Santella signed up veteran American naval architect Lou Codega
to deliver a new hull type, something between displacement and
planing. From the outset, Santella had a top speed of 23 knots in mind
and defended this target – “17 or 18 knots is fine most of the time but, like
a car, it’s good to have that extra speed if you need it,” he says.
The footprint of the boat at the waterline is sleeker than most, with
the widest beam in the last third of the hull. Supremely maneuverable
even without rudders or thrusters, it runs three Volvo Penta IPS
1050 diesel engines through twin propellers on fully rotating pods.
Range with this set-up is 1,000 nautical miles at 12 knots and 600 to
700 nautical miles at full speed.
It was key to the design of the first SX88 that sole control of the boat
be moved to a flybridge nav station, freeing up space on the main deck.
“Technically, it was very difficult but it rewarded us with a huge
opportunity to give the client a boat with two personalities: open plan
with the master cabin below, or a more traditional layout,” Santella says.
To make the flybridge comfortable to use in hot and cold weather,
the builder devised a giant, hydraulically controlled window – “like in
a car, except that this window is three meters long with curves,” he
says. The view from the navigator’s seat offers a 270 degree connection
to the water.
A key part of the vision was a large open aft deck close to the
waterline. A 65 square foot section, with an integrated staircase,
lowers into the water, providing a great spot for the family to play, and
for berthing the tender and toys between outings. There is enough space
to store a 14ft Williams Dieseljet and a couple of jet skis. The launching
crane is a 10ft section of the port rail mounted on a huge bearing that
can swing a ton through 270 degrees.
By concentrating storage at the stern, the bow is another relaxing
space. All the gleaming stainless steel for the anchor and mooring lines
is hidden in a deep locker. Its lid can be covered with cushions for
sunbathing and a U-shaped sofa in the shade creates a huge lounging
space with a second up and down table.
Being a largely customizable yacht, the finish is a matter of personal
taste. Lissoni’s vision certainly created the wow factor but, for more
conservative tastes, Sanlorenzo has produced alternative visions.
Piero Lissoni’s
loft-like interior has
a flexible galley,
right, and a staircase
that seems to floatcustomizable
The first American edition (hull No 3), debuting
at the Miami show in 2018, has a layout with an up
galley and an interior by American designer Marty
Lowe. As is customary for the boats sold in the
Americas, it is equipped with souped up AC and
extra systems redundancy.
Even without the Lissoni interior, this is an
exciting and innovative yacht. “We believe that the
SX line will bring Sanlorenzo a new and younger
clientele,” Perotti says. So far the evidence for this is
strong – the average age of the 11 buyers is below the
mid-50s seen across the rest of the Sanlorenzo range.
It might not look like anything that’s preceded it, but
the SX88 is sure to have plenty of descendants.