With its positively raked bow, vertical bridge windows, sweeping buttresses and striking fashion plates, the steel-and-aluminum Benetti B.Now 50M cuts a contemporary dash. The design of this 163-foot-9-inch trideck marries Plana naval architecture with an overall concept and exterior by UK-based studio RWD. The latter does not only the big shapes well, but also the detailing that so often makes the difference between a good yacht and a spectacular one.
One big feature makes this yacht design sing: the Oasis Deck option. The first few B.Now 50Ms didn’t have it, but the Oasis Deck will be on 15 of the 20 sold to date. They include Hull No. 9, Asani, which is the B.Now 50M that I got aboard.
The Oasis Deck has 1,250 square feet of beach club with a 270-degree panorama astern. There are multilevel terraces, fold-down wing decks, and a wide swim platform with a plunge-pool focus. The pool is no token either. It measures almost 12-by-9 feet with an all-glass aft wall that displays the yacht’s name and home port.
And that’s just one of the yacht’s outdoor entertainment zones. The bridge deck has lounging and sunbathing on a forward terrace, an alfresco dining space and more sunbathing space aft. Almost two-thirds of the sun deck has hardtop protection. There’s dining and sun-lounging space, a wet bar with stools and a hot tub forward. While Asani’s space planning was worked up between RWD and Benetti’s in-house team, its decorative inputs were chiefly conceived by two London-based firms: Bergman Design House and Lass Studio, both in close association with the yacht’s American owner. The idea was to create a neutral base, which is why the yacht has a light-dark contemporary vibe. Joinery is mostly oak, either light or stained dark. Calacatta marbles and leathers provide the principal contrasts. Furniture is mostly freestanding and comes largely from Interdecor Design.
In the main salon, there’s a more formal lounge aft with a dining area forward—a conventional layout compared to most of the other B.Now 50Ms. The sky lounge feels a bit more informal with an L-shaped sofa, big-screen TV, games table and two-stool bar.
The owner’s stateroom aboard Asani is rather special. It’s full-beam and forward on the main deck with a dressing room, a forward-facing king berth, corner sofas, a desk, and a marble bathroom with a freestanding oval bathtub in addition to the shower stall and twin basins. Electric sliding glass doors to starboard reveal a private 14-foot balcony with a deck chair, coffee table and rain shower. It’s the perfect spot for “me time.” I prefer this narrow style of balcony to the fold-down variety, which is more exposed.
Four guest staterooms are on the lower deck: two doubles and two convertible twins. A twin-berth cabin on the bridge deck can serve overspill guests, although Asani will reportedly use it to enhance service. Instead of running with 12 guests and 10 crew, the plan is for 10 guests, 10 crew and two private staff. Asani’s captain was previously with a 230-foot Abeking and Rasmussen, and the chief officer comes from an even bigger Lürssen.
The captain’s cabin is on the bridge deck, while crew quarters are forward on the lower deck, including a single-berth cabin for the chief officer. Crew areas have discreet access to all decks on the port side via stairs up and down to a professional main-deck galley. Fine dining is said to be especially important to the owner. There are pantries on the main and upper decks to enhance service even further.
Tenders are on the foredeck with high bulwarks for privacy. The fretted apertures look just like the line of hullside windows. There’s room for a 20-foot jet tender, an outboard-powered rescue RIB and a pair of Sea-Doos. Enclosed stowage is in the “adventure room” abaft the engine room and beneath the cockpit. It holds stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, Seabobs, wetsuits and diving gear.
Propulsion is twin 1,400 hp V-12 MANs, and straight ZF gearboxes and shafts. They reportedly provide a top speed of 15 knots and a sweet spot around 12.5 knots, with total fuel consumption at a little over 50 gallons per hour. Range is 3,800 nautical miles. The quoted eco-range is 4,500 nm at 10 knots, more than enough for ocean crossings.
As this issue went to press, Asani had just crossed the Atlantic Ocean to arrive in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands for its first proper Caribbean winter season. The 3,300 nm passage took a little more than 13 days.
In Demand
Benetti’s B.Now 50M is proving popular. No fewer than 20 of these steel-and-aluminum tridecks have been ordered, and nine are afloat. The yard is handing one over every three months. Benetti says it can build these yachts 30 percent faster than the industry average. Hull No. 1, Iryna, was delivered in January 2022. Hull No. 9, Asani, was delivered in September 2024. The next available build slot is for late 2027 or early 2028.
Winning Formula
The Oasis Deck concept has proved a triumph for Benetti and UK yacht design studio RWD. The name was first used for Oasis Class 40M and 34M composite trideck models, launched in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Both models are still selling well. Oasis Decks have since become options aboard the B.Now 50M model and its larger siblings: the 57M, 60M, 67M and 72M.
Maximum Capacity
The open foredeck garage and the owner’s balcony on the starboard side fall outside any of the calculations of gross tonnage. Maximizing usable space aboard is the name of the game when designing yachts less than 500 gross tons. Straying above that threshold would have a big impact on build regulations and operational requirements, adding significant cost.
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