A Malaysian owner is now the fifth person to commission a Darwin Class 102 from Cantiere delle Marche. The contract is the fifth such signing in the five-year history of the series.
Like his fellow Darwin Class customers, this owner is a devoted explorer. Come 2018, upon the yacht’s delivery, he and a number of family members will cruise throughout the Indian Ocean. Vasco Buonpensiere, the builder’s sales and marketing director, describes him as “an experienced an excellent diver, but also a passionate adventurer in search of wrecks and marine relics.” It’s no surprise, then, that the lazarette will be outfitted as a dive station.
The Darwin Class 102 was made for such adventures. She features a steel hull, with thicker plating than customary. Most megayachts in her size range are fiberglass. Having two independent rudders is also uncommon for a yacht of her size. Other components and systems, like the waste-water treatment and cupronickel piping, are traditionally found in commercial ships. Cantiere delle Marche has been taking this approach since its founding in 2010.
The interior of this particular Darwin Class project will emphasize family time, as per the owner’s wishes. A key area is the saloon, with a cinema-like atmosphere. The main-deck galley will also welcome the full family in a big breakfast area. For flexibility, a full-beam lower-deck stateroom can become two cabins. (Each will have its own head, too.) For fun off the yacht, a 45-knot custom aluminum speedboat will do the trick.
On an interesting note, according to market statistics, Cantiere delle Marche now represents nearly 13 percent of the global megayacht construction. It also dominates the explorer-yacht segment. The statistics show that 60 percent of metal explorers to 110 feet have emerged from its shed. And, the yard itself adds, all of the contracts the yard has signed over the past 12 months are for 100-foot-plus megayachts.
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