As the flagship of Extra Yachts, the Extra 130 Alloy series underscores the brand’s emphasis on offering the most volume available in a variety of different lengths. It’s a concept whose time has finally come. Just a few years ago, the yachting industry was hard pressed to get customers to understand that volume, not LOA, was a better indicator of comfort. The owner of L.A.U.L., the first Extra 130 Alloy, certainly recognized it. What’s more, he recognized an ability to enjoy a cruiser capable of longer-range travel and lower environmental impact.
Having premiered at the just-concluded Monaco Yacht Show, L.A.U.L. blends sporty styling with practical purposes. For aesthetic appeal, large panes of glass flow along her sides. In addition, alfresco areas are extra-open, to enhance the connection to the marine environment. For practical purposes, L.A.U.L. further features photo-voltaic panels. These feed batteries that can power lighting and other hotel loads, therefore avoiding using the gensets. This, of course, not only saves fuel, but also emissions and noise pollution. Note that photo-voltaic panels are available for future Extra 130 Alloy launches, too.
With a beam exceeding 27 feet (8.4 meters), the Extra 130 Alloy series offers abundant room for personalization. The owner of L.A.U.L. collaborated with Francesco Guida, who also styled the series, for interior design. Known for modern and impactful interiors, Guida heightened the sense of volume through muted shades of grey, interspersed with blacks and whites, through stained oak, leathers, and other materials. He and the owner additionally left no doubt that L.A.U.L. is an escape from workaday cares by creating this bar area immediately inside the saloon.
Natural and manmade lighting plays a large role aboard L.A.U.L. as well. A notable example of the latter is the dramatic backlit wall in the skylounge, opposite the TV. Interestingly, even with the broad windows out to the world, the effect isn’t diminished.
Speaking of effects, a web-like design adorns a variety of sliding glass doors in the master suite. You can just spy it here, to the right of the bed, closing off the good-size dressing room when wanted. It additionally appears on the en suite head’s door. The same pattern repeats in each of the four guest staterooms below decks, on their en suite bath doors, too.
Because Extra Yachts is for cruisers who wish to truly travel, the 130 Alloy offers respectable performance. The megayacht should achieve more than 3,000 nautical miles at 12 knots under 1,800-hp Caterpillar power. That just shy of the cruising speed of 15½ knots.
While the owner of L.A.U.L. may be the first 130 Alloy customer, he’s the third client overall so far for the still-young Extra Yachts. With the growing understanding of volume being more important than length, the brand may find the strong footing it seeks, on both sides of the Atlantic.
Extra Yachts extrayachts.com
Guida Design & Engineering guidadesign.it
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