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The
elegance of the yacht’s engineering is equaled by her luxury. Ferretti
describes her overall concept as “family feeling.” This can
be best appreciated on the flying bridge, whose size, configuration, and
amenities clearly encourage convivial relaxation. A giant playpen of a
sunpad rests amidships to port. Forward, within conversation range of
both the helm on one side and an L-shape settee on the other, a double
chaise lounge faces aft at the centerline. A wetbar, ‘fridge, grill,
and cabinets are to starboard, while aft on the port side a semicircular
dinette engages the entire area at a 45-degree angle. It wasn’t
long ago that many flying-bridge designs—even on yachts of this
size—were about as imaginative as the layout in a school bus. The
vigor of the 76’s plan shows just how far we’ve come. It’s
easy to imagine a pair of couples and a handful of kids enjoying the better
part of a day’s cruise in the open air.
Main-deck
spaces are more strictly defined, but with buoyant design elements and
bright, rich materials Ferretti avoids a confining atmosphere. Through
long windows port and starboard and through a wall-size sliding glass
cockpit door, light floods the saloon and plays off the expert, high-gloss
finish of the light cherry cabinetry.
The
forward areas—dining room, galley, and helm—are fully partitioned,
but in a way that gracefully exploits the generous light streaming in
from the wheelhouse and its aft-wrapping windows. The starboard dining
area is separated from the pilothouse by a Japanese-inspired sliding door
and bulkhead made from multiple panes of cherry-framed glass. The Eastern
influence continues to port, where the galley door as well as a partition
over a sideboard are fitted with shoji screens. When enclosed, the space
is formal but still awash with natural light. When it’s opened onto
the pilothouse and galley, it becomes more relaxed and vividly lit.
Light
moves so well through the galley because of its rich, cream-color lacquered
cabinets, which along with high-quality amenities and polished granite
countertops put it among the most cheerful, stylish, and practical galleys
afloat. Doors onto the dining room, pilothouse, and port-side deck broaden
its already generous proportions at the same time that they serve practical
purposes. Egress to the deck allows crew to serve guests dining alfresco
in the cockpit or enjoying drinks on the forward sunpad without having
to enter the interior, and the sliding door onto the bridge lets the captain
keep discreet contact with the crew without leaving the helm.
While
the flying bridge encourages blithe, breezy interaction and the main deck
urges more intimate get-togethers, the accommodations below decks guarantee
privacy and repose. All four staterooms, including a master amidships
and a forepeak VIP separated by twin guest cabins port and starboard,
are equipped with en suite heads with showers.
The
full-beam master features two three-foot-long oval windows—one on
each hull side and inset with a pair of opening circular ports—that
deftly bring in wide views and plentiful light without compromising the
hull’s lines too much. While the stateroom’s luxury is further
enhanced with a walk-in closet, lounge area, and six-foot-long vanity,
one of its most notable comforts is invisible and—nearly—inaudible.
I refer to its hush. Not only do the fuel tanks help to block sound from
traveling between the engines and the principle accommodations, but so
do the crew’s quarters, which, reached tactfully via the cockpit,
can include two small staterooms plus a head with shower.
Their
arrangement is yet another example of the thoughtful, practical steps
that provide such a strong foundation for the 76’s stylistic flourish.
There was finally nothing incongruous about Frabetti’s earnest technical
tutorial amid the dazzle in Fort Lauderdale. Within the 76’s streamlined
silhouette, the many skillful engineering solutions take on a beauty of
their own. And in any case, can you seriously deny the suavity of engineers
who inscribe the ocean’s surface with chiseled wakes of their own
design?
Ferretti
of America Phone: (305) 634-6160. Fax: (305) 634-6161. www.ferretti-yacht.com.
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