Looking ahead to the next boating season is everyone’s favorite hobby at this time of year, with the last gasps of winter starting to fade and the warm summer sun just a few months away. Boatbuilders around the globe are encouraging this daydreaming in a major way, with some bold new designs that add style and spice to the imagination.
In the following pages, we offer a look at new builds and concepts from mega-yachts to catamarans, with everything from traditional propulsion to solar power, as well as design elements that run the gamut from classic to modern. Some of these yachts are already under construction, while others are concepts awaiting owners to bring them to life.
No matter how you see yourself in your own boating daydreams, there’s a yacht that can get you there in the real world.
The 180-foot Project Gemini has an interior decor by Luca Dini, who focused on tay wood, mirrors, and accents of metal, marble and glass. Part of Heesen’s 55-meter Steel class, Project Gemini is a sistership to several other builds—most recently Solemates, which was delivered in 2020.
Creature comforts abound in the design; the wellness area aboard Project Gemini is accessed via the beach club, and the owner’s stateroom spans more than 880 square feet on the main deck. Sole-to-ceiling glass doors connect the indoor and outdoor guest spaces, and the sky lounge extends across the yacht’s full beam. VIP guests have a stateroom on the sky-lounge level, which also has a dining area with a bird’s-eye view.
Bernardo Zuccon is credited with the design creativity that makes the Sanlorenzo SD118 a unique offering in its size range. This yacht has an asymmetrical design that previously was incorporated only on Sanlorenzo’s SL line of yachts. To port is a side deck that leads from the stern to the bow, while the starboard-side has, in essence, a widebody hull.
The stern on the SD118 also has been revised from previous SD models; this one has an expanded space of more than 200 square feet, thanks to port and starboard drop-down platforms. As of late 2020, Sanlorenzo was reporting four hulls of the SD118 already sold. Look for the boat to make an appearance at the Cannes Yachting Festival later this year.
Many long-distance and Great Loop cruisers are fans of the Fleming Yachts brand. While the builder does not offer new models very often, its boats are known for being comfortable, sturdy, go-anywhere vessels. The Fleming 85 is the new flagship in the builder’s lineup, which also includes a 55, 58, 65 and 78. The 85 is a new design from the keel up, and it’s available in open- or enclosed-pilothouse versions.
The yacht carries 3,170 gallons of fuel and has twin 1,550 hp MAN V-12 engines, along with Humphree stabilizers. Bow and stern thrusters are by Twin Disc. The yacht’s 5-foot-5-inch draft—along with its 20-foot air draft—make it a candidate for passagemaking in most parts of the world.
Rossinavi delivered the 160-foot EIV from the shipyard in Viareggio, Italy, at the end of 2020. Previously known as Project Vector 50, the yacht has interior and exterior design by Venice-based Enrico Gobbi and Team for Design. Electrical and mechanical components are made in the United States, with the yacht expected to cruise in US and Caribbean waters.
The shipyard is calling EIV a “little sister” to Utopia IV, combining the elements of a sport design with the space of a full-displacement yacht. Some of the design elements are inspired by the automotive world, making them reminiscent of the air-vent grilles on a sports coupe. The master stateroom is full beam on the main deck with a private terrace.
Azimut Yachts in Italy says its 53 Fly will be ready to debut in early 2021. The exterior is by Alberto Mancini, with interiors by Azimut’s in-house team. Power will be a pair of 725 hp Volvo Penta IPS950-D11s, which the builder expects to provide a top speed of 31 knots and a cruise speed of 27 knots. Inside, the layout is intended for families to stay aboard for days at a time.
The master stateroom is amidships with a walk-in closet. The VIP stateroom is forward, and there’s a twin-berth cabin for the kids. A space for a washer/dryer is nearby, and extra stowage is built into each stateroom. Up on deck, the cockpit can be fitted with a bar and ice maker, while the flybridge dinette converts into a sun lounge.
The 60 Sunreef Power Eco is an evolution of the builder’s 60 Sunreef Power, which was awarded “Best Power Driven Catamaran” at the 2020 World Yacht Trophies. The Eco version is all about environmentally friendly cruising, with nearly 740 square feet of solar panels incorporated into the design. The energy those panels collect gets stored in an ultralight battery bank, which in turn powers the yacht’s electric engines.
The result, according to Sunreef, is vibration-free and silent cruising, in addition to the knowledge that the yacht is engaging in eco-friendly exploration. As with all Sunreefs, owners have a choice of layout and decor. Features built into the design include a flybridge and bow terrace.
The team at Bravo Yacht Design Group in Spain took inspiration from sailing yachts when creating this 249-foot motoryacht concept. The Bravo 75 would have a triple hybrid propulsion package, including diesel, hydrogen and electric engines with Azipods.
BYD co-founders and partners Tià Simó and Raúl Gonzalo say: “Another strong point of this concept, which represents the very heart of the yacht, is its flybridge. The space of the Jacuzzi is modular and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. Thanks to sliding glass walls, guests can enjoy the view without the unpredictability of the weather.” The idea is for guests to feel as if they’re in an open space, even when it’s closed.
Italy’s Canados shipyard is expected to launch Hull No. 1 of the Gladiator 631 in April, with an owner ready and waiting. Naval architect and race-boat builder Simone Cesati set out to create a fastest-in-class yacht that could hit 50 knots but also cruise all day at 35 knots with reduced fuel consumption. Those are the targets Canados expects the yacht to achieve, powered by twin 1,000 hp Volvo Penta D13s.
The shipyard estimates that fuel consumption at 35 knots will be just 1.5 gallons per nautical mile, thanks in part to lightweight construction materials such as Kevlar, carbon fiber and E-glass. The yacht also has what Canados describes as a futuristic helm that incorporates a pair of Garmin displays.
