Yacht Gelliceaux From Southern Wind Shipyard Defines “Smart Custom”

The yacht Gelliceaux has ushered in a new series, and a new approach, for Southern Wind Shipyard. She’s its first superyacht where diesel-electric propulsion was of primary importance straight from the start.

Officially, she is hull number one of the SW108 Hybrid series, the inaugural Southern Wind Smart Custom series, too. “But being the first Smart Custom yacht,” notes Marco Alberti, Southern Wind’s CEO, “she is in reality very close to being a full custom boat!”

Indeed, the owners of the yacht Gelliceaux enthusiastic about long-range cruising, tailored several aspects. Initially, the yard, Farr Yacht Design, and Nauta Design planned a performance-oriented superyacht with a hybrid system. Specifically, they chose a BAE HybriGen system similar to that of Nymba, an SW96. Since hybrid systems can be hefty and props adds drag, weight savings was crucial. Farr Yacht Design engineered her for “exceptional performance” in both light winds and heavier air, according to Jim Schmicker, the studio’s vice president. He adds that to achieve the owners’ goals particularly for light-wind performance, sail area increased seven percent. The lifting keel, the owners’ choice, similarly gained a larger bulb compared to a typical SW108. Schmicker says this increased righting moment by 18 percent. Ultimately, the yacht Gelliceax should achieve 12 knots in 8 knots of wind, he notes. And, “downwind in a breeze, 20.8 knots is expected,” Schmicker says.

Even the styling and, of course, the interior configuration underwent design refinement with the owners’ input. As much as the yacht Gelliceaux calls to mind GT sailing yachts from Southern Wind Shipyard, she’s sportier and lower-profile. The guest cockpit aft provides a bit more shelter, suiting the owners and their teenage children. The foredeck received a lot of attention, too, since it’s the center of all maneuvering. Four winches join the mast, while the staysail and gennaker stow away in a significant deck locker.

the Nauta Design rendering of the yacht Gelliceuax

A coachroof skylight and opening hatches let abundant light and air inside. The interior has some novel custom touches, too. Firstly, the saloon is split level. Secondly, rather than visually separate the dining area and saloon, the owners wanted a more unified space to enjoy meals and leisure seamlessly. Therefore, an extra-long settee to starboard connects the TV lounge and saloon with the dining area. Finally, the four staterooms, including the master suite, center around the saloon. “The process was so much more than just choosing the fabrics, colors, and some features,” the owners say. “We had particularly big ambitions for the design and quality of the interior.” They credit Nauta Design and Southern Wind Shipyard with executing a light, airy, and warm ambience meeting their expectations. It comes as much in the shapes of custom furnishings as it does the wood paneling, lighting, and other features.

Once the owners begin their cruising journeys, they’re looking forward to time at anchor as well. They’ll be able to use a 5.05-meter jet tender, for instance, which stows in a garage. They’ll further have a terrific open-air beach club due to the transom design. The aft portion of the deck opens up, as does the transom door. This doubles the swim platform’s usable space to about 10 square meters.

the launch and christening of the yacht Gelliceuax

With sea trials starting soon, Gelliceaux is quite special to Southern Wind Shipyard. “The conception of this yacht has been stimulating since day one,” confesses Andrea Micheli, the yard’s chief commercial officer. “It’s great to meet owners who trust you and give you input to do something new while relying on the yard’s expertise.”

Farr Yacht Design farrdesign.com

Nauta Design nautadesign.com

Southern Wind Shipyard sws-yachts.com