Ship & Boat International: eNews January/February 2019
Formally launched by Benetti Shipyard a week before Christmas Day 2018, the 107m x 15.2m newbuild currently known as FB277 has been hailed as the largest motoryacht built by the group to date. Not only that, but Benetti‘s privately owned site in Livorno is set to float out a further two gigayachts in the first half of 2019, reflecting growing demand among well-heeled yachtowners for bigger and bolder vessels.
The six-deck FB277 features a steel hull and an aluminium superstructure and has a full load displacement of 3,300tonnes and a maximum draught of 4.5m. Her naval architecture was determined by Benetti and Pierluigi Ausonio, with features including a vertical bow, for maximum guest comfort in harsh seas, and a helipad.
The yacht has been equipped with two Rolls-Royce-manufactured diesel-electric engines, each rated 2,800kW, and twin Rolls-Royce 200kW electric bow thrusters, in addition to a Schottel Pump Jet 350kW electric stern thruster. Onboard power requirements, meanwhile, are met by Caterpillar C32 ACERT generators. The vessel can achieve a top speed of 18.5knots, Benetti says, while onboard tankage enables the storage of up to 300,000litres of fuel and 69,000litres of fresh water, enabling a range of 5,000nm at 12knots. A gigantic swimming pool on FB277‘s sun deck, meanwhile, boasts a water capacity of 21,000litres.
The master cabin is located on the wheelhouse deck and spans the vessel‘s full beam, while an additional seven guest cabins are located on the main deck, accommodating 12 guests in total. Crew cabins are situated on and below the lower deck, and provide accommodation for at least 30 crew members. Benetti adds:“A spacious beach club [provides] access to the sea on both sides of the beam, as well as to stern, creating a huge connection with nature. The ship‘s connecting spa area is equipped with a gym and a hammam and massage room.“
FB277 is earmarked for delivery in summer this year. Benetti has accredited the production of this vessel and the forthcoming two gigayachts to the realisation of an "ambitious business plan“ involving the investment of more than €15 million (US$17.3 million) into its shipyard infrastructure – including the construction of two new steel sheds, which, the group says, "massively“ boosted its productivity.
