With design elements channeling the 1960s, the first Benetti Motopanfilo 37 is in the water in Italy. The design incorporates nods to the shipyard’s past while still including features that modern-day megayacht cruisers want.
A semi-custom, all-composite series, the Motopanfilo 37 measures 120’7” (36.8 meters) and has four decks, for a voluminous feel. The design evolved from collaboration between the shipyard and Francesco Struglia for styling as well as P.L.A.N.A. (a.k.a. PierLuigi Ausonio Naval Architecture) for her displacement hull. In terms of nods to the past, bronze paint rims bulwarks aft, much like classic mahogany caprails. Even the model name evokes the past, since it’s the Italian word for motoryachts of the 1960s that the well-heeled enjoyed. As you might expect, Benetti built some of these, including one for Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly.
The modern features, meanwhile, include a main-deck master suite, a tender garage, and a beach club. Interestingly, while the interior design by Lazzarini Pickering Architects uses tones and textures with contemporary appeal, it has footing in both the past and the present. For example, the studio makes liberal use of warm wood, which long characterized classic yachts. Yet, today’s owners want things like wood soles to lend a comfortably casual look and feel.
Probably the most notable interior design feature, though, is the rib-like effect in some rooms. Lazzarini Pickering Architects purposely chose not to plan out the four guest staterooms like traditional, squared-off rooms. Instead, the walls follow the natural curve of the hull shape. On a related note, to keep continuity of design, the colors and textures are the inverse of what appear above decks.
To get above decks, the Motopanfilo 37 has a spiral staircase, connecting the lower deck to the sky lounge on the upper deck. To reach the open-air observation deck atop the hardtop, the owners and guests use another stairway.
Sea trials should confirm a good range of 3,800 nautical miles at 10 knots under MAN power. The standard engine package permits a 16-knot top speed, while a somewhat more powerful MAN package pushes top speed to 18 knots.
Benetti benettiyachts.it
Francesco Struglia Design francescostrugliadesign.it
Lazzarini Pickering Architetti lazzarinipickering.com
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