Boat International – August 2019

navalarchitectonthe 24 Evolution,whileadding
newstylisticfeaturesthatworkinharmonywith
therestoftheYXTline.Mostnotableiswhatthe
designercallsthecradle.“Withthewheelhouse
forwardandlargeairintakesaftofthevessel,
Iwantedtocreateacradleforthetendersthatare
stowedondeck,”saysWeel.“Whenyoulookat
thebulwarks,youcanseehowthesheerlinedips
beforerisingagaintomeetthewheelhouse,
creatingashapethatissimilartoacradle.”
Thedesignerexplainshowthecombinationof
awidebeam,full-widthstaircase,andtheuseof
blackonwhiteinstrategicplacessuchasaround
theairvents,onthecrane,onthehelicopterpad
andonthetenderchocks,helptocreateastrong
visualstance.Theoptionalteakdeckingrather
thanthestandardcompositeaddswarmthand
textureunderfoot.
Whenallthetoysonthe75-square-metreopen
deckarelaunched,inflatablefurniturecanbeset
uptoprovideseating.Alternatively,guestswho
tireofplayingonthewatercancompeteat
basketballinthisspace,thankstoahoopfittedto
thetopofthewheelhouse.
Theversatilityofthisareameansthatitcan
accommodateavarietyoftoys.Thesecould
includeanultralighthelicopterorasubmarine

but,inthecaseofthisowner,thelargestunitisa
LandRoverDefender 110 fittedwithcustom
liftingpoints,allowingcrewtodeployorretrieve
itusingtheonboardcrane.Itisaccompaniedby
aSuperAirNautiqueG23wakeboatanda
Sea-Doojetski.Anchorpointsstrategicallyfitted
ondeckallowcrewtostowequipmentwherever
itfitsbest,providingusefulflexibilityifandwhen
toysarereplaced.“LynxYachtswasclearlyeager
topushitsinitial[YXT24]projecttothenext
level,”saystheowner’srepresentative,Vincent
Grandmaison.“Beingboundtoaspecificlength,
therewerecountlessmodificationstotheGA
withkeyimprovementseachtime.Ithinkthis
versionoftheYXThasbeendevelopedtoits
fullestpotential.”
Carefulcalculationswererequiredtoachieve
thisasHans-MaartenBais,atDianaYacht
Design,explains.“Thenavalarchitectureofthe
YXTserieshasbeenachallenge,”hesays.“The
loadonthedeckvariesalot[ontheYXT 24
Evolution]andwiththat,thetrim.Whentheboat
sitsinthewaterwithouttendersonboard,ithas
tofloatnicely.”Thenthereistheissueofstability

whenmovinglarge,heavyobjectsonandoffthe

vessel.“Launchingthetendersorcarwiththe

largecranewasachallengingdesignfeature.We

carriedoutextensivecalculationstoavoidthe

boatrollingtoomuch,sothatpeoplewouldn’t

feelscaredtheboatwouldtipover.”

Fortheclient,itwasimportantthathisshadow

vesselshouldhaveasimilarfeelandfinishtothat

ofhisexistingvessel.Thisresponsibilityfellto

FrenchinteriordesignstudioDarnetDesign,

whichhadthetaskofmatchingmaterialsand

reflectingthefinishofWallyCasaintheowner’s

newshadowvessel,christenedWallyShadow.

Themothership’swalnutveneerwallsandgrey

flooringandfabricshavebeenusedthroughout

theboat.Modernmaterialssuchascarbonfibre

alsomaketheoccasionalappearance.“The

similaritiesoftheinteriorgobeyondfinishesand

canbeseenindetailssuchasthebevellededges

ofthecountersaroundthewheelhouse,”says

Rossi.“Thisfeaturewasinspiredbytheinterior

ofWallyCasa,aswastheuseofcarbonfibre

aroundthehelm.”

Detailssuchasthesealongwiththeaddition

ofaguestcabinandgeneroussteamroomand

showerincreasedthepricetag.Thefinalresult,

however,isworththecostasWallyShadowisa

cutabovepurelypracticalsupportvessels,which

oftenlackfairingorcleanfinishing.LynxYachts’

firstdeliveryofthismodelgivesitsownerthe

sportyon-waterlifestylehedesires,without

havingtospendsignificantsumstoobtainit.

Thisfactmayexplainthegrowinginterestin

theYXT 24 Evolutionplatform–thesecond

modelintheseriesisduetobedeliveredtowards

theendof2019.“Thisowner[ofhullNo2]already

hasa 48 metreandagain,heisactiveandkeeps

fit,”saysRossi.“WehaveenquiriesfromEurope

andtheUSforthissizeofboatandbigger,upto

aroundthe30-metremark.Atypicalclient

lookingforashadowvesselliketheYXT 24

Evolutionisusuallyasportyperson.”

TheItaliansalesmanexplainsthatthose

lookingforlargersupportvessels,around

40 metresandbigger,tendtowantthevesselto

carrybiggertoysandaren’tsointerestedin

engaginginwatersports.However,thisisnotthe

targetmarketfortheshipyard,asitcontinuesto

growinterestinitslineswhileremaining

competitiveonpriceandvalue.It’syetanother

successfulextensionforthisinnovativebrand.B

“It was clear the client is a very

active person who loves sport”

Theownerofthenext

24 Evolution,duefor

deliveryattheendof2019,

isalsoasportsenthusiast

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08 2019 boatinternational.com