Expanding your horizons can be a challenge, but it can also be a worthwhile effort. Just ask the partners of the Germany-based yacht-brokerage firm Drettmann Group. When the family-owned company was founded in 1970, small pleasureboats were the focus. Little did they know that nearly 40 years later, they’d be not only selling megayachts, but also exclusively marketing their own newly constructed ones.
Among those new-construction boats is the Bandido Yachts line, built at Horizon and designed by Juan Carlos “JC” Espinosa. Starting at 66 feet and reaching up over 150 feet, Bandido Yachts are expedition vessels targeted to owners who value the overall voyage more than the pace, and expect to do so in a luxurious setting. The Bandido 170 seen here is the latest to join the lineup.
Like her smaller sisters, the 170 is intended to be a go-anywhere, all-weather traveler. The owner of a Bandido 90 commissioned her; in fact, he was the first Bandido client. As much as he enjoyed cruising aboard the 90 for the past few years, he’s wanted to do true global exploration, so this larger design suited his goal. Now, the Bandido 170’s 9’6” draft will preclude pulling up close to Bahamian islands, but it’s interesting to note that she’s being constructed with an ice-class hull. Twin 4000 Series MTUs are expected to permit this 750-ton yacht to see a 14-knot top speed, too.
As for the interior, there will be accommodations for 10 guests besides the “owner’s apartment,” all of which Espinosa says will set the 170 apart from similar-size superyachts. Though he’s holding back some details for now, Espinosa has revealed that the VIP stateroom will be full-beam on the upper deck and that the master suite will be forward on the main deck, featuring a king-size bed, an office, and his-and-her baths with a Jacuzzi tub. Given the 31’6” beam, these rooms, as well as an outdoor exercise room on the upper deck and enclosed flying bridge, should be plenty spacious.
Speaking of the enclosed flying bridge, it will feature an observation lounge, a bar, a spa pool for 10, and a dining area – the latter in addition to the formal dining room on the main deck and an alfresco dining area on the boat deck. A staircase rising through a central atrium connects the flying bridge to all other decks.
With a complement of 10 crew and a limo tender launched via a hydraulic door off the transom, the Bandido 170 will be a worthy project to watch as construction progresses.
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