A Star Is Born

Open note to all megayacht owners, owners’ representatives, and builders: Borrow a page from Benetti if you want to make the unveiling of your yacht an event to remember. The Italian yard presented its new Legend series last Thursday evening, during the Cannes boat show, at a 1960’s-themed party, accompanied by fireworks and a concert by Italian singer-songwriter Gino Paoli.

If you’re familiar with Benetti, you probably know it already offers a few semicustom lines, these being the 99-foot Tradition, 120-foot Classic, and 145-foot Vision, all made of fiberglass. But the Legend stands out for a few reasons. First, she’s the smallest of the lot, at 85 feet LOA, a size which the builder has been seeing a demand for over the past few years. Closely related to this is the fact that she’s intended to appeal to owner-operators; should a buyer decide he or she wants a crew, however, Benetti says the two aft cabins below decks can house them. (A VIP stateroom lies forward below decks, and the master is forward on the main deck, ensuring privacy if that path is followed.) Outside on the sundeck there’s a retractable sun awning that’s intended to double as a sort of umbrella should a sudden downpour occur.

Thankfully those of us who weren’t in Cannes last week will get a chance to see the first Legend at the Monaco Yacht Show this week, as Benetti made a last-minute decision to exhibit her. I’ll post my impressions later this week.