising speed and improves stability during displacement navigation. With two engine options rated 2400 or 2600 mHP, the Trideck delivers a top speed of 23 or 24 knots.

The entire superstructure is laminated in carbon fibre, with added vinylester and epoxy resin. This reduces the yacht’s overall weight significantly, while the combination of the D2P® hull and the carbon fibre superstructure delivers a considerable improvement in performance, with reduced consumption accompanied by greater speed and range.

HERE COMES THE PARTY!

A third Evo R6 unit, fully personalised for transformation into a “party boat”, has been recently launched. The shipyard and the designer worked together to adapt the layout and décor of this flagship to meet the various requirements of the owner, who received his new custom Evo R6 a few days ago.

December 2020. Maximum comfort when underway combined with all the fun that the R series flagship model can offer. A new unit was recently launched of the Evo R6, the 18-metre yacht that epitomises the long-term vision of the Blu Emme Yachts yard. Compared to her two sisters, this custom EVO R6 features new layouts, both externally and internally, and alternative furnishing solutions developed together with the German owner, who envisaged a boat with a more aggressive look perfect for celebrations and parties.

“Boats by Evo Yachts have always been admired for their transformability,” said the Mercuri brothers, owners of the Blu Emme Yachts shipyard, “but in this case we’ve shown how a model that was already outstanding in terms of its flexibility of style and use can be revolutionised still further to meet all the owner’s requirements”.

The exterior layout has been modified to create a bar with a linear and functional design behind the stern sunpad. The brushed stainless steel structure and apparently suspended teak counter are seamlessly integrated with the unit containing a fridge, freezer and icemaker unit.

The spacious sunpad sofa is a small masterpiece of design. Technological, transformable and extendable, it encapsulates all the brand’s distinctive characteristics. Guests can use this feature to revolutionise the layout of the area in seconds: the backrest can be adjusted manually and transformed into seating for the bar, while the sunpad can be extended in width using an electric mechanism to form a C-shaped sofa overlooking the water.

Even the smallest details have been designed with the greatest care: the sofa seems to hang in the air thanks to its clever structure and, unlike the previous two units in which the sunpad has a 2.8-metre tender housed beneath it, here there’s a special hatch to gain access to the jet boards. The lateral Xtension bulwarks, on the other hand, contain two seabobs, with a sliding system for ease of use.

In the cockpit, the kitchen unit is in the same style as the bar and has been redesigned to accommodate a bigger grill. Also transformable are the new hanging pilot’s seat, the cockpit sofa with a backrest that can be used as an extra seat, and the cockpit table, which has an electric “up and down” mechanism and can be used either for lunch or drinks. The windscreen has two openings at the bottom to allow fresh air to circulate and make the cockpit even more comfortable.

The forward sunpad and sofa have also been revolutionised in this new version of the Evo R6 by adding mobile backrests.

Below deck, the interior design is in a Northern European minimalist style, with clean, simple and squared off lines combined with a palette of pale colours. The owner has chosen a layout with three cabins plus a spacious dinette that can be turned into a fourth cabin. Once again, the Yard and designer Valerio Rivellini have shown their ability to customise the layout of a 58-footer and translate the owner’s needs into a masterpiece of functionality and design.

First presented with two cabins + crew and then revisited in a three-cabin version on the Open model, this third version of the Evo R6 offers four guest cabins and three bathrooms.

The already exceptional technical performance characteristics remain the same, while consumption levels have been kept low. Propulsion is provided by a pair of 725 HP Volvo Penta IPS engines (IPS 950) that take the Evo R6 to a top speed of 35 knots and a cruising speed of around 28 knots.