It’s challenging to create a yacht that looks and feels formidable yet inviting. Rugged, luxurious. But all these descriptors came to mind as I toured the Absolute Yachts Navetta 75, the Italian builder’s new Navetta-series flagship in a line with six other Navetta models starting at 48 feet length overall.
Absolute gives each new model a theme, and the Navetta 75’s is “the absolute sphere.” The idea is that a sphere represents perfect balance and harmony. Consider the yacht’s DNA: The Navetta 75 is, indeed, an exercise in balance, including its overall proportions, performance, use of glazing, and interior and exterior real estate’s form and function.
The Navetta comes in at 74 feet, 10 inches length overall with an 18-foot-5-inch beam. It carries a good bit of that beam forward, enhancing internal volume. A beneficiary of this design is the master stateroom. The space is forward on its own level with a private entrance just a few steps down from the main salon. There is 6-foot-6-inch headroom, and the stateroom is made to feel even larger with a light-oak sole and natural light passing through the hullside windows. There is a forward-facing berth, and a vanity with a work desk is to port. Forward of the berth is the en suite head with his-and-hers sinks on centerline. A shower stall is to starboard, and the toilet is to port. It’s whisper quiet in this stateroom underway, and the ocean vistas are as impressive as they are relaxing.
Guests can relax as well, since all three staterooms belowdecks have either hullside windows or port views. There is a full-beam VIP amidships with an en suite head to port and a vanity to starboard. The head is outboard, running longitudinally, with a sink in the middle and a toilet forward. The shower stall is aft. As in the master stateroom, average headroom here is 6 feet, 6 inches, and natural light and views are courtesy of 36-inch-long, 26-inch-high hullside windows. Forward and to port is a second guest stateroom with an athwartship berth and an en suite head. Both the VIP and this stateroom are accessed via space-saving pocket doors. The third guest stateroom is to starboard with twin berths and in-room access to a day head, which can also be accessed from the companionway.
Sole-to-ceiling glass encompasses most of the superstructure, creating a main deck that feels infinite and is connected to the sea nearly 360 degrees. This design is enhanced further with the yacht’s cut-down and open bulwarks. Narrow stainless-steel supports are all that occasionally come into view while looking outward when seated. In fact, the windows adjacent to the formal dining table for eight people—set amidships and to port—are nearly 8 feet long by 4½-plus feet high. Abaft the dining area are two settees in an L-shaped configuration, as well as a loose chair. A coffee table pulls the space together as a cozy conversation nook. The interior spaces are made to feel warm, thanks to tasteful indirect lighting.
Forward of the dining area—also on the port side—is the Navetta 75’s galley. Equipped for serious at-sea meal prep, it’s outfitted with Miele appliances, including a convection oven, a full-height fridge and freezer, a four-burner cooktop and an Isotherm ice maker. During my time on board, the galley was open to the salon, but this space can be closed off during formal occasions. If it is closed, crew can access the Navetta 75’s side decks via a pantograph door to port, to serve guests discreetly.
The all-weather lower helm is a couple of steps up from the salon. It is set up with twin helm seats, three Garmin multifunction displays, a bow-thruster control and a joystick to manage the twin Volvo Penta IPS1350 diesels around the dock. Cockpit joystick controls are optional. The upper helm is where I spent my wheel time; it can be accessed internally from the lower helm or externally via the cockpit. The helm is on centerline with unobstructed sightlines.
I ran the Navetta 75 off Cannes, France, on a light and variable morning with near-flat, calm seas. I found the yacht relatively nimble and real-time responsive to wheel input with minimal inboard heel on hard-over turns. It was a confidence-inspiring driving experience.
With the throttle on the pins, top speed was 24.9 knots at 2,470 rpm. At top hop, fuel burn is about 102 gallons per hour. Considering a 10 percent reserve on the yacht’s 1,057-gallon fuel capacity, range is around 232 nautical miles. Dial the engines back to 2,100 rpm and a cruise speed of 19.6 knots, and fuel burn drops to 67 gph, while range increases to about 279 nm. Slow cruise at 1,800 rpm and 14.8 knots for fuel consumption of 47 gph and range of 300 nm. For longer voyaging, the Navetta 75 has a 541 nm range at a 10.8-knot jog.
In addition to the upper deck being command central on fair-weather days, it’s also laid out for alfresco entertaining. Owners can personalize the layout here. This Navetta 75 had settee seating for about six guests, plus two chaise longues aft with views of the Côte d’Azur through the glass balustrade. An alfresco dining table under the hardtop is also available here, as well as a sink, a Kenyon grill and a bar, making this a great spot to take in Bimini’s aquamarine waters while grilling some mahimahi for the family. When the sun goes down, indirect lighting sets the mood. Open the hardtop’s retractable roof for stargazing.
The Navetta 75’s foredeck creates yet another alfresco social zone with a sun pad for four guests, and built-in U-shaped seating and a table for sundowners with friends.
I wrote the word “complete” in my notes as I exited the Absolute Yachts Navetta 75. Its effective layout, optimized spaces, admirable performance, luxury flourishes and ability for owners to personalize their yacht makes it a vessel that checks off a lot of must-have boxes. For yachting enthusiasts who are ready to level up to a vessel that is at the border of owner-operator and the crewed-yacht experience, the Navetta 75 is an eminently cruise-worthy consideration.
Room for Crew
Absolute Navetta 75 owners may choose to have full- or part-time crew. To that end, abaft the engine room are two berths for crew. One of the berths is in a separate cabin. The second berth also serves as seating for meals. A window slides up, providing fresh air and access to the teak swim platform. There is also a head with a separate shower stall, a table, and a side-by-side Miele washer and dryer for laundry day.
Here Comes the Sun
About half of the Absolute Navetta 75’s flybridge can be covered with a hardtop. If extra sunshine is desired, the hardtop retracts about 80 percent of its total length. With only a few structural elements—and the fact that owners can personalize this space to accommodate their entertainment-at-sea lifestyle—there is a lot of flexibility in how this deck can be used.
Take the next step: absoluteyachts.com
