Plenty of owners are enthusiastic about seeing their yachts take shape. The owner of Bintador, however, may have taken that enthusiasm to an entirely new level. According to Giuseppe Mazza, Tankoa Yachts’ sales and business manager, he visited the facility in Genoa, Italy every 15 days. From incorporating custom art to arranging rooms in quite a particular way (including the galley), he has reason to be happy. What’s more, he has a yacht with a propulsion system offering versatility as well as lower environmental impact.
Known as the Tankoa S501 Hybrid while in build, Bintador shares some styling elements with previous shipyard deliveries. It’s due to designer Francesco Paszkowski and Tankoa striving for a family feel. This explains the long, plumb bow aboard this 164-footer (49.9-meter), for instance. However, the owner requested some changes, including a touch-and-go helipad on the bow. He flies the helicopter himself, too. “He liked to be involved in the whole process and watch the project develop step by step,” Paszkowski says. “For a designer, there’s nothing better than working with an informed and involved owner, as it helps us arrive at the final result more quickly.”
The owner brought in good friends for some interior elements, the two artists behind Shine Mosaique. They create sculptures, mosaics, and other art with visual and tactile interest. The effect outside and inside the five staterooms staterooms (above), in the dining area (at top), and throughout Bintador is striking. Paszkowski and Margherita Casprini, who oversaw interior design, suggested balancing tones like ivory and grey, plus natural materials like brushed sandblasted oak, to set an overall harmonious scene. “He was very clear about what he liked, but he also gave us a lot of freedom to come up with proposals,” Paszkowski says.
Something else the owner was clear about: his passion for entertaining. He therefore wanted a main-deck galley and adjacent healthy-size pantry where his wife, who loves to cook, could work her magic. Furthermore, the galley has a barstool-rimmed island, to welcome his large family inside. Additionally noteworthy, the galley has windows looking out into the foyer (not visible), surely to entice guests to sample what’s cooking.
“The owner wanted a cozy and welcoming interior, timeless and understated,” Paszkowski explains. This doesn’t mean simplistic, however. Besides the above-mentioned artwork, Bintador has striking execution of honey-tone marble, golden glass, bronze, and dove-grey leather. Vertical, blade-like wood strips are particularly attention-getting in the saloon and dining room, against a marble backdrop.
To ensure cruises with the family were peaceful and practical, Bintador has a hybrid propulsion system. Twin MTUs pair with two 300-kW electric motors, the latter powered by variable-speed gensets. The MTUs can run solo, pushing the megayacht to 16½ knots. But, the electric motors with the gensets should permit 10½ knots and a 4,900-nautical-mile range. They further result in low sound levels and fuel consumption. In hybrid mode, wherein the shaft of one MTU turns one electric motor, and no gensets operate, she should see 12 knots and a 4,000-nautical-mile range. Should extra speed really be needed, Bintador can run the MTUs, electric motors, and gensets for “booster mode” of 18 knots.
This sub-500-gross-ton yacht shares the same backbone, so to speak, as prior Tankoa Yachts projects. Outside of the hybrid system, she has the same engineering and naval architecture platform. However, that hybrid system, and the entire general arrangement, ultimately proves that Tankoa customers still get a custom yacht. And get excited by the prospects—even if future buyers may not visit every two weeks….
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