The 70-90ft semi-custom superyachts sector is booming. Toby Hodges explores some of the hottest new designs bridging the gap between production yachts and superyachtsA bubble has appeared, the rise of a buoyant large yacht market sector that\u2019s proving difficult to label. It typically caters for those who are looking for extra size, space and speed, who are happy to sail with a professional crew, but who don\u2019t want the risk or expense associated with going to a full custom\/superyacht size (just yet). It has resulted in a surge in the 70-90ft semi-custom yacht scene.
\nFrom the big production yards, Nautor Swan and Oyster are perhaps the most successful longterm players in this area with model sizes across a wide range. And while some brands solely specialise in this sector, such as Michael Schmidt\u2019s Y Yachts and CNB, look at the rise of the Italian 70-something-footers. From Grand Soleil, Solaris, Ice Yachts, Advanced Yachts and Mylius, these are performance cruisers with serious pin-up appeal.
\nThose seeking large multihulls have an equal surfeit of choice, with Lagoon\u2019s Seventy7, the new Fountaine Pajot 80 due to launch, and a stream of 60 to 80-footers from Sunreef. At the top end of the performance and quality scale Gunboat is launching its first 80 this season, while HH splashes its flagship 88. These are big boats for big bucks and seriously big appeal \u2013 we will look at these catamarans in more detail next month in our Multihull special.
\nThe following pages explore some of the latest, supremely cool monohull designs in this\u2026 let\u2019s call them \u2018grand touring\u2019\u2026 size bracket.<\/p>\n
Grand soleil 72 Pantarei
\nGrand Soleil\u2019s new flagship, which we toured during its debut last autumn, is a stunner \u2013 as shown photographed here off the Amalfi coast. The aim of the 50-year-old Cantiere del Pardo yard was to offer a high level of accommodation and quality in an attractive performance package. This 72 heralds its new approach to large semi-custom yachts from 60ft up, which are being built in a separate facility in Fano.
\nThese are powerful hulls that are available in a Performance guise with near flush coachroof or Long Cruise (LC) raised saloon styles. The specialist all-Italian team behind the 72 project includes Matteo Polli (hull lines), Marco Lostuzzi (structural engineering) and Nauta (styling), together with Franco Corazza for the project management. Corazza, a successful racing sailor, yacht dealer and builder, joined Grand Soleil three years ago, and his experience in this project has been pivotal.
\nCorazza found previous success with Polli when they produced winning models for Italia Yachts and this is now the third Grand Soleil project from the hand of the in-demand designer. He has drawn an exceedingly cool, modern and radically beamy (6.2m) shape.
\n\u201cIncreasing beam has a lot of advantages on a fast cruiser because it allows a much larger deck area, but most importantly much more interior volume,\u201d Polli explains. The narrow waterline equates to low drag when light wind sailing (see our test of his GS40 on page 50); the waterline beam and stability then increases with heel, with optimal heel angle around 20\u00b0, Polli tells me.
\nThe telling benefit of 6.2m beam in the saloon. There are three ensuite guest cabins including the forward master. Photo: Alberto Cocchi
\nThe additional construction weight involved with such a shape can be removed from the ballast, thanks to the larger form stability. \u201cSo, summarising, we have increased the usable space (inside and outside) for a given length without reducing performances or increasing price \u2013 good value for money.\u201d
\nPolli also wanted a large headsail foretriangle to make sails more balanced, easy to manage and efficient in light to medium winds, and calculated that a single rudder has more practical benefits over twin rudders for the yacht\u2019s purpose. Either a 3.7m fixed keel or a 3.2m-4.2m telescopic keel can be chosen.
\nThe 72 is built in vacuum-infused vinylester with carbon reinforced structures. Panels are in sandwich foam with teak veneer added by the yard. Every element is weighed before being installed \u2013 impressively, the build came out 300kg below designed weight.
\nFirst to launch is a Performance model, specified for fast cruising only with in-boom mainsail and a self-tacking jib, however there are multiple headsail and inner forestay options. As it stands the mainsail cum mooring winches are positioned aft, but a racing spec sees the addition of a central mainsheet plinth.
\nThe forward master cabin. Photo: Alberto Cocchi
\n\u201cWhen you look from the outside, it\u2019s a sportsboat, but inside it\u2019s like an 80-footer,\u201d Corazza exclaimed when we ventured below decks. The beam helps it feel enormous, and the sole is on one level from the companionway forward and only a small step down aft from the saloon. There is a choice of a forward or aft galley, the latter (on the first boat) uses the space optimally and gives most segregation between guests and crew. It includes a proper crew cabin linking to the galley with the potential to add an escape hatch to the cockpit.
\nThe owner\u2019s suite is vast, the offset en-suite at the entrance helping to increase the sense of space around the low berth. The LC version puts the genset and watermaker below the saloon. That said, engine space below the companionway is adequate for a performance boat, and I like the easy access hatch for daily checks.
\nFour 72s have already been sold, with the first LC edition due to launch this year \u2013 as is the brand new smaller sister GS65 \u2013 in time for Cantiere del Pardo\u2019s 50th anniversary celebrations in June. The 72 starts at around \u20ac3.3m, equipped.<\/p>\n
YYachts Y9 Bella
\nIn many ways, YYachts exemplifies this trend for large, semi-custom yachts. The German yard builds small series at the largest size before customers would need to turn to fully bespoke superyachts. Founded by veteran racing sailor and boatbuilder Michael Schmidt to produce high-end lightweight carbon composite yachts, YYachts specialises in modern, appealing, luxury performance designs that are enjoyable to sail yet are, crucially, easy to handle.
\nThese are deliberately minimalist yachts that put a focus on the purity of sailing, yet can offer the comfort of a bespoke superyacht for significantly less cost. The hulls are laminated in carbon epoxy in Poland before being fitted out across the border in YYachts\u2019 Greifswald yard. Large parts of the interior are built outside of the boat, usually by top quality subcontractors, which allows for a flexible use of space.
\nThe Y9 is YYachts\u2019 new flagship, the first of which, Bella, was presented at the Cannes boat show last year. It boasts the volume of a 100-footer, together with the privacy and space an owner\u2019s suite might afford at such a size, including office and dressing room, yet it can be managed by minimal crew.
\nThe Bill Tripp hull shape is offered with a pilothouse, five different layouts, or as a custom version, which we saw in the bold Andrew Winch-styled Prevail in 2021. Bella\u2019s owner wants to sail long distances, hence a hard bimini covers the extensive cockpit and can support 4.5kW of solar panels. An Oceanvolt hydrogenerating drive also feeds enough power to the battery bank to run a silent ship at night.
\nDeck space is vast, including a massive guest cockpit free from sheets. Sailing is a sporty yet push button affair. The 43m carbon Axxon mast supports over 240m2 of mainsail, the mainsheet of which attaches to a block on the hard top and is hidden in the park avenue boom. This together with a self-tacking jib, hydraulic furling Code sail and staysail, are designed to make it easy to manage.
\nDescribed as \u2018soft minimalism\u2019, Bella\u2019s interior uses oiled dark oak panels, smoked oak soles and grey fabrics. Photo: YYachts
\nTwin rudders and the optional telescopic keel avoids draught constraints (to 3.2m), while two engines, a bow and stern thruster make manoeuvring under power a joystick-controlled affair. It also means two permanent crew can run the yacht, with two more for longer passages. The delivery crew recounted that it only took them 11 days from Germany to Cannes and they hit 25 knots.
\n\u201cI have no interest in designing boats that are cluttered or slow,\u201d Tripp explains. \u201cThe flared topsides allow for great deck spaces and added stability, a win-win that leads to a better boat.\u201d The hull shape is optimised for 15\u00b0 of heel, \u201cmost typical when globe-trotting\u201d, Tripp says.
\nDesign collaboration
\nBella\u2019s interior is the collaboration of two design houses, the UK\u2019s Design Unlimited and Danish firm Norm Architects. The contemporary Scandinavian effect has echoes of the owner\u2019s first Y7, which Norm also worked on and it includes the smart leather sliding handrails on the deckhead and shoelace-style door pullers we liked on Schmidt\u2019s first YYacht Cool Breeze. The dark woodwork creates a noticeably peaceful and calming effect below decks.
\nThe TV snug forward of the saloon is a quiet cabin or office, the type of which you\u2019d only normally find on a yacht 10ft longer. It links to a guest cabin and the owner\u2019s suite forward, the latter with a walk-in closet.<\/p>\n
There is a real impression of quality throughout, and I particularly appreciated the fiddles and grabrails around the worktops. The other guest cabin is located aft through a tight companionway, which has been kept narrow to give max space to the galley. The galley helps divide crew and guest areas, but with no hull window it feels a little dark. Good attention to space, privacy and comfort has been paid to the crew area, which has separate access onto the aft deck.
\nThe wide but low engine room below the saloon houses the twin engines mounted centrally with the genset further aft, while sea chests and manifolds are well positioned for easy maintenance.
\nTripp describes the Y9 as a \u201cbalanced combination of speed, reliability and comfort\u2026 at a price point that is unbeatable in today\u2019s market,\u201d [around \u20ac6m for this size]. YYachts has a Y8 ready to launch, plus two Y7s and the next Y9 in production.
\na powerful, carbon composite yacht weighing 55 tonnes, the Y9 has a lofty rig that sets 617m2 of gennaker \u2013 yet it is still designed to be easily handled
\nSolaris 74RS
\nSolaris may specialise in the 40-65ft fast cruising yacht sector these days, but the yard established in Aquileia (at the top of the Venetian lagoon) in 1974 is no stranger to this mid-70ft size either.
\nIt also now offers Solaris custom from 80ft+ from its separate Performance Boats yard in Forli.
\nThe 74RS has very cool, powerful looking lines from Javier Soto Acebal. A chine starts at the full forward sections leading to beamy rounded after sections, controlled by twin rudders.
\nThe first model is being built for a British owner for bluewater sailing. He previously had a 64RS but wanted larger tanks (1,200lt-1,400lt for water and fuel) and cruising capacity, and a step up in size and privacy\/comfort when sailing with a professional crew.
\nThis design sees popular features retained from Solaris\u2019 latest smaller models, including a shallow transom and easy side deck access in front of the pedestals, with wheels positioned right outboard for maximum visibility.
\nA spacious, elegant interior by Argento
\nAn offset companionway in the cockpit helps create a clear passage through to the aft deck, where a longitudinal dinghy garage is lengthy enough to swallow a 4m Williams jet tender.
\nAcebal has nailed the coachroof design, keeping the styling smooth but allowing space for a raised saloon with engineering underneath. The layout also looks clever, with a crew cabin aft linking to the galley and having its own deck access.
\nThe interior is designed and tastefully styled in oak by the ever popular Lorenzo Argento, the former Brenta and Wally designer who has more recently worked with a broad scope of brands from YYachts to Beneteau.
\nThe boat is offered with three or four guest cabins and options for a galley fore or aft of the saloon.
\nThe launch of the first 74RS is predicted to be towards the end of this year.
\nMaintaining CNB\u2019s DNA in the Briand-designed 78
\nCNB 78 and CNB 88
\nAt the D\u00fcsseldorf boat show in January CNB had a mock up of its new 78, a whalebone-like structure which showed the impressive size of the hull, with graphics on the floor showing the interior layout. Having not even seen a rendered image of the new model by that point, I was amazed to learn that CNB has already sold four boats and has an 88 in the pipeline!
\nThis comes just 18 months after Groupe Beneteau sold CNB to Solaris, a transition phase, which has involved moving production from Monfalcone to a new facility at Solaris\u2019 Aquileia home.
\nOf course the heritage French brand is no stranger to this market and size. It sold 32 CNB 76s, including the model we reviewed in 2014. Vincent Arnaud, the brand manager who has remained through the transition, explained that their challenge was finding where to improve on this design \u2013 it\u2019s popular for being a small superyacht-style bluewater cruiser that can be managed by minimal crew.
\nMaintaining its recognised style was paramount \u2013 CNB will still focus on bluewater, where Solaris specialises in the more flush deck sporty Med designs, says Arnaud. Hence CNB kept the same design team in Philppe Briand and Jean-Marc Piaton to create its new range.
\nThe 78 has a powerful hull shape with upper and lower chines. It\u2019s wider than the 76, especially aft, with more volume through the boat. The signature coachroof is retained to give good protection to a large cockpit and create the adjoining deck saloon, while a glazed companionway helps give near surround views.
\nCNB has retained the style of its old 76 by using the same designers. The contemporary 78 has a similar \u00be width bulkhead to give the master suite open privacy
\n\u201cThe goal was to turn the Beneteau page and start a new chapter,\u201d explains Arnaud. The process of construction is totally different now, he says, with bulkheads laminated into the hull in a more traditional manner (rather than using Groupe Beneteau\u2019s innovation of building full interior modules outside of the boat).
\nThe interior also has a more modern style, with less wood and more fabrics and lacquered parts. The main interior layout improvements the team wanted to make were with the guest accommodation. Niggles with the 76 centred on the aft guest bunk cabin. From the saloon forward on the 78 is all guest space, with two near equal sized guest cabins and a huge owner\u2019s suite, the latter of which monopolises the volume forward of the mast base. The chart table is now aft, connecting with the galley and crew cabin, and giving more privacy to the saloon.
\n\u201cSolaris is the perfect tool for improved quality,\u201d thinks Arnaud. \u201cIt\u2019ll be stiffer for sure (thanks to laminated bulkheads) and 5-10% lighter. The finish quality will be incomparable, and now only in natural wood.\u201d
\nOf the four orders to date, three are to repeat clients. The first boat is planned to launch in June and be on display at the Cannes boat show in September at a cost of around \u20ac4m.
\nCNB is targeting a four model range, with the 88 likely to be the next model. This flagship will be in the style of the 78 but with the volume for an extra guest cabin and second crew cabin.
\nOyster\u2019s updated 885, called the SII, is also available as a performance enhanced GT
\nOyster 885 SII & GT
\nIn terms of yachts sold and their subsequent miles sailed, Oyster is a leader in this size sector.
\nHaving signed off nine of its 745 model and a phenomenal 16 of the 885, it has, together with long term design partner Humphreys, given its flagship a makeover.
\nThe SII version of the 885 has a new deck, with sleeker saloon windows, while the helm positions have moved aft to create a larger cockpit area. The tender well has also been extended to allow for larger RIBs.
\nMarketing director James Parsons says that typical changes owners are asking for at this size range include a surge in home office\/multifunction cabin requests, along with demands for more flexible\/convertible guest cabins; minimising a need for crew and maximising separation of owner and crew; and sun protection on deck.
\nThe six cabin (four en-suite) interior of the 885 SII is available with a lower or raised saloon now too.
\nAnd for those after a bit more performance, the GT model features a taller carbon mast, T-keel, extended bowsprit, upgraded winches and 3Di sails.
\nOyster has five 885SIIs in build and one GT close to handover.
\nStunning details and craftsmanship are all part of the enduring lines and appeal of a Spirit. Anima II is the first 72DH
\nSpirit 72DH
\nFor those who appreciate timeless lines and the smell of varnish, Spirit Yachts continues to provide something different yet with enduring appeal. Clearly, the 21m\/70ft sector is of particular appeal at the moment. Spirit launched its first 72DH Anima II last year and has numbers two and three in build along with a hybrid powered 68DH.
\nAll three 72DHs, deckhouse designs, have very different layouts and programmes: the first is in charter and includes a crew cabin forward, the second, launching in May is spec\u2019d for regattas and ocean racing, and the third, due in September, is for bluewater cruising.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s an exciting time to be designing and building boats,\u201d said Spirit\u2019s co-founder and designer Sean McMillan \u2013 the electric 52 also in build is his 100th wooden boat.
\nAnima II is due to be exhibited at the Palma Yacht Show in April and will enter several regattas this summer.
\nAggressively styled new Ice 80
\nICE 70rs & ICE 80rs
\nIce Yachts\u2019 Crema-based shipyard near Milan is no stranger to building large designs. The former CN Yacht 2000 yard has produced over 20 yachts between 60ft-80ft since the turn of the century. And now under Marco Malgara\u2019s Ice Yachts branding it is ramping up its series of large yacht production with five orders for its 70, plus an 80 in production.
\nThe Ice 70rs Bandido, shown at Cannes last year, is a racier version than the first 70 Thalassa, which we reviewed in 2021. The yard has stripped 1,500kg by using a full carbon deck as well as the infused carbon structures and an epoxy infused hull.
\nthe Ice 70RS Bandido features a highly customised interior
\nIn fact it\u2019s hard to tell it\u2019s the same hull shape as below decks sees a completely different layout including two large identical aft cabins, a forward U-shaped galley and forward owner\u2019s suite. It\u2019s a full Felci design, from the lines to the modern light interior and the lift keel system.
\nThe new Ice 80 meanwhile is perhaps the most contemporary appearance yacht in this market sector. Again from Felci, this formidable looking design carries the style and lines of Ice\u2019s recent rs (Racing Sport) models into this full carbon 35-tonne cruiser racer. The upper chine and chamfer give a mean reverse sheer look, which, together with the angled stem, long bowsprit, flared aft sections and futuristic wraparound coachroof windows, all shouts Italian cool. A furling boom, self-tacking jib and furling Code 0 are suggested to ease handling by minimal crew, while the interior looks bright and modern with a king size berth in the owner\u2019s suite.
\nIce 70 numbers three and four will launch this spring\/summer, with the fifth to follow next year along with the first of the 80s.
\nSwanning around on the beach terrace: a wide, scooped transom and huge hinged platform for the powerful 88
\nSwan 88
\nFormed in 1966 and with over 2,350 yachts now bearing its iconic arrowhead coveline, Nautor Swan can be considered a leader at the semi-custom end of the production scene. This year sees its largest ever order portfolio, totalling \u20ac180m \u2013 it has eight maxis (80ft+) in production and is due to deliver 30 yachts in 2023. And with a 78, ClubSwan 80 and now this 88 in its line, it presents a dominant lineup in the 70-90ft sector.
\nThe 88 takes many of the best bits of the 78 (10 ordered) and 98 (four delivered) and adds its own touch with the design of the beach terrace aft sections \u2013 it\u2019s patently aimed at those who like to sail fast before sunbathing by the sea. The scooped-out transom is reminiscent of early Wally designs, the way it cascades down over various levels. The huge opening swim platform is a serious piece of engineering, hinged to really maximise real estate.
\nThe \u2018wine\u2019 mood (note central mast base)
\nHull lines are from the legendary German Frers, with styling by the flamboyant Lucio Micheletti. Other than the central mainsheet plinth, there\u2019s a clear passage from companionway to beach terrace, via the separate guest and sailing cockpits. The mast has been brought aft and stepped centrally through the coachroof and saloon, to give a greater foretriangle area and balance to the sails. This is a 54 tonne lightship yacht, but with a square-top mainsail helping to set over 430m2 of upwind sail area, it should be a powerful contender.
\nWorking with its favoured interior designer Misa Poggi, Swan has mastered the ability to offer a large variety of \u2018off the shelf\u2019 styles to their layouts. The choice of which of the four \u2018moods\u2019 is selected and variations of timbers and fabrics can make for a completely different look and feel. There are three guest cabins plus an owner\u2019s forward suite, while the galley, mess and crew accommodation aft helps provide max privacy between guests and crew.
\nThe first 88 to launch is due in 2024.<\/p>\n
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The post The best semi-custom superyachts appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The 70-90ft semi-custom superyachts sector is booming. Toby Hodges explores some of the hottest new designs bridging the gap between production yachts and superyachtsA bubble has appeared, the rise of a buoyant large yacht market sector that\u2019s proving difficult to … <\/p>\n