Can you imagine a boat’s engines burning a gallon of diesel every four seconds? Wally founder Luca Bassani doesn’t have to because his wallypower118 was consuming that at 60 or so knots when it launched 20 years ago. Now he’s older and happy to admit that speed isn’t everything.

“People don’t want to rush anymore, me included,” he says. “They want to enjoy the ride, and it’s much easier to do that when you’re going slowly.”

The semidisplacement wallywhy series—including the latest model, the wallywhy100—is about watching the world glide by rather than fly by. Still, these yachts can up the ante a little when, say, owners need to get ahead of deteriorating weather or get home in daylight instead of darkness.

In the wallywhy name, “why” stands for Wally Hybrid Yachts, with hulls optimized for displacement and semidisplacement cruising speeds. Each model’s numeral refers to approximate volume in gross tonnage, rather than length overall. The wallywhy200, a trideck, launched three years ago. A smaller raised-pilothouse sistership joined the lineup in 2023. The wallywhy100 is the smallest model at 70 feet length overall. They all have reverse bows and sharp, glass superstructures that help to define the Wally brand’s futuristic vibe.

The 100’s superstructure occupies the forward half of the profile, with virtually all dark glass. That enclosed space includes a bridge and lounge. The aft-deck doors close when the weather is bad, while the coachroof extends farther aft with opaque white acrylic skylights that restrict heat without blocking sunlight. The light comes through soft and diffused.

Even still, this yacht’s raison d’etre is to be open. When it is, it makes for a simply fantastic entertainment space. The spot where the outside and inside zones merge is blurred by optional frameless-glass screens that slide on tracks to the sides and abaft the wet bar. This area is a dining space with a circular table for six guests. It’s also the heart of the yacht for the professional chef taking delivery of the wallywhy100 that I got aboard. For him, entertaining friends is the boat’s principal purpose.

At the after end of the cockpit are a pair of facing sofas, along with loungers just forward of the hydraulic swim platform, which is flanked by fold-down quarter sections. Overall, the swim platform is just four steps down from the main deck.

Side decks are protected by deep, teak-lined bulwarks, matching the teak decking on those quarter platforms when they are raised. The choice of material elevates an otherwise rather mundane area. On the foredeck are a pair of loungers for a private retreat.

Access to the deck below is via two sets of stairs, forward and to port of the bridge. One goes to the guest staterooms near amidships, while the other descends forward to the galley and crew area. The owner’s stateroom is slightly abaft amidships, occupying the full 18-foot-10-inch beam with a sofa and a forward-facing double berth. The en suite sink space has a glass sliding door that can be clear or opaque at the flick of a switch, while the shower and heads are separate with their own doors. Two en suite guest staterooms are amidships, one with a transverse double and one with twin berths.

The galley and crew area can be accessed from two directions: the staircase or a door at the head of the guest corridor. This arrangement should aid traffic flow.

At the helm, seats are the same high-back affairs used aboard wallytenders and wallypowers. Handling is smooth, barely ruffled by the short chop we experienced during our early-morning runs across the Bay of Cannes in France. Like plenty of other semidisplacement designs, this yacht proved a little slow in some of the bigger turns. Visibility forward and to the sides is great, with less clarity looking aft. I didn’t really notice the chunky mullion ridge running right up the middle of the windshield to separate the two panes of glass.

The two engine choices for the wallywhy100 are twin 900 hp Volvo Penta IPS1200s or twin 1,000 hp Volvo Penta IPS1350s, for respective top speeds of 25 or 27 knots at half-load. Wally quotes fast-cruise speeds of 22 or 24 knots. With a little more than 1,200 gallons of diesel capacity, ranges are 360 or 340 nautical miles. The wallywhy100 that I got aboard had the IPS1350s, but was heavy with full fuel and water, and two Seakeepers. With one of them on and the Humphree Interceptors on auto, the best we did flat-out was about 25 knots. At 10 knots, owners could run 1,000 nm before the fuel runs dry.

But, as Bassani says, speed isn’t the ultimate goal with a yacht like the wallywhy100. What’s the rush?  

Behind the Design

Chief designer and Wally founder Luca Bassani worked from his office in Monaco, with the Ferretti Group’s central design and engineering team in Forli, Italy. The minimalist interior scheme comes from Andrea Vallicelli’s studio in Rome. One of the wallywhy100’s interesting design elements is that the main deck is just four steps up from the swim platform.

Facts and Figures

The wallywhy100 has about 6-foot-10-inch headroom under its coachroof. Even with the engines adjacent to the owner’s stateroom, I measured just 69 decibels while underway (65 decibels is the level of normal conversation). This yacht is equipped with optional twin gyrostabilizers. In lieu of chaise longues aft, owners can select a garage, which has room for a few underwater scooters and swim gear, as well as other water toys.

Take the next step: wally.com

The post wallywhy100 Reviewed appeared first on Yachting.

When it comes to boating, I can look at horizons all day long. But I’m also pragmatic enough to appreciate getting a move on, especially when things are on the turn. Maybe it’s incoming weather or frustrating guests. Maybe it’s simply getting up late on a Sunday afternoon. People like me are attracted to semidisplacement yachting. Our mantra should be 20 knots is plenty, and 10 is zen.

In that respect, the Absolute Yachts Navetta 53 is my kind of yacht. It’s an evolution of one of Absolute’s bestsellers, the Navetta 52, which was introduced in 2015 and refreshed in 2019. About 110 hulls were built through last year.

The Navetta 53 takes design cues from Absolute’s newer Navettas: vertical bridge windows, sculpted topsides with fretted bulwarks on the quarters, near-plumb bows, and a chopped transom. Outdoor space is enhanced, with three distinct chill zones on deck. There’s more open cockpit for freestanding furniture, along with a glazed stern rail. The same setup is on the after third of the flybridge, while forward are built-in booths and a wet bar beneath a hardtop. There’s also a superb foredeck terrace with another dinette and a sun pad.

Inside, the salon has all-around glazing and side views maximized by rebated gunwales. The vibe is contemporary with mostly oak veneers, from the laminated sole to light and dark joinery. This space is tri-zone too: a galley aft (with Bosch appliances); an amidships lounge with a dinette to port and a lounge to starboard; and a two-seat lower helm forward with a side-deck door.

As on other newer Absolute yachts, the salon has sizable drop-down windows on each side for fresh breezes. Opening those windows, as well as all doors during the day, should allow the air conditioning to be left off, which means the engines and generator can be off too. Solar panels on the hardtop contribute 1.35 kilowatts of peak power to cover all the basic hotel loads.

Belowdecks accommodations are accessed from centerline stairs. There are three staterooms and two heads off a central lobby with a space for a washer-dryer. The owner’s stateroom is amidships aft and occupies the full 15-foot-3-inch beam. It is en suite with a forward-facing queen-size berth. Forward is a VIP with a queen-size berth on the diagonal and a headboard beneath a picture window, which means guests can lie in bed and enjoy views out. The VIP also has a walk-in closet, which is unusual on boats of this size. Its head is a Jack-and-Jill setup for sharing with the guest stateroom amidships to starboard. (It has forward-facing twin berths.)

As with quite a few other midsize Absolutes, there’s also a lazarette aft that can be specified with a single transverse bunk, a head-shower compartment and a closet. It would be a crew cabin on a larger boat, but is more likely to be used for an extra guest aboard a 53-footer. It’s accessed via a glass pantograph-style door and a half-hatch on the aft deck.

Propulsion is a pair of 480 hp Volvo Penta IPS650 diesels—the only engine option. I found driving this yacht a pleasure, with comfortable upper and lower helm stations. Off the coast of Varazze, Italy, we had slight seas and a gentle breeze. At approximately half-load with those diesels at their maximum 3,720 rpm, the Navetta 53 managed just over 24 knots consistently with the Trim Assist on and the optional Seakeeper 6 off. At 20 knots and 3,400 rpm, the diesels burned 40 gallons of diesel per hour, for a range of 265 nautical miles or an easy 200 nm with a cautious reserve of 25 percent. At my zen speed of 10 knots, range is more like 400 nm. At zen minus 1, it’s about 475 nm.

Whether you choose to jog the Absolute Navetta 53 or gently stroll down the coast, this is a yacht that offers flexibility for cruising itineraries. Combined with a shippy profile, stout fiberglass construction—the internal grid system is glassed to the hull—and a family-friendly layout with customizable spaces, this yacht is an eminently cruise-worthy craft.  

Inbound Investment

Absolute Yachts offers models from 47 to 75 feet across its Coupe, Fly and Navetta ranges, and is expected to build 90 to 100 boats this year. Wise Equity recently announced that it is acquiring a controlling interest in the company, after entering and exiting Italian yacht builder Cantiere del Pardo, which is responsible for the Pardo, VanDutch and Grand Soleil brands. The move could eventually help Absolute move into larger vessels.

Function and Form

Absolute’s management team started in the small-boat sector with the Italian sportboat brand Gobbi, which Azimut Yachts acquired and turned into Atlantis. The common thread is packing as much functionality as possible into a given space. All of Absolute’s models have Volvo Penta IPS installations for reliability and performance, and to help optimize lower-deck space for accommodations. For similar reasons, Absolute uses pocket doors rather than the hinged variety.

Take the next step: absoluteyachts.com

The post Absolute Navetta 53 Reviewed appeared first on Yachting.

Remember the days when the back of the yacht was called, quite simply, the stern? You know, before the days of beach clubs and foldout platforms and floodable tender compartments that turn into swimming pools? Today, few yacht buyers will even consider a boat without convertible seating, substantial dining and other creature comforts aft.

But far forward, at the bow, it took a little longer for yacht designers to realize folks might want to have more than a tidy space for ground tackle. Eventually, the Portuguese bridge evolved into cocktail nooks, expansive sun pads and hot tubs hidden from prying eyes on the docks. The bow, too, grew into its own as a recreational space, in delightful ways that seemed tough for any future designers to top.

Then, Italian designer Filippo Salvetti—who has done a lot of work with the Ferretti Group—started thinking about it.

“Customers are used to very high standards of hospitality, making them increasingly hard to satisfy or surprise,” Salvetti says. “This is why the design was based on a new and innovative redistribution of internal and external flows, but above all on the creation of new onboard spaces. Hence the idea of the All-Season Terrace, a covered external space in the bow capable of offering a new ‘world’ to fit out as desired by the customer.”

The result is a space that truly blends the indoors with the outdoors in an inventive way, and allows for owner customization with a hot tub, a private bar or a lounge with fantastic views. This achievement on the Infynito 90 led Yachting to award Ferretti Yachts our 2024 Innovation Award.

Equally impressive is that the Ferretti Yachts team, working with Salvetti, managed to achieve all of this while still giving the yacht a head-turning exterior profile. As Salvetti explains it: “The top covering the All-Season Terrace helped us create a sleeker bow and give more horizontal dynamism to the product as a whole. The end result is a boat with presence, substance and elegance.”

And the goal of blending the indoors with the outdoors continues with the Infynito 90’s interior, which also has significant options for customization. There are two interior design schemes, three main-deck layouts—one with a gym, in a first for Ferretti Yachts—and two belowdecks arrangements. The sky lounge, which is covered, can also be ordered in various configurations. It makes the Infynito 90 the first closed-deck model in the Ferretti Yachts range.

According to interior designers Alessio Battistini and Davide Bernardini of Ideaeitalia: “The design of the interiors for the new Infynito range significantly strengthens their connection with the yacht’s exteriors. The aim was to create a unique link between all the spaces through soft, inviting lines that are also clean and modern. The inspiration for the decor came from the detailed analysis of new geometries, the idea being to carry the style of the cockpits into the interiors.”

Throughout the yacht, the builder also incorporated sustainable materials for the first time, and added a solar roof to produce renewable energy. This is all in keeping with the recreational marine industry’s combined efforts worldwide to reduce carbon emissions and make yachting a more ­eco-friendly activity—but achieved in a way that feels luxurious, without compromises.

Even the glazing contributes to this holistic design approach of being in tune with the natural world all around. As Salvetti puts it: “The vast glazed surfaces that embrace the two saloons challenge the traditional concept of windows by reaching out through 360 degrees into the natural environment.”

And none of this is to say that the Infynito 90 lacks the types of traditional spaces that most people enjoy aboard motoryachts. There is seating and dining up top, with more of those spaces on the main deck—which can be ordered with what Ferretti Yachts calls a “show kitchen” for owners and guests who want to watch a master chef at work. The lower deck’s standard layout has staterooms that would work for couples or children, with the option of a multipurpose room for owners who would prefer to have that. According to Ferretti Yachts, for day use, the yacht is laid out to welcome 20 people in comfort. And the reported top speed of 20 knots should give the Infynito 90 plenty of zip to get them just about anywhere they want to go and enjoy the surroundings.

This model’s concept has proved so popular that the Infynito 90 already has a sistership, the Infynito 80. It was presented a few months ago at the Cannes Yachting Festival, with owners having the option of an open or semi-open sun deck. The semi-open version has glazing around the bow section, meaning the space can be closed for climate control with an optional enclosure aft.

It’s one thing to give yacht owners options for how they want to build their boats. It’s quite another thing to give them options they’ve never seen anywhere else. Ferretti Yachts succeeded in doing the latter, with flawless execution. This yacht personifies the word innovation, with great style.  

Power Player

According to the builder, this yacht’s standard twin 1,550 hp MAN V-12 diesels provide a top hop of 20 knots and a 15-knot fast cruise. With the bigger 1,800 hp MAN V-12 diesels, owners can cruise along comfortably at 22 to 23 knots, depending on load and weather. A fast cruise is about 15 to 17 knots with the bigger diesels, for a range of 400 to 500 nautical miles at those speeds. 

Filippo Salvetti

This yacht designer, who is based in Italy, has collaborated with Ferretti Group brands on numerous projects. They include not only Ferretti Yachts models, but also designs in the Custom Line family, such as last year’s Custom Line Navetta 38. It has a length overall of 127 feet, 2 inches, and its bow area has multiple guest spaces for cocktails, sunbathing and yacht-spotting.

Alberto Galassi

Alberto Galassi is CEO of the Ferretti Group, which includes the brands Ferretti Yachts, Custom Line, Wally, Pershing, Itama, Riva and CRN. All the shipyards are in Italy, and they serve clients in more than 70 countries. The company has a big presence at US boat shows. Most recently, it brought 10 models—including the Infynito 90—to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

The Superyacht Yard

Located in Ancona on Italy’s Adriatic coast, the Superyacht Yard was founded in 1963 as a CRN shipyard. In 2019, it was renamed as the Ferretti Group’s Superyacht Yard. The designers and craftspeople who work here produce CRNs, Riva superyachts and Pershing 140 pleasure boats, in addition to the entire Custom Line fleet.

Winning Philosophy

Yachting created the Innovation Award in 2023. Our goal with this annual accolade is not to honor a single boat or a single design advancement, but rather to celebrate a builder that has achieved something extraordinary while also continuing to produce consistently excellent new models. We look for builders who create features that are smart, stylish, fun, functional and unlike anything else on the water. 

Take the next step: ferretti-yachts.com

The post Ferretti Yachts Infynito 90 Wins <i>Yachting</i>‘s 2024 Innovation Award appeared first on Yachting.

Boston Harbor is notorious for serving chowder-thick fog when the temperature and dew point align. Such was the case late one night for Brian Moseley and Paul Sullivan, who were enveloped while cruising home aboard Pasithea, their 36-foot Jeanneau NC 1095 Coupe. Fortunately, Pasithea carries a Lookout AI-based collision-avoidance system and an infrared-enabled camera. Instead of staring at the darkened inside of a meteorological pingpong ball, the boaters could use Lookout to see augmented-reality screen views of cans, nuns and nearby shorelines.

Sullivan says the technology allowed them to move along, confident of the location of nearby aids to navigation, islands and the area’s ubiquitous lobster pots. Moseley adds: “I would have felt anxious at the helm without it.”

AI-based watchkeeping and collision-avoidance systems are one of the more exciting pieces of contemporary electronics. While Lookout doesn’t autonomously dodge detected targets or navigational hazards, it does combine AI, a camera, the automatic identification system and cartographic data to provide up to 360-degree situational awareness with collision-avoidance alerts.

Lookout—which has a lower price point than its competition—consists of a marinized black-box processor that connects to a camera, the vessel’s NMEA 2000 data backbone, a 12/24-volt DC power supply and the yacht’s multifunction display.

Owners have a choice of two processors. The Brain ($5,000) is aimed at smaller power yachts and sailboats. It has an Nvidia graphics processing unit that tackles 10 frames per second from a forward-facing high-definition video stream (760 pixels), an augmented-reality processor, an N2K port (for accessing vessel heading and GPS/GNSS information, and for networking with N2K-enabled multifunction displays) and an AIS receiver. It draws 25 watts of continuous DC power with a 60-watt maximum draw.

The Brain Pro ($10,000) is aimed at larger yachts and go-fast rides. It sports similar capabilities, but its Nvidia GPU processes 30 frames per second from multiple full-HD 1080p video streams, providing 360-degree imagery with displayed vessel tracks and buoy annotations. The Brain Pro comes bundled in a larger black box than the Brain and draws 60 watts of continuous power with a 160-watt maximum draw.

Yacht owners can network the Lookout Brain processor with an existing IP-enabled camera—including FLIR thermal-imaging cameras—or spec the Lookout camera ($4,000). While the former can be a great option, the Lookout camera has a long-range HD video feed and includes a near-infrared sensor for nocturnal operations, plus a 360-degree camera for docking (including automotive-style guide lines) and all-around situational awareness.

David Rose, Lookout’s CEO, says that while the system’s hardware is solid, its sorcery resides in its software and implementation of a kind of AI called computer vision. Lookout incorporates three types of computer vision to perceive, identify and track potential threats. This starts with scene segmentation, where the system classifies every pixel in a scene (read: water and not water) and works to stabilize the horizon. A multi-object tracker then follows 100-plus targets within a scene, while a distance-estimation algorithm calculates the range to each target.

Collectively, these AI capabilities allow Lookout to present augmented-reality views on a head-up display on any networked MFD or IP-enabled device, including phones and tablets. It also can present a 3D synthetic view with a bird’s-eye view around the boat. In both cases, chart data is used to create the augmented imagery.

Unlike other AI-based threat-detection systems that consider range using the currency of distance, Rose says, Lookout considers human reaction time and focuses on the potential hazards that lurk in the next 30 seconds. “Radar can detect things miles away, but we focus on extending human perception,” he says. “Thirty seconds at 20 knots is three football fields. We want to be really good at detecting things 30 seconds out.”

Once a target has been detected, Lookout tracks it and uses computer vision to identify it using a deep-learning network that’s been trained and tuned specifically for boating. Rose says Lookout’s algorithm has been trained on hundreds of thousands of images and videos to enable fast, accurate identification. Every Lookout system, he says, captures examples of ambiguous targets and uploads them to Lookout’s cloud, so the system’s model is retrained and pushed out to all Lookout systems.

“We’re using clustering and self-supervised learning,” Rose says, explaining that this largely obviates the need for human labeling.

Lookout systems also use AIS data to detect and identify targets, which the system tracks. Rose says Lookout might someday use MARPA (mini automatic radar plotting aid) data for detecting and tracking distant targets.

On the user-interface side, Lookout provides three alert levels. All detected targets are marked with a white triangle on the augmented-reality view, while targets in the vessel’s path are marked with yellow triangles. Targets that present a collision hazard are marked with a pulsing, automotive-style hazard icon. “Most people like visual alarms more than audible ones,” Rose says.

If a Lookout system “sees” a log or any other navigational danger, it can track the target with a GPS pin and a virtual perimeter. If cloud connectivity exists, it can also share this information with Lookout’s community cloud, which is shared with other connected Lookout users. While Lookout doesn’t require full-time connectivity, cloud access enhances its capabilities and enables over-the-air updates.

In addition to collision avoidance, Lookout can create suggested safe routes using its camera to detect buoys and aids to navigation, and by interrogating the vessel’s vector cartography. Rose says Lookout has also incorporated “Hogwarts-style” graphics, such as hoops over channel entrances and banners that mark a boat owner’s home dock.

While Lookout has been tested aboard vessels ranging from small boats to a 460-foot superyacht, its target market is 30- to 65-footers. Lookout can be added as an aftermarket feature, but Rose says he hopes the technology will eventually be akin to automotive rearview backup cameras, which are standard issue on most new cars. “Tools like this can expand the market and democratize boating,” Rose says.

Lookout’s upsides are quite compelling, but some downsides exist as well. For example, users need to spec out the Brain Pro and the Lookout camera to take advantage of the system’s full capabilities. Also, Lookout can’t use radar-generated MARPA data or autonomously command the vessel’s autopilot to dodge danger.

But given the human tendency to tire during those long watchkeeping duties, there’s little question that Lookout could be a useful helm companion, especially if a chowder-thick fog bank arrives at the wrong time.  

Sensitivity Scale

Lookout allows boaters to adjust the system’s sensitivity level (think radar gain) on a scale of 1 to 5 based on personal preferences. Lower sensitivity equates to greater system confidence that the target exists. Higher sensitivity is likely to catch targets faster, albeit with a greater chance of false positives.

The post Lookout AI-Based Collision Avoidance appeared first on Yachting.

With the introduction of this flagship model, the 58 Fly Hybrid, Greenline Yachts also introduced its 6G Hybrid Drive system. The builder says this is its most efficient hybrid system to date, with a 40 percent decrease in emissions compared to standard diesel engines.

“Our unique approach to responsible yachting gives owners the option of speed when it matters and optimum efficiency over shorter distances,” owner and CEO Vladimir Zinchenko stated in a press release. “The Greenline 58 Fly Hybrid exemplifies the concept, but it’s also found across all our yachts.”

There are five diesel engine options for the 58 Fly Hybrid, ranging from a combined 1,460 hp up to 2,000 hp. Depending on the powerplants, the shipyard says top speed is 26 to 29 knots. At a 5-knot cruise speed and periodically recharging the batteries via the diesels, range is a reported 1,500 nautical miles.

Greenline Yachts operates with a mindset the Slovenian builder refers to as “responsible yachting.” The idea is to include far more than hybrid propulsion and solar panels. The ethos of the brand is built around efficiency in the water, starting with what it calls “super-displacement” hulls. They are designed to allow for an efficient, stable ride at low and high speeds, with additional eco-minded efforts during the construction process and shipyard cleanup.

“Responsible yachting is a philosophy which has led us to make significant reduction in waste and energy usage at the yard, eliminating paper-based marketing material and recycling as much as we can,” Zinchenko states.

According to Greenline, the 6G H-Drive is best used for short-distance maneuvering and powering the yacht’s hotel loads at anchor. The builder says owners can expect up to three days at anchor without needing a generator, based on 20 kilowatt-hours of solar input.

The standard 6G H-Drive gets up to 20 nm in silent electric mode with speeds up to 6 knots. Greenline also offers a high-voltage 6G H-Drive setup, which replaces the standard battery bank with two 39.1 kWh, 720-volt LiFePo4 batteries. The high-voltage option increases the hybrid drive’s top speed to 10 knots, and decreases the charge time from three hours to 30 minutes in diesel mode.

Naval architect Marco Casali penned the design for the 58 Fly Hybrid, whose silhouette minimizes the appearance of the flybridge while maximizing its usable space.

Accommodations can be three staterooms or two staterooms and an office. Owners can also opt for a captain’s cabin abaft the master stateroom amidships. 

Take the next step: greenlinehybrid.com

The post Introducing the Greenline 58 Fly Hybrid appeared first on Yachting.

There’s much to celebrate in Nova Scotia, known as “Canada’s Festival Province.” With 8,300 miles of coastline, rich culture and history, a fantastic food scene and a packed festival calendar, Nova Scotia rewards cruisers who take time to explore this Canadian Maritimes gem on the Atlantic.

Halifax

The capital of Nova Scotia is as much of a draw for its historic sites as for its sophisticated dining scene and laid-back vibe. The star-shaped Halifax Citadel National Historic Site has dominated the city’s skyline since 1856. From May through October, tour this hilltop fortress with guides in period dress. Time your visit for the firing of the Noon Gun.

Downhill from the Citadel lies the 16-acre Halifax Public Gardens. One of the oldest formal Victorian gardens in North America, it’s a peaceful and colorful respite in the city center.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic chronicles the region’s captivating maritime history, including such headline events as Titanic’s sinking and the devastating 1917 Halifax Harbor explosion.

Naturally, world-class seafood abounds in Halifax. Look for fresh offerings on Saturdays at the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market. The Bicycle Thief puts an Italian spin on its dishes dal mare. The Highwayman Restaurant & Bar pairs seafood-focused Spanish dishes with outstanding cocktails. The Wooden Monkey specializes in inventive, locally sourced fare and local craft beers. And sample a local specialty at the King of Donair: a sandwich version of a döner kebab.

Cape Breton Island

Choose your own adventure to explore the natural beauty of Cape Breton Island. Cruise Bras d’Or Lake, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, to cast a line or look for bald eagles, herons and other wildlife. Drive the 186-mile Cabot Trail scenic highway through the dense forests of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Stop to stroll the Bog Trail to spy tiny pitcher plants and gigantic moose. Or drive a golf ball on the highly regarded Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links golf courses and enjoy the dramatic ocean views.

Fuel up for explorations at the Dancing Goat Cafe & Bakery, a popular destination for breakfast, lunch or coffee. Visit the casual Rusty Anchor for its renowned lobster rolls. For fine dining, Woodroad offers a distinctive, intimate multicourse dinner. And make time to catch a performance of Cape Breton’s world-renowned fiddle music at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre or The Barn.

Elsewhere on Nova Scotia

Along the south shore, Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse is the most famous of the province’s 160 lighthouses and an emblem of Nova Scotia. Many of the colorful wooden homes of Old Town Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage site, date to the early days of this well-preserved British Colonial settlement, founded in 1753.   

The post Cruising Nova Scotia appeared first on Yachting.

There are two key trends among today’s boaters. First, more families are embracing a multigenerational boating lifestyle, and second, versatility is in high demand. Even the most hardcore anglers now want some form of cruising comfort, while cruisers want to be able to hang with friends at the local sandbar or head out for dinner on the water after a day of island hopping. They might also enjoy snorkeling or diving, or grilling at sunset with cocktails, with several generations of family and friends along for the ride.

With all of that in mind, Regal introduced its SAV line of Sports Activity Vessels. When the 38 SAV became the bestselling boat in the company’s 55-year history, the team knew they were onto something. Regal’s latest model is the 50 SAV, which was introduced at the 2024 Miami International Boat Show. This boat packs a ton of fun features into a package that feels larger than its 50 feet.

Stepping aboard Hull No. 4, my first impression was openness. With the fold-down terrace door extended on one side away from the dock, and with easy boarding via dive doors in both gunwales, the beach-club vibe was in full effect. The fisherman in me admired the pressurized livewells in the transom, a nice touch to keep baits from sloshing in rough seas. I also liked the easy-to-clean synthetic teak decking underfoot. Options including a teak rocket launcher and 18-foot Gemlux outriggers rounded out the fishing side, with 55-inch in-deck macerated fish boxes for the catch of the day or miscellaneous items like fenders and dock lines. With the terrace doors closed, the cockpit measured a touch over 62 square feet and seemed even larger.

Moving forward, the two rows of four adjustable custom seats beneath a carbon-fiber hardtop provide comfy, shaded seating for a crowd. The entertainment island in the after section of the mezzanine is the heart of the action, just as everyone gathers around a backyard grill at home. Beneath hidden covers are a pair of 48-volt smokeless grills and a sink with a faucet and cutting board. Below is a pair of drawer refrigerators (or one fridge and one freezer, owner’s choice) with utensil stowage in between. On each end of the island are tip-out trash containers, a handy touch for any kind of onboard entertaining. Above the island is a 16-inch Garmin multifunction display to keep everyone informed and in the action.

The forward two seats have 9-inch Garmin displays integrated into flip-up pods in the armrests, which Regal calls “Garmrests.” These devices mean there is no need to reach forward to use any of the three 22-inch multifunction displays if you want to change course on the autopilot, plot a new waypoint, check the radar or change the volume on the music. Everything is literally at your fingertips.

Heading belowdecks via teak floating steps to the salon, I found a V-berth forward and a king berth aft, tucked beneath the helm deck. With 6 feet, 6 inches of headroom and 6-foot hullside windows, the salon feels like a much larger space.

There’s also some interesting tech at work. Regal’s LivePower system integrates a 48-volt lithium-ion battery bank with an inverter and a 5-kilowatt diesel generator to keep things topped off power-wise. There’s no need to flip circuit breakers constantly and wrestle with shore-power cords when leaving the dock. And with the boat’s integrated digital switching, owners and guests have full control of the vessel’s systems. Set the lighting, lower the terrace platforms, extend the cockpit sunshade, change the tunes and more via touchscreens.

When it’s time to get up and go, the 50 SAV shines. Regal offers two power options: triple 600 hp Mercury or quad 450 hp Yamaha engines. With the triple Mercurys, we saw a time to plane of five seconds with virtually zero bow rise. With the Humphree Interceptors in auto-trim mode, the Regal topped out at just over 49.5 knots at 5,850 rpm. Slowing to a cruising speed of 30.4 knots, consumption was 60 gallons per hour. With 700 gallons of fuel, that’s a range of more than 360 miles at cruise speed with a 10 percent reserve, more than enough to run from Miami to the Abacos and beyond.

Regal’s long history of boatbuilding is evident in its new flagship. The 50 SAV is also a standard-bearer for the next generation of Sports Activity Vessels, blending innovation and flexibility, as well as luxury and performance. Bring plenty of friends to enjoy a variety of good times on the water.  

Mercury Rising

The 600 hp Mercury V-12 engines have fixed powerheads with steerable gear cases, allowing them to be mounted much closer together on the transom. A two-speed automatic transmission reduces time to plane and provides additional low-end torque. Digital controls with integrated steering and a bow thruster are standard, as is Mercury’s SmartCraft joystick control.

A Legacy Brand

In 1969, Paul and Carol Kuck founded Regal Boats, introducing a 17-foot tri-hull, a 14-foot ski boat and a 21-foot cuddy cabin, and defining a new standard in boating. Today, the company retains its focus as a family boatbuilder, with the second and third generation of Kucks in key management positions and 40 different models from 20 to 50 feet length overall currently in production.

Take the next step: regalboats.com

The post Regal 50 SAV Reviewed appeared first on Yachting.

Lucy Davis loves to go to fabric fairs, looking for materials she can use in her role as sailing designer for the UK performance-sailing brand Musto. When she saw what PrimaLoft had to offer recently, she got excited.

PrimaLoft is a type of polyester insulation that mimics down feathers. There are different versions of PrimaLoft, and Davis used several of them to winterize Musto’s BR1 Collection. The result is warmer pieces to go with the uninsulated originals.

The concept with the BR1 Winter Collection is to give casual cruisers an affordable product with qualities similar to what the pros wear out on the water in heavy weather. At the same time, the product design is not wholly sailing-specific, so the pieces can also be worn while walking a dog or doing other things.

“We wanted to offer some midlayer options so people could sail all year round if they want to,” she says. “The casual day sailor can layer up in the same way that our professional sailors might.”

Solent PrimaLoft Insulator Jacket

The big kahuna of the Winter Collection is the PrimaLoft Channel Sailing Jacket. It’s an outer-layer piece (think big coat for winter fun) with features such as fleece-lined pockets, a high collar, a hood, and extra insulation around the body’s core.

The two other jackets are midlayers that can be worn underneath that outer jacket or on their own. The PrimaLoft Midlayer Jacket is waterproof, while the Solent PrimaLoft Insulator Jacket can repel light spray but with breathable fabric, thanks to PrimaLoft’s Utility insulation.

BR1 PrimaLoft Channel Sailing Jacket

“If you’re wearing heavy back straps or you have a life vest on, you’re not losing a lot of the loft on the shoulders,” Davis says. “But it’s also thin insulation, which is preferable when you don’t want bulk. It’s unique in that it’s a genuinely breathable insulated jacket.”

All in all, she adds, the fun is in giving boaters better options: “I love being able to use anything new that I think actually is going to make a difference for how comfortable people are when they are sailing.”  

Take the next step: musto.com

The post Musto BR1 Winter Collection appeared first on Yachting.

For the past decade, I’ve served as a judge for Cruising World magazine’s annual Boat of the Year contest, which takes place at the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland. During that time, I’ve sailed every new production sailboat launched in the United States. I’ve had a ringside seat to test the fastest-growing segment of the sailing market: cruising catamarans.

Coincidentally, Annapolis is also the headquarters for Farr Yacht Design, the international naval architecture office with which I also have some familiarity. I’ve covered numerous Volvo Ocean Races, America’s Cups and other events where Farr boats were prominently involved. Last spring, I sailed a Farr-designed Beneteau 44.7 in the rugged Round Ireland Race. In my opinion, the Farr office’s stellar reputation is well-deserved.

But take note: The Farr legacy was built upon a long roster of monohulls, not catamarans. That makes the next part of this story interesting.

These days, the Farr office is run by Patrick Shaughnessy, an Annapolis native who worked his way up from an entry-level job to become the company’s president. Along the way, Shaughnessy sailed professionally aboard Grand Prix yachts for nearly three decades. Also, with his wife, Gisela, he’s undertaken several high-latitude expeditions to places like Antarctica. The common denominator for all that sailing? Single-hull vessels.

Now with retirement on the horizon, Shaughnessy has commissioned his own cruising boat. “Every time we went exploring, at some stage I really wanted to get home,” he says. “So we started thinking, what if we just brought home? We looked around at the marketplace and found a boat that we think suits us. So, we’ve got an order in for a Balance 464 that’s going to be home for us as we go traveling around to do some exploring.”

Wait, what? A Balance 464? That is a slick, performance-cruising catamaran built in South Africa.

“To me, it just makes sense,” Shaughnessy says. “They have reasonably shallow draft and are usually pretty quick for their size. There’s a duplication of systems, like multiple engines. The lack of heeling is pretty appealing. I think the quality of living, compared to a monohull, is pretty superior. You have a big saloon area where you can look out the windows and be part of the environment you’re in. You have good accessibility to the water and can bring a lot of toys. It just seems there’s a lot of goodness there. So we’re going to give it a try and see how we go.”

The next question is inevitable: With a go-anywhere boat, where does he wish to go?

“Ideally, we’d like to sail the boat from South Africa to Grenada, and then do some cruising up the East Coast and down to the Bahamas,” he says. “If we feel comfortable, we’d like to get out to French Polynesia. Since I was a little kid, the idea of exploring the atolls and finding beaches with few or no people seemed pretty appealing. So I guess we want to see what cards we’re dealt and how we react to them.”

It’s a good plan, and Shaughnessy feels he has the right tool for the job. For him, for now, two hulls are better than one.  

The post A Catamaran Convert appeared first on Yachting.

Falcon Tenders’ SX10 Open Limousine is a custom model designed to serve Damen’s Xplorer series superyachts. The SX10 is built from green epoxy composites and fiberglass using foam-sandwich construction. It has dual consoles, bow seating, port and starboard sofas, twin sun loungers and an aft deck.

Whom It’s For: Younger superyacht owners seeking a tender for shuttling guests and gear ashore that can moonlight as an owner-driven watersports and beach-club platform.

Picture This: It’s a glorious summer day on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. The main ride is berthed at Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard, but the gang wants to go wingfoiling. So, you load up the SX10 Open Limousine and seek the afternoon sea breeze, arriving back in town for dinner at Flora.  

Take the next step: falcon-tenders.com

The post Falcon Tenders SX10 Open Limo appeared first on Yachting.