First-time yacht buyers from Europe have commissioned this fast-cruising 123-foot (37.5-meter) sloop from Fitzroy Yachts.

While the owners of hull number FY17 have never bought a boat before, they are experienced charterers. They spent about two years researching designs and shipyards before signing the contract with Fitzroy Yachts. They further plan to visit the New Zealand-based shipyard several times during the construction process.

FY17 is an all-aluminum megayacht that will participate in regattas and be used for private cruises. Performance estimates haven’t been released, though she’ll have a racing pedigree, thanks to design work by Dubois Naval Architects. The megayacht will have a fixed keel and a draft of 13 feet (4 meters).

Inside, Design Unlimited is overseeing the general arrangement and decor. Just a few details are available, such as the inclusion of three staterooms, including the master, aft. There’s a fourth guest stateroom/day room forward, along with the crew cabins and galley. Furthermore, FY17 will feature a raised saloon and sliding windows in the cockpit, which will also have a fixed bimini. Overall beam will be 27’9” (8.5 meters).

Even though the first aluminum plates won’t be cut for another few weeks, the owners are already looking past the delivery date in 2014. In fact, “We never imagined we would build a boat, but we are enjoying the process so much we are already talking about building another,” they say, in a statement released through Fitzroy Yachts.

In the meantime, Fitzroy Yachts is finishing up a 164-foot (50-meter) flying-bridge sloop for the fall. Termed G50, she’s noteworthy for being a project that the experienced owner, from Europe, commissioned directly from the yard, without having a designer in place. Fitzroy Yachts tapped Dubois Naval Architects to execute the plan, with styling input from the owner. The owner is also overseeing the interior design.