Despite its parent company’s ongoing financial troubles, Ferretti Yachts debuted another megayacht this week, at the Croatia Boat Show: the Altura 840.
Interesting enough, the yacht was inspired by a range of motorsailers that Ferretti launched in the mid-1970s, called Altura. Back then, Ferretti intended the Altura lineup to embrace cutting-edge design and performance. The builder seems to feel the same way about this yacht, given the Mitsubishi ARG (Anti Rolling Gyro) stabilizers and reported top speed of 30 knots, thanks to twin MTU 2000 M93s.
But what the Ferretti Altura 840 really comes down to is a twist on the aft-cabin-motoryacht concept. Taking a set of stairs directly inside the doors from the aft deck, you go below decks to a full-beam master stateroom. That’s right, it’s where most megayachts put a toy garage. In what has become somewhat of a Ferretti trademark, large side windows spill light inside, but there’s also an additional wide window fully aft, above the bed. Ferretti additionally designed an office area to starboard in the stateroom to double as a breakfast nook, additionally featuring a retractable desk when not needed.
Teak furnishings and soles here are carried throughout most of the yacht, a nice change from the high-gloss woods that characterized many Ferrettis over the years. Another nice change: positioning the galley and dining area down two steps from the saloon. It’s not uncommon to find a galley fully below decks or walled off while remaining on the main deck on European builds, but those options force crew to go up and down stairs and/or essentially cordon off the room. Keeping the galley (to port, with a sliding door) and dining spot (to starboard, with a swing-up window) in proximity to one another as well as the saloon yet somewhat private is a good compromise. The galley also yields access to the crew quarters, two twin cabins and heads with separate shower, and the engine room, which lies between the crew area and master stateroom.
Up on the flying bridge, there’s a sporty hardtop with a sliding soft canopy at its center. This allows for shade or sun at the U-shape settee with table to starboard and grill to port. Sunpads are located both fore and aft. Complementing the helm up a few steps from the saloon (and remaining open to it), there’s an additional helm here, with tender stowage rounding out the rest of the deck.
So far the yacht is available only in Europe. Typically, Ferretti Yachts, like other non-U.S. builders, waits about a year or so before debuting a model stateside, taking time to add equipment and change layouts specifically for American buyers.
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