Arcadia Yachts is a think- different company. One look at the Italian builder’s A85S — with her unmistakably shiplike lines, beamy nature, solar-panel array and glass-encased main deck — drives the point home.
Because the A85S carries a 23-foot-4-inch beam for most of her length overall, her interior volume is substantial. The main deck has around 1,076 square feet of living space, encompassing the same footprint as a cozy starter home before adding the sky lounge and belowdecks accommodations.
Double-reflective glass offering sea views in all directions surrounds the main deck and insulates the area so that it doesn’t become a greenhouse under the hot sun. If privacy is desired during dinner at the salon’s table for eight, automatic blinds covering the ceiling glass and side windows can shield you from prying eyes.
Top Deck
Indoor-Outdoor
The A85S’s volume comes on a platform of considerable heft, with the yacht displacing about 165,346 pounds. That should help keep her solid underfoot in a seaway.
She is equipped with twin 730 hp MAN diesels, and the builder reports a top-end of 18 knots with a 16-knot comfortable cruise speed. Arcadia says that at 12 knots, the A85S has an 850-nautical-mile range. An optional hybrid propulsion system lets owners cruise quietly at 8 knots.
Although the yacht’s main engines burn fossil fuel, the A85S is equipped with solar panels that, the builder says, produce enough power to run most must-have systems, such as electronics, pumps and lights, for the whole day sans generator. The result should be peaceful cruising.
Communing with nature underway happens in the cockpit, with an alfresco dining area and sun pads for an afternoon read, plus up in the sky lounge, which has a second helm station. The sky lounge can be open or enclosed in glass if the weather gets too cold or too wet.
Designed for a cruising family, the A85S is set up with four staterooms, including a 345-square-foot master with en suite head. The forepeak VIP has a walk-in closet, and the remaining two staterooms have twin berths. There are also crew cabins for four located far forward.
Like water toys? This yacht’s transom garage accommodates a 13-foot tender plus a two-seat PWC. She’s also designed in modular fashion, so owners can pick and choose how they would like to furnish their yacht. The Arcadia A85S will debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival this month. Look for her stateside soon after.
