Atriums are among the latest design trends aboard large superyachts. Whether they’re airy formal entries meant to make an immediate impact on guests or lounges lending a sense of substantial space, they deliver the wow factor. That said, they’re found almost exclusively aboard large superyachts because of physical considerations. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to find an atrium on a yacht less than 164 feet long.
Guests aboard the 121-foot Wraith, the first AB 120, might stop in their tracks when descending the stairs to their staterooms. The stairs are a style statement unto themselves, with a sculpture-like polished stainless-steel handrail. They lead into an open two-level TV lounge, which is practically unheard of for a 121-footer. With rectangular windows to each side, the lounge is extra airy because its ceiling is the windshield at the helm, making it seem as if the glass is nearly the entire ceiling.
The atrium lounge is one of several reasons why Wraith is, despite its name, no faint trace of a yacht. Nor does its appeal begin and end with being a fast yacht, a category that AB Yachts has focused on since its founding in 1992. In fact, this largest sport-fly model currently available from the Italian builder reinvents a number of relaxation areas.
Visitors can step onto one of them immediately from the dock: The entire aft portion of the AB 120 is an open-air lounge, not a typical swim platform off a transom-concealed beach club. A sizable U-shaped settee with cocktail tables faces the water over a long, deep expanse of teak. Teak-laid sections of the bulwarks to each side fold down too, conveying the feeling of a much bigger beam than this yacht’s nearly 25 feet. Loose lounges can be set up on the folded-down sections, or small water toys can be staged on them, depending on the plans for the day.
Cruisers who like this open-air lounge—what builders and designers more generally are calling the beach area—will really like the main deck aft. Gone is the long-traditional dining cockpit, replaced with a sun pad that converts to two single sun pads and a hot tub between them. It not only complements the water-level lounge, but also will get more hours of use than a dining area. It’s also a more effective way of uniting the beach area with the indoor-outdoor salon.
The owner of Wraith chose an aft-facing settee for the salon, and AB Yachts added pocket doors to conceal the sliding glass, with sole-to-ceiling windows on each side. Altogether, 1,100 square feet of indoor-outdoor leisure space cascades from the salon to the water’s edge.
Speaking of the water’s edge, the swim platform received the makeover treatment as well. The center is an independent section. It’s a transformer platform, rising up and out for a variety of purposes, including revealing one of the two toy garages where a 15-foot RIB and another toy, such as a PWC, electric foilboard or inflatable, tuck inside. AB Yachts also built a launching and float-in retrieval system for the RIB. The second garage is beneath a foredeck hatch.
As much as the owner of Wraith made the interior relaxing with light tones and textures, it’s clear that comfortable alfresco living is also a priority. The flybridge is one of the best examples of a day-to-night playground. Sun pads are at both ends, while loose seating in between caters to lunches and cocktails come sunset. When the stars come out, the crew can set up a movie screen atop the forward sun pad. Not even the smallest members of the family will have their view impeded, since the steering station for close-quarters maneuvers folds away. Speakers are built into the furnishings.
When it’s time to head to the next destination, joystick controls at the steering station and interior helm make maneuvers fingertip-simple. Those are AB Yachts staples, as are water jets. The AB 120 is capable of exceeding 45 knots and cruising at 40 knots with triple MTUs, two steerable water jets and a central booster water jet, according to the builder. Wraith has a 500-nautical-mile range at 40 knots—better than some competitors offer.
Really, the biggest challenge owners might face is persuading guests that stargazing on the flybridge is even better than through the atrium’s glass ceiling.
Room to Grow
Next Yacht Group, AB Yachts’ parent company, acquired the adjacent former Perini Navi shipyard in Viareggio, Italy, this past summer. It hadn’t announced plans as of this writing, but the site offers more construction space and slips.
Hidden Helms
In addition to the hideaway steering station on the sun deck, the AB 120 has another concealed control station. A joystick to port on the aft deck makes slow-speed maneuvering easier, especially when backing into a slip.
Work(out) Well
Superyacht owners commonly want a gym aboard. The AB 120 has one, but not at the expense of the three guest staterooms. Workout equipment is mounted to the bottom of a Murphy bed in one of the staterooms.
Take the next step: abyachts.com
