They say there are boaters and there are people who own boats. When it comes to the design, engineering and construction of its line of luxury motoryachts, Australian builder Maritimo knows the distinction. Maritimo yachts are built for boaters.
The brand’s successful lines of flybridge, sedan and sport yachts have built upon 60 years of design innovation and engineering excellence set forth in the vision of company founder and celebrated boatbuilder Bill Barry-Cotter. Each model represents an evolution of the successes of its predecessors. It’s this foundation that has led to the introduction of two of the company’s largest models in its six-decade history: the M75 Flybridge and the S75 Sedan.
Barry-Cotter’s son Tom is Maritimo’s head of design. When it comes to building boats for boaters, he knows that advice from knowledgeable boaters is key. “At Maritimo, owner input is something that is constantly used by our Australian design team,” he says. Drawing from a wealth of feedback from Maritimo owners around the world, the designs of the M75 Flybridge and the S75 Sedan were born from over two years of concept development and planning. They retain the Maritimo DNA of long-range efficiency, seakeeping and functionality.
The ethos of the new models was simple, says Dave Northrop, director of Maritimo Americas: “With every new model, we speak directly to clients to learn how they use their vessels, what parts of the boat they like to utilize the most, and how they can get more out of their current boat. So, these new models were driven by the market and by what our customers are wanting.”
With the Maritimo customer base clearly ready to step into bigger yachts, the yard upgraded and expanded its state-of-the-art facilities to accommodate production of the larger builds.
The Flagship M75 Flybridge
Maritimo has distinguished itself within the sea of midsize production builders with its long-range enclosed-flybridge M Series models. The new M75 continues the iconic exterior profile with what Barry-Cotter describes as a “mighty exterior form from bow to stern.”
Sweeping lines, integrated hull windows and the towering enclosed flybridge bring the instantly recognizable Maritimo exterior style to the M75. Its decidedly aerodynamic flybridge and hardtop extend aft to provide full protection to both the upper cockpit and flybridge cockpit decks. In fact, it is the deck spaces that set the tone for the design innovations found throughout the new M75.
Delightful Deck Space
“Step aboard, and the first impression the M75 emanates is certainly that of unsurpassed amounts of deck space,” Barry-Cotter says.
Extending the yacht’s profile aft, the M75’s immense “adventure deck” is a truly multifunctional area featuring a wet bar with a sink, refrigerator and electric grill, and providing access to the utility cabin as well as secondary engine-room access. On each side of the deck, rear fair-leads with optional capstan winches and large top-loading storage lockers keep the space neat and tidy.
Three steps up from the open adventure deck is the expansive upper cockpit deck, which maximizes the yacht’s 19-foot-8-inch beam and offers modular furniture that can be configured to the owner’s liking. Walkaround decks to each side lead forward to the foredeck lounging space. Electric roller blinds extend from the flybridge headliner to provide complete privacy and protection to this space.
Maximized Interior
A signature interior design feature for Maritimo is the aft galley, which seamlessly serves both the interior salon and the upper cockpit deck. Augmenting the yacht’s intended functionality for long-range cruising with plentiful storage for provisions, the M75’s galley is Maritimo’s largest to date and features an enormous counter island as its centerpiece. The yacht’s large sections of glazing bring in plentiful natural light, and clients have the option of adding Maritimo’s unique two-stage vista sliding windows for further alfresco appeal.
A unique floating staircase further accentuates and extends the open-air feeling of the interior through to the lower-deck foyer and laundry area that accesses the yacht’s four staterooms. The largest suite of accommodations aboard a Maritimo build to date, the four-stateroom, three-en-suite configuration comprises a grand midship king-size master stateroom, a forward VIP queen, a convertible twin and a spacious bunk cabin, all with plentiful storage and closet space. The yacht’s panoramic hull windows bring an incredible amount of light into this space. Although optimized for owner operation, the M75 offers the option of additional crew quarters for two in the lazarette area.
The Iconic Flybridge
“The defining feature of the Maritimo M Series is its recognizable enclosed-flybridge sky lounge with internal staircase, providing the ultimate comfort for any long-distance passage,” Barry-Cotter says. Unlike other flybridge models that start as an open layout and become enclosed, Maritimo’s is purposefully designed at the outset to be enclosed, while the yacht’s monocoque construction further integrates every level.
Aboard the M75, exterior wings formed from the contours of the exterior profile increase the amount of interior space within the sky lounge, which comprises dual lounging areas: a forward wheelhouse and an aft lounge with a pop-up television, both of which easily convert to sleeping berths if necessary.
Additional alfresco space is found on the flybridge balcony deck, which can also be enclosed with retractable roll-down blinds.
Long-Range Lineage
The M75 continues Maritimo’s legacy of efficient, long-range cruisers with its 2,461-gallon (10,000-liter) fuel capacity, and a variable-deadrise hull design featuring a deep keel, sharp bow entry and flattened progression aft purposefully designed for offshore comfort, stability and efficiency. The yacht’s straight-shaft drive technology not only reduces the draft to an enviable 4 feet, 11 inches, but it also increases the overall efficiency of power-to-water transfer from the standard Scania Di16 1,150 mhp power units (MTU upgrades available) to the five-blade nibral propellers.
No long-range cruiser is complete without plentiful storage, and the Maritimo M75 has that area covered. Electric actuators lift the aft adventure deck to reveal the garage lazarette area, which is capable of housing a 10-foot-3-inch (3.2-meter) tender or a full complement of water toys, from kayaks to SUPs and dive gear. Larger tenders can be stored either on the foredeck with a forward-mounted 500 kg davit or atop the adventure deck’s hydraulic platform.
“A boat will reflect the boating environment in which it’s built,” Northrop says. “In Australia, the seas on a calm day can be 20 feet; that’s what you think about as a boatbuilder. Maritimo is heavily focused on reliability, redundancy and the seakeeping ability of their vessels. They don’t shove the engines aft because that will affect the performance and the balance of the boat. The weight and the fuel are in the center of the boat, there are no propeller pockets, and this gives the best balance, ride, performance and fuel economy.”
With several orders for the new M75 already in the pipeline and preorders now being accepted, the yacht’s anticipated U.S. debut at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show will be nothing short of spectacular.
The S75 Sedan Motoryacht
Maritimo’s S Series line sees the addition of its own flagship with the announcement of the new S75 Sedan motoryacht. This single-level offshore cruiser echoes the long-range capability of its flybridge sister, with a sleek, streamlined profile and elongated hardtop overhang protecting the yacht’s plentiful deck spaces.
Intended to satisfy liveaboard owners, the S75 features plentiful storage, a 2,461-gallon (10,000-liter) fuel capacity, and a spacious four-stateroom, three-en-suite layout. Boasting expansive swaths of glazing that blend the interior with the exterior, the interior salon features dedicated lounging and dining areas, as well as a comfortable wheelhouse and pop-up 65-inch television. The S75 offers the same versatile adventure deck and upper-cockpit-deck configuration as the M75, with the additional option of a retractable sunroof over the upper cockpit deck for dining and relaxation under the stars.
Beneath the adventure deck, an enormous lazarette can house dive gear, air and sea drones, fishing tackle and gear, diver propulsion vehicles and more. Or it can house a smaller 10-foot (3.2-meter) tender and 350 kg crane, while the hardtop utility deck can store a tender, life rafts and larger water toys. A 5-foot (1.4-meter) hydraulic swim platform is optional, and the utility cabin can serve as additional accommodations, storage or workspace. And like its flybridge sister, the S75 is engineered specifically for stable, comfortable and efficient long-range cruising. The first S75 is expected to debut in late 2022.
“Being able to cruise farther and more confidently is the very essence of what Maritimo is about,” Barry-Cotter says. From the patented structural monocoque system, to the positioning of two wing fuel tanks and a main fuel tank at keel level for balance and stability, to the considerations for expanded interior accommodations, liveaboard ease and storage, both the new M75 and S75 are poised to usher in a new era for this boaters’ builder.
To learn more about Maritimo, the M75 and the S75, visit their website at maritimoamericas.com
