Buyers of megayachts in the 164-foot (50-meter) and up range easily see three years or more pass between initial design and completion. So, what if you could reduce that wait time by half? Benetti is offering this via Benetti Now.
Benetti Now is a semi-custom approach to megayacht sizes that have mostly (and in some cases entirely) been fully custom. The projects coming under this label are all 164 feet (50 meters) LOA and up. There are four in total. There’s the B164 (164 feet), B192 (192 feet, or 58.6 meters), B214 (214 feet, or 65 meters), and B240 (240 feet, or 73 meters). The illustration at top is the B164, while the B240 is below. All feature steel and aluminum construction. All also bear naval architecture by Stefano Natucci, Benetti’s longtime collaborator, and interiors by Redman Whiteley Dixon. And, Benetti’s Livorno, Italy shipyard is building them all. (The Viareggio shipyard, you may know, already builds semi-custom megayachts, in smaller sizes.)
Why offer semi-custom projects of such sizes? There are a few driving factors. Semi-custom construction, where a shipyard uses a set technical platform, saves time and money for both builder and client. In the case of Benetti Now, the hull designs for each model are each already proven on prior custom projects. Buyers therefore know before the first conversation what the performance parameters will be. Along these same lines, semi-custom construction simplifies decisions: no need to research what air-conditioning system to use, for example. Another advantage for Benetti: limited alterations to the design.(Arguably an advantage for buyers, too, who could get caught up in nuances of bow flare, etc.) All the while, owners still get to personalize interior spaces and alfresco areas.
“With Benetti Now, I did what I wanted, and Benetti got what it wanted,” Stefano Natucci comments. “This is a winning design because it represents the perfect answer to current market needs.” He adds that owners can apply a good deal of creativity, requesting things ranging from a dedicated disco to an extra saloon.
Two Benetti Now projects will start construction in the coming months. The first is the B164. The second is the B214.
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