Remember the days when the back of the yacht was called, quite simply, the stern? You know, before the days of beach clubs and foldout platforms and floodable tender compartments that turn into swimming pools? Today, few yacht buyers will even consider a boat without convertible seating, substantial dining and other creature comforts aft.
But far forward, at the bow, it took a little longer for yacht designers to realize folks might want to have more than a tidy space for ground tackle. Eventually, the Portuguese bridge evolved into cocktail nooks, expansive sun pads and hot tubs hidden from prying eyes on the docks. The bow, too, grew into its own as a recreational space, in delightful ways that seemed tough for any future designers to top.
Then, Italian designer Filippo Salvetti—who has done a lot of work with the Ferretti Group—started thinking about it.
“Customers are used to very high standards of hospitality, making them increasingly hard to satisfy or surprise,” Salvetti says. “This is why the design was based on a new and innovative redistribution of internal and external flows, but above all on the creation of new onboard spaces. Hence the idea of the All-Season Terrace, a covered external space in the bow capable of offering a new ‘world’ to fit out as desired by the customer.”
The result is a space that truly blends the indoors with the outdoors in an inventive way, and allows for owner customization with a hot tub, a private bar or a lounge with fantastic views. This achievement on the Infynito 90 led Yachting to award Ferretti Yachts our 2024 Innovation Award.
Equally impressive is that the Ferretti Yachts team, working with Salvetti, managed to achieve all of this while still giving the yacht a head-turning exterior profile. As Salvetti explains it: “The top covering the All-Season Terrace helped us create a sleeker bow and give more horizontal dynamism to the product as a whole. The end result is a boat with presence, substance and elegance.”
And the goal of blending the indoors with the outdoors continues with the Infynito 90’s interior, which also has significant options for customization. There are two interior design schemes, three main-deck layouts—one with a gym, in a first for Ferretti Yachts—and two belowdecks arrangements. The sky lounge, which is covered, can also be ordered in various configurations. It makes the Infynito 90 the first closed-deck model in the Ferretti Yachts range.
According to interior designers Alessio Battistini and Davide Bernardini of Ideaeitalia: “The design of the interiors for the new Infynito range significantly strengthens their connection with the yacht’s exteriors. The aim was to create a unique link between all the spaces through soft, inviting lines that are also clean and modern. The inspiration for the decor came from the detailed analysis of new geometries, the idea being to carry the style of the cockpits into the interiors.”
Throughout the yacht, the builder also incorporated sustainable materials for the first time, and added a solar roof to produce renewable energy. This is all in keeping with the recreational marine industry’s combined efforts worldwide to reduce carbon emissions and make yachting a more eco-friendly activity—but achieved in a way that feels luxurious, without compromises.
Even the glazing contributes to this holistic design approach of being in tune with the natural world all around. As Salvetti puts it: “The vast glazed surfaces that embrace the two saloons challenge the traditional concept of windows by reaching out through 360 degrees into the natural environment.”
And none of this is to say that the Infynito 90 lacks the types of traditional spaces that most people enjoy aboard motoryachts. There is seating and dining up top, with more of those spaces on the main deck—which can be ordered with what Ferretti Yachts calls a “show kitchen” for owners and guests who want to watch a master chef at work. The lower deck’s standard layout has staterooms that would work for couples or children, with the option of a multipurpose room for owners who would prefer to have that. According to Ferretti Yachts, for day use, the yacht is laid out to welcome 20 people in comfort. And the reported top speed of 20 knots should give the Infynito 90 plenty of zip to get them just about anywhere they want to go and enjoy the surroundings.
This model’s concept has proved so popular that the Infynito 90 already has a sistership, the Infynito 80. It was presented a few months ago at the Cannes Yachting Festival, with owners having the option of an open or semi-open sun deck. The semi-open version has glazing around the bow section, meaning the space can be closed for climate control with an optional enclosure aft.
It’s one thing to give yacht owners options for how they want to build their boats. It’s quite another thing to give them options they’ve never seen anywhere else. Ferretti Yachts succeeded in doing the latter, with flawless execution. This yacht personifies the word innovation, with great style.
Power Player
According to the builder, this yacht’s standard twin 1,550 hp MAN V-12 diesels provide a top hop of 20 knots and a 15-knot fast cruise. With the bigger 1,800 hp MAN V-12 diesels, owners can cruise along comfortably at 22 to 23 knots, depending on load and weather. A fast cruise is about 15 to 17 knots with the bigger diesels, for a range of 400 to 500 nautical miles at those speeds.
Filippo Salvetti
This yacht designer, who is based in Italy, has collaborated with Ferretti Group brands on numerous projects. They include not only Ferretti Yachts models, but also designs in the Custom Line family, such as last year’s Custom Line Navetta 38. It has a length overall of 127 feet, 2 inches, and its bow area has multiple guest spaces for cocktails, sunbathing and yacht-spotting.
Alberto Galassi
Alberto Galassi is CEO of the Ferretti Group, which includes the brands Ferretti Yachts, Custom Line, Wally, Pershing, Itama, Riva and CRN. All the shipyards are in Italy, and they serve clients in more than 70 countries. The company has a big presence at US boat shows. Most recently, it brought 10 models—including the Infynito 90—to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
The Superyacht Yard
Located in Ancona on Italy’s Adriatic coast, the Superyacht Yard was founded in 1963 as a CRN shipyard. In 2019, it was renamed as the Ferretti Group’s Superyacht Yard. The designers and craftspeople who work here produce CRNs, Riva superyachts and Pershing 140 pleasure boats, in addition to the entire Custom Line fleet.
Winning Philosophy
Yachting created the Innovation Award in 2023. Our goal with this annual accolade is not to honor a single boat or a single design advancement, but rather to celebrate a builder that has achieved something extraordinary while also continuing to produce consistently excellent new models. We look for builders who create features that are smart, stylish, fun, functional and unlike anything else on the water.
Take the next step: ferretti-yachts.com
