When Aeroyacht International introduced its first design, a 110-foot catamaran, earlier this year, the design team characterized it as “today’s most innovative American superyacht” and the “next generation of high-performance sailing vessels.” While just a proposal then, the 110 series—as well as 85- and 125-foot models—are now going to be built by a yard widely considered an innovator among builders: Wally.
The two companies were brought together thanks to Ben Bartlett, the head of the sail division of the yacht-brokerage firm YCO, the sales and marketing agent for Aeroyacht. He says that the different approach to design dictated a builder with a similar philosophy and that “the synergies between the two brands made Wally our first and only choice.” It’s interesting to note that Luca Bassani, the president and founder of Wally, says he’d been approached several times by other multihull designers but didn’t feel any of them presented the right mix of performance, style, comfort, and safety.
The Aeroyacht concept caught Basani’s attention for a few reasons. The yachts were envisioned to be built of advanced composites, Kevlar, and carbon fiber, similar to the materials Wally has used on about 40 sailing yachts to date. The goal of a 32-plus-knot top speed, with low-20s cruising speeds, also matched well with Wally’s track record of building performance yachts.
Certainly the collective background of the Aeroyacht team impressed him. Founder Gregor Tarjan, the founder and president, has crewed with notable sailors like Dennis Conner and Yves Parlier on boats ranging from America’s Cup yachts to 120-foot catamarans. He has also served as a project manager for yacht builders and is a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. Pete Melvin of Morrelli & Melvin, the co-designer of the 110, designed the famed Stars and Stripes racer and the late Steve Fosset’s record-breaking Playstation cat. Other Aeroyacht members have engineering, sailing, and construction experience as well.
Wally will build the Aeroyacht line in a new yard in Ancona, Italy, which features a post-curing oven that can accommodate 80-meter (262-foot) yachts. Expect the first 110 to splash in late 2011 and look similar to this:
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