YACHTS yachtsinternational.com
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A
s test beds for new ideas, yacht concepts vary from
the outrageous to the cautious. Some set out to
wow yachtsmen with audacious aesthetics, oth-
ers to woo with the latest technologies. The best
designs usually incorporate a delicate balance between cutting-
edge and conservative solutions.
Here are our picks of the best buildable concepts presented at
the Monaco Yacht Show this past September.Se77antasette
Benetti’s design language has traditionally placed high value on brand rec-
ognition, and its fleet is usually recognizable from afar. The Se77antasette
project, a reference to the yacht’s overall length of 77 meters (252 feet),
is a decisive break with this tradition. The radical design is the first
yacht concept by Mexican designer Fernando Romero, who heads up
the award-winning FR-EE architecture and design firm, responsible for
landmark buildings such as the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City (funded
by Romero’s billionaire father-in-law, Carlos Slim).
“Se77antasette is the result of analyzing the DNA of Benetti
and thinking further on the possibilities that new technologies have
enabled, allowing us to create an entirely new yachting experience,”
said Romero, whose concept drew on his lifetimeexperience of
cruising Mexico’sSea of Cortez with family and friends.
Key features include sculpted proportions and an extensive use of
glass, each a nod to Romero’s experience in land-based architecture. A
glass dome encases the top-deck observatory, providing intimate contact
with the sea and sky. The dome also houses the unsightly sat-comm and
navigational equipment, so as not to interrupt the exterior profile. At
night, the dome can transform into an augmented-reality screen.
Se77antasette would be equipped with a diesel-electric propul-
sion system: variable-speed generators coupled to counter-rotating
propeller pods powered by permanent magnet motors. After three
years of research and development, Benetti says the project is engi-
neered and ready to build.The base of the swimming pool imagined
aboard the Se77antasette concept can
be raised to serve as a helipad.