Can a builder deliver a 206-foot megayacht in less than two years? It can when the yacht, nicknamed Project Balance, is spec construction. And, you can therefore become the owner, while still tailoring her to your tastes, in November 2018.
Project Balance, also known as Benetti FB276, started on spec some time ago. The photo above shows the recent joining of the hull and superstructure, at Benetti’s Livorno, Italy shipyard. Styling is by Giorgio M. Cassetta. The pair have worked together on a number of yachts, including some semi-custom as well as fully custom projects.
Benetti hasn’t abandoned its fully custom approach due to Project Balance. In fact, it believes there’s room in the marketplace for both that and shortened delivery times when it comes to large megayachts. (Spec construction saves both buyers and builders time, by the way, not just buyers.) The 206’7” isn’t just large in size, she’s large in volume, displacing 1,170 tons at full load.
With a beam of 35 feet and accommodations for an owner’s party of 12, Project Balance also has a suggested interior layout and design. Bannenberg & Rowell Design have imagined a beach club (above) with fold-down sections on three sides, for a more immersive indoor-outdoor feel. Although it’s not visible in the illustration, the beach club can contain a bar, overlooking the water aft. You can have your own private aerie over the water in the master suite, thanks to fold-down balconies. Meanwhile, areas like the skylounge have big seating and relaxing zones for you to enjoy with friends and family, as do alfresco areas like the sundeck. The sundeck also has, naturally, a hot tub and plenty of sunpads.
Whether you prefer soaking up the sun stateside or overseas, Project Balance is meant to take you there. Benetti expects best range to be 5,000 nautical miles at 12 knots, under MTU power. Top speed should be 16 knots.
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