Savarona is not only one of the most famous yachts around, but also one of the most famous to emerge from Blohm+Voss. Her classic, even romantic, good looks are admired by many. Some owners have even commissioned new-builds in recent years to echo the style of early-20th-century launches like her, with Sycara IV and Nero being among them. Given the perennial popularity of throwback designs, it’s no wonder that Blohm+Voss has introduced one to gauge clients’ interest.
Called the B+V 111 MY/Vintage, the yacht will measure 111 meters (364 feet). All the classic exterior elements are present: the bowsprit, the slightly swept-back funnels, the cowl-shaped air intakes, and the fantail stern. Even the two tenders, stowed up alongside the superstructure on both sides, are designed to look like runabouts from the 1930s. These are deftly blended with thoroughly modern elements, like bridge wings that extend out a bit from the superstructure, a tender garage for two more boats, and, of course, a helipad.
A variety of other features make the B+V 111 MY/Vintage one that should attract great interest. A glass-enclosed elevator rises through the decks up into the mast, where guests can step out onto a viewing platform facing aft. Six guest staterooms, including two for VIPs, are forward on the main deck, a few paces from the central elevator and the combination saloon-dining area aft. The latter may strike you as being a strange setup for a yacht of this size, but I think it works well. A bar and the dining table (positioned fore-aft) are to port, and the seating area is to starboard, making for what should surely be a convivial atmosphere. (Think about your own family dinners and dinner parties: Doesn’t everyone linger at the table and have a good time? Given the extra space afforded by a superyacht, why should guests have to leave the table and the room to keep the dinner conversation going?)
The owners get an entire deck to themselves, one level up. The bedroom, his-and-her bath, and separate dressing areas are all forward. They can take breakfast or other meals in a private dining room, work out in a dedicated gym, lounge in their own pool, and watch movies in their own saloon.
A crew of 25 will tend to everyone’s needs, all housed on the same deck as the beach club/watersports area. They get their own entrance to the yacht on their deck, which serves two main purposes. First, it preserves the owners’ and guests’ privacy. Second, and equally important, it facilitates loading provisioning into the galley and various storage areas, all of which are down here, too.
Leisurely travel will be the order of the day for the B+V 111 MY/Vintage. This is in keeping with yachts of the 1930s, which featured deeper-draft hulls. This lady’s draft will be 5.3 meters (about 17 feet). Equipped with twin diesel engines up to 2,560 kW (3,433 hp) apiece, she should see a 17-knot top speed and a 14-knot cruise speed. Range at 14 knots should be 4,000 nautical miles, bringing far-flung shores into reach.
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