There’s nothing quite like experiencing 40-knot winds on the water. There’s also nothing like that to prove you’re considering the right yard for your global cruiser. This helped seal the deal leading to Gatto, which launched at Cantiere delle Marche last week.
Having owned several custom yachts, the owner of Gatto is quite knowledgeable. Among his priorities was a stalwart cruiser for exploring. When the opportunity to step aboard the Darwin 107 Storm, built by the shipyard in 2015, arose, he of course took it. That led to encountering the above-mentioned tempest, along with 10-foot (3-meter) swells. Suffice it to say that Storm proved her mettle in that storm.
While he appreciated the engineering and overall design of that series, the owner wanted a custom project. Vasco Buonpensiere, co-founder and sales director for Cantiere delle Marche, says, “We literally started from a drawing made on a restaurant’s table.” Hydro Tec blended soft as well as strong lines in Gatto’s styling. Further on the owner’s request, the design studio incorporated more modern lines.
The 105-foot (32-meter) Gatto should leave other similar-size yachts in her wake. While not meant for speed, she is intended for longer distances. Anticipate Gatto achieving a 4,500-nautical-mile range at 10 knots, for example. With twin Caterpillar C18s, she additionally should see a cruising speed of 11 knots. For seakeeping and efficiency, Hydro Tec equipped her with a full-displacement steel hull as well as a bulbous bow. Finally, featuring a 7’6” (2.3-meter) draft, the megayacht should have little issue accessing some shallow regions.
Richard Kaye, the owner’s representative, says, “It has been really refreshing working with a team eager to listen and implement our suggestions every time we asked for it.” This extends to interior design, too. The owner, the shipyard, and interior designer Francesco Guida closely cooperated. “We did our best to design interiors that are cohesive to the yacht’s exterior line,” Guida adds. With accommodations for 10 and a crew of six, Gatto emphasizes linear details. In addition, the decor makes good use of oak, complemented by white lacquered surfaces and glossy ebony accents. Furthermore, burnished metal and a mix of dark and bright tones set the scene.
A voluminous megayacht for her LOA, Gatto has a beam of 25 feet (7.55 meters). Further putting her volume into perspective, she displaces more than 250 gross tons.
Gatto gets going on her first adventures this summer.
On a related note, while Gatto is a custom megayacht, the yard also refers to her as a 105 Acciaio (pronounced “ah-CHAY-oh”). An Italian word, acciaio translates to “steel” in English.
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