Celebrities and businesspeople reinvent themselves successfully to appeal to new markets… so why can’t megayacht builders? They can – and are. Westport Shipyards is one of them. While it’s not changing the way it’s doing business, it has rethought its popular 130-foot semicustom series. The yard is relaunching it with a new design and name: Westport 40M.
Considering Westport sold 28 units in the W130 series since its inception in 2001, the move may come as a bit of a surprise. But, the management team took a good look at the global market, and decided there was an opportunity to reach more international buyers. Specifically, it tailored the appearance more to European and Middle Eastern tastes. The Westport 40M name itself reflects those regions, with “M” meaning “meters.”
If you’re familiar with Westport’s lineup, then the name may remind you of that given to its largest series, the 50M. It’s not an accident. In fact, the 40M is much like a mini-50M, starting with the hardtop on the sundeck. It includes both glass skylights and misters, like the one on the larger yacht. Another similarity to the 50M: more use of alfresco areas. The W130, like many yachts, had space that simply wasn’t used; maybe the thought just didn’t cross anyone’s mind. Now that it has, however, the area directly in front of the wheelhouse has been turned into a seating/dining space. Teresa Francis, Westport’s in-house interior designer, likens it to an extension of the skylounge. It’s a good spot to share an intimate meal or enjoy the view while cruising. It overlooks an additional seating/dining nook on the foredeck, so it’s also a good spot to chat with friends and family down there.
If the weather isn’t conducive to being outside, interior spaces now feel more open and light, particularly the saloon and skylounge. Instead of solid bulkheads flanking the sliding doors to the aft decks on each level, there are now extra windows. Two each are to port and starboard in the saloon, and single windows are in the skylounge. It’s a subtle change, but it does make a difference.
Although the décor package is up to owners to decide, Westport still includes raised-panel mahogany as the standard wood. It offers more upscale accents, like the woven-leather detailing on door handles on hull #3, the yacht I was aboard. Also on this yacht, and the rest of the 40Ms, the showers are fashioned out of stone, rather than fiberglass, and there are now bidets in the baths for the VIP staterooms and master stateroom.
Even with the focus on more international markets, Westport realizes there are some similarities between those buyers and its mostly American clients. A big one is allowing crew to respect the privacy of guests. Even American owners who tend to be more casual-minded sometimes want to entertain family and friends without seeing the crew go about their duties. On the W130, the passageway from the wheelhouse back to the skylounge remained open. Now, a pocket door near the stairs at the skylounge entrance lends privacy to both the wheelhouse and the skylounge. The door is well disguised, looking like an extension of the bulkhead even if it’s only partially pulled out. This way, if there’s a party at the stone-topped bar, or people are enjoying themselves in front of the faux fireplace and TV above it, they’re self-contained. And, equally important, they’re not distracting or disturbing the crew.
The crew gets an even better benefit below decks. The guest stateroom located forward to starboard has a cleverly concealed door in the art niche. This leads directly to the crew area, so that stews can service the rooms. It’s hard to imagine that the W130 didn’t have any such direct access.
Even with all of the changes, Westport is still offering the 40M on a turnkey basis, with full fuel to furnishings and more. She’s still ABS classed and complies with the MCA code for vessels under 500 gross tons and carrying up to 12 passengers. Thanks to twin 2,735-hp MTU engines, the reported cruise speed is still 20 knots, and reported top speed is still 24 knots.
Here’s more of the 40M.
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