Classics never go out of style. Following the announcement by Cantieri di Pisa that it’s bringing back its famed Akhir series, the Italian yard has breathed new life into yet another older-era model. She’s the Kitalpha, popular during the 1950s and 1960s. In her new form, as the Kitalpha 22, the yacht is for those who love long-ago looks and like to take the wheel themselves.
As it did for the Akhir, Cantieri di Pisa turned to Luca Dini Design to freshen up the Kitalpha series. While not truly a megayacht at 72 feet (22 meters) LOA, the Kitalpha 22 still reflects big-yacht thinking. One of the two suggested layouts allows the transom to serve as a beach club, spa, or gym. As seen in the image below, sliding glass doors let it be climate-controlled and therefore used year-round. Alternately, the transom contains the garage for the matching tender. (In the first configuration, the tender stows aft on the main deck.)
Dini decided to pay homage to the original Kitalpha by including some wood on the superstructure. That traditional theme carries through inside the yacht, though of course owners can select their own decor items. Given the era-authentic profile of the Kitalpha 22, though, it’s safe to assume most buyers will be attracted to Dini’s suggested interior design. It’s classic through and through, from the below-decks staterooms (including the master) to the main-deck saloon. American buyers will appreciate the country kitchen arrangement. Europeans may wish the galley to go below decks and place a TV/cinema room in its place on the main deck.
Besides having two layouts from which to choose, you also have two construction materials and related hull shapes. Cantieri di Pisa is offering aluminum or steel, for a semi-displacement or full-displacement hull, respectively. In steel, the Kitalpha 22 draws 5’3” (1.6 meters), while it’s 4’6” (1.4 meters) in aluminum. Performance differs, too. The aluminum version should see a top speed of 19 knots and 2,000-nautical-mile range at 10 knots, with MAN diesels. The steel version should see a top speed of 14 knots and 1,500-nautical-mile range at 10 knots, with Volvo Penta power. Regardless of hull design, though, the Kitalpha 22 bears a 21’3” (6.5-meter) beam.
Why revive the Kitalpha? Roberto Zambrini, the CEO of Mondomarine, which owns Cantieri di Pisa, has an interesting explaination. Several customers with yachts in the 131- to 164-foot (40- to 50-meter) range have been asking for smaller yachts, he says. They want to be more independent, yet enjoy the same quality of life as they did aboard their bigger yachts. He is confident that this Kitalpha reinvention meets those desires, adding that Cantieri di Pisa will only start a hull under contract, not on spec.
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