Offering stunning vistas, clever flourishes and 30-plus-knot speed, Ferretti’s 960 brings its brand of sophistication to the 90-foot market segment.
By
Dag Pike
Updated: August 6, 2013
So how did Ferretti figure out how to use MCA regulations to get several of the hottest megayacht feature trends, including this yacht’s teak beach club with separate tender stowage, into a 96-foot yacht without adding a lot of expense to the construction cost? For the 960, this Italian builder took its 881’s proven hull, which measured around 88 feet in length overall and qualified as a 24-meter vessel, and added about 9 feet to the stern behind the transom. Presto, you have a 96-footer that measures as an 80-footer.Courtesy Ferretti
The same thoughtful detail is found throughout the 960 and is evident in her wide side decks and high bulwarks and railings. An electric sliding door welcomes guests from the cockpit — an inviting place for evening drinks or alfresco dining. The flybridge dedicates close to 30 feet of length to relaxation. A helm station is to port, and there’s an option to add another set of controls to starboard for easy docking. A bar area features a grill large enough to roast a hog, and opposite is the table where you can eat it. The rest of the space is given over to room for lounging or possibly a hot tub. You could even make this the stowage spot for a pair of personal watercraft. The forward end is sun-protected by a fixed T-top with a large, opening center section.
The 960’s layout also allows your crew to work without impinging on the guest areas. Her comprehensively equipped galley is just forward of the dining area and features a full range of Bosch appliances, including a five-burner cooktop, microwave and dishwasher. The galley also incorporates the crew mess, which occupies one corner of this area. From here, there is deck access through an outside door as well as access to the crew’s quarters belowdecks and to the pilothouse above via stairs.
She’s an impressive-looking yacht that shines at sea too. It’s a bit like a luxury limo; you have no idea of your speed until you look at the dials. This is silent, sophisticated performance at its best. I didn’t even realize we had left the dock until I saw the land going by! You can have conversations in a normal voice while powering along at 32 knots.
She’s a fine oceangoing motoryacht with sparkling performance and a luxurious interior. Ferretti has also made excellent use of that extra space at the stern to create a brilliant tender garage combined with a compact “beach club.” When the garage door is closed there is a sun bed built into the lid just above the swim platform. Open the garage door and you discover a cleverly designed tender area that allows the smaller boat to be launched and recovered single-handed.
I measured only 77 decibels (A-weighted) at this speed. Sixty-five decibels is the level of normal conversation. There were no vibrations, no rattles — just the gentle throb of the engines. The blue Mediterranean west coast of Italy offered no sea of consequence for this big yacht, just waves of about 3 feet. My 960 powered through them with a faint thump as they contacted the chines.
Belowdecks guests are equally catered to in four virtually identical staterooms. The only noticeable difference is that the double beds in the two forward staterooms can be split to create singles, which is a popular megayacht trend. The large options list allows for a variety of decorative finishes, but the overall effect is one of quiet and relaxation. Ferretti has gone to extraordinary lengths to reduce noise, and you see the quality in the thick doors that close with a gentle “clunk.”
The yacht turns under full control, and even when we hit our own lively wake we just powered through it as though it wasn’t there. This was blissful performance, and you could even enjoy the fierce wind blowing over the flybridge windscreen at the wide-open speed of 32 knots. We were running with the largest MTU diesels available (2,638 hp each), but even with the smaller engine options performance should be in the high 20-knot range.
A 15-foot Williams diesel jet tender can be accommodated here, and you can specify a hose refueling system. The tender sits on a tilting cradle, and when the center section of the swim platform is lowered there is a direct slipway into the sea. The whole operation is push-button controlled and it takes seconds to launch the craft.
Those MTUs are set about 4 feet apart, so you get good close-quarters maneuvering control. To help out, there are also bow and stern thrusters. The 960 sets new standards in quality, price and performance in this competitive category of motoryacht, and all of this comes in a beautifully proportioned sport yacht. Ferretti Yachts, 954-462-5527; ferretti-yachts.com
LOA: 95’10” BEAM: 22’1” DRAFT: 7’3” DISPL.: 191,802 lb. FUEL: 2,378 gal. WATER: 349 gal. DEADRISE: 12 degrees ENGINES (opt.): 2 x 2,218 hp MTU 16V M94 diesels or 2 x 2,435 hp MTU 16V M93 diesels ENGINES (tested): 2 x 2,368 hp MTU 16V M94 diesels BASE PRICE: $9,030,000 (approx.) PRICE AS TESTED: $9,933,000 (approx.)
Fabio Marcellino, the project manager for the 960, commented, “We took many elements from our superyacht experience to develop the 960, and we have combined these with the classic Ferretti styling. I have worked two and a half years on this project, which has taken Ferretti Yachts into new territory.” These advances can be seen in the raised pilothouse setup and the main-deck master suite, both Ferretti firsts. Her master suite is wide open with great vistas through the side windows, where the bulwarks have been lowered. There is a walk-in closet, and the en suite bath at the forward end can be specified with either a large shower room or a tub, or both.
This is just one of the cool features that Ferretti has come up with for the 960. Another is the use of full-height side doors in the salon, opening not onto a balcony but to the side deck. This dramatic, full-height glass enhances the feeling of space and light in the salon, and you can open side and rear doors to get the full fresh-air benefit. The salon is casually arranged in traditional lounge and dining areas with low-key, high-quality furniture and a subdued sense of luxury.
