Benetti presents future SY build plans at Cannes

Benetti provided details of the three main superyacht ranges that it plans to focus on at the Cannes Yachting Festival last week – the Oasis 135’, Diamond 145’ and four BNow model series.

The Oasis 135’ was designed by RWD and is based on a new concept that offers a contemporary take on the use of indoor and outdoor spaces. So far, one Oasis 135’ is in build. It has a cruising speed of 14.5kt, a top speed of 15kt, and a range of 4,000Nm at 11kt.

The Oasis 135’ is the latest new model in Benetti’s Class product line. This ambitious project, on which Benetti has worked in partnership with UK-based RWD and New York design studio Bonetti/Kozerski, revolves around an onboard lifestyle in which sporting activities alternate with periods of total relaxation.

Adrian Chisnell, team principal at RWD, says: “We’ve revisited the classic concept of onboard life. Today owners don’t use their boats in the same way as in the past. This yacht reflects a new more dynamic and less formal lifestyle for active, curious owners who don’t spend much time lying in the sun because they prefer to explore and enjoy the places they’ve just reached on their yacht.”

The interiors, designed by US-based firm Bonetti/Kozerski, are casual-chic in style and reveal a sophisticated use of materials, colour combinations and forms of decoration. The designers’ choice of materials for the decor includes light colour leather and rosewood in light, bright colourways.

The Diamond 145’ is the flagship of the Class product line. This 44m (145ft) displacement yacht draws on the core features of the Benetti Displacement Class across its entire history. The elegant design suggests the proportions and details of a large yacht and conveys a feeling of sturdiness and power. So far, one Diamond 145’ is in build at Viareggio.

The seamless design of the huge glazed surfaces accentuates the length of the yacht and its brightly-lit interiors. The exterior styling is the work of Giorgio M Cassetta. He comments: “The Diamond 145’ represents yet another step in the evolution of the Benetti Class Displacement range. The clean, smooth lines embrace the proportions of a big yacht.”

He added: “The distribution of the settings and layout is based on meticulous optimisation of the available space. My team and I have researched each detail for three years to create a yacht that is both extremely luxurious and immediately practical.”

The interior design is based on roomy, welcoming settings, where the choice of light colour shades underscores the wealth of natural light. In the words of the designer, Achille Salvagni: “I want to sculpt space, giving it character, dignity and strength.”

The two 1,400hp MAN engines will drive the Diamond 145’ to a top speed of 15kt, and at a speed of 11kt the yacht will have a range of 3,800Nm.

The four BNow models are Custom yachts, again designed in collaboration with RWD, created to offer a modern onboard lifestyle by connecting indoor and outdoor spaces. Benetti’s advanced construction technology ensures short delivery times. They come in sizes of 50m (164ft), 55m (181ft), 63m (207ft) and 68m (223ft).

At the presentation in Cannes, the sale of the first steel hull and aluminium superstructure yacht below 500 GT from the new RWD-designed BNow concept was announced. The customer, from the Middle East, is a repeat Benetti client.

With this series, Benetti is aiming at maximum comfort with short delivery times. True luxury means having every desire satisfied, no matter how small, and owning something unique and different from all the others. This is the philosophy that underpins BNow, the family of displacement yachts with a steel hull and an aluminium superstructure in the Custom product line.

Featuring streamlined exterior lines and a vertical bow, the yachts in this product family offer well-being and comfort accompanied by much shorter delivery times. With the help of Benetti’s advanced construction technology, all BNow models will be built in less than the standard time recognised by the market.

During the next year, Benetti will deliver launch three superyachts over 100m (328ft) including one which is strongly suggested to be for an Australian client. A spokesman for Benetti told IBI: “In the next year the company has the target of winning at least one new order for a gigayacht. We are in talks with a number of potential buyers.”

In another move, Benetti has extended its customer aftersales service options by arranging deals with two marinas in the Balearics and Australia. These are Port Adriano on Mallorca and the Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard on Australia’s Gold Coast. As part of the new arrangements, these marinas will now be key service points for Benetti owners and crews.