Stepping-stone sizes serve smart purposes for shipyards and buyers. Ferretti Yachts’ Ferretti 780 will let fans of the Italian brand make an initial entry into megayacht ownership, without making a leap.
The 77’10” (23.76-meter) Ferretti 780, which starts production in January, joins a growing flying-bridge lineup. Within the past two years, the builder added the 700 and 850 models to the existing 750 and 800. It also retired models in that 70- to 85-foot range. Perhaps it also will retire the 750, since it calls the Ferretti 780 “the natural heir in the highly appreciated 75-feet category.”
Regardless, the new model follows stylistic updates incorporated in recent years. These include larger ports, particularly the three hull ports in the illustration above. They delineate the Ferretti 780’s master stateroom and guest cabins.
Speaking of which, the yacht accommodates eight people in four staterooms. The master naturally takes advantage of the 18’9” (5.77-meter) beam. Very Important People get the bow stateroom, with port and starboard staterooms fitted with twins and a double, respectively.
The Ferretti 780 also lets fans of the brand enjoy flexible arrangements. The main-deck galley, for example, can be enclosed or open aft to the saloon and dining area. Keep the aft-deck doors open to turn the saloon into an indoor-outdoor space. Enjoy all-open-air space on the flying bridge, or request a hardtop. That hardtop can include a sliding central awning or tinted glass, too.
Buyers should especially appreciate that the Ferretti 780 has big-yacht thinking at the transom. It folds down to unveil a cozy beach club, fitted with sunpads. The shipyard will add more features on request. It will also make the transom one large folding platform or two sections. Either way, an adjacent stowage space holds small toys like a SeaBob, plus other gear. The primary tender can go just above all this, on the aft deck.
Big-yacht thinking also extends forward outside. A number of maxi megayachts now have bow “cockpits,” with seating, dining, and/or sunning spaces. The Ferretti 780 follows suit. Two settees share a cocktail table convertible for meals, accompanied by sunpads.
A three-person crew, all housed aft below decks, will keep the yacht cruising up and down the coast for you. Two engine packages offer swift speeds and not-too-dissimilar ranges. The standard twin MANs should allow a 28-knot top end. Somewhere south of the expected 24-knot cruise, the Ferretti 780 should see a 310-nautical-mile range. The optional MANs promise a 31-knot top speed. With these, cruising speed should be 26 knots, and range should be 290 nautical miles.
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