Baltic Yachts’ Zemi Sailing Through Sea Trials

The owners of Baltic Yachts’ Zemi are closer than ever to making their maiden voyage in Norway. It’s the first of many global destinations for the sailing superyacht, which has been conducting sea trials in Finnish waters.

Revealed as a Baltic 110 custom superyacht with electric propulsion, Zemi belongs to a family that loves cruising. Malcolm McKeon designed her for performance cruising specifically. She carries a fixed furling J1 and J2, a furling Code sail forward of the J1, and multiple A sails off the bowsprit. The electric propulsion, meanwhile, is for assistance in maneuvering. It consists of two gensets and a battery bank, with the batteries feeding a Danfoss hydraulic motor. They also feed the rig operations plus all air conditioning, lighting, and other hotel loads onboard. When the batteries need recharging, the propeller can assist. It freewheels when Zemi is sailing, sending energy back to the electric motor, which in turn re-powers the batteries.

The variety of sails and the electric propulsion will come in handy over the next six months. Following Norway, Baltic Yachts’ Zemi heads to (among other places) Iceland and then Scotland. Next, she crosses the Atlantic to cruise the Caribbean. She’ll race in the Caribbean, too, in the St. Barths Bucket.

Whether in cool or Caribbean climes, the family can take in the surroundings while outside. They can huddle under blankets or bask in the sun in the superyacht’s cockpit, for example. For sun or a little wind protection, a full-length bimini deploys, as does a spray hood. If it’s simply not conducive to being outdoors, however, the saloon is the place to be. Large windows to each side, stretching six feet (18 meters) each, as well as skylights keep the ambience light and bright.

Remarkably, Baltic Yachts’ Zemi marks the shipyard’s 565^th project in its 50 years of operating. Although we don’t know how many projects preceded her for the owners, they did christen her with champagne saved from their first yacht’s christening in 2005.

Baltic Yachts balticyachts.fi

Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design malcolmmckeonyachtdesign.com