Motor Boat & Yachting – May 2018

quality from engineroom to fl ybridge. The interior decor comes
with a choice of fabrics and fi nishes of course, and the European
owner of this one had opted for an uber luxury look with marble-
clad bulkheads, much suede and lacquer in evidence, along with
thick woollen carpets which
contrasted with relatively
sober walnut veneers.
Like all Ferrettis, the 780 is
designed from the inside out
as a spacious and comfortable
home from home. The 6ft
4in (1.93m) headroom in
the wheelhouse is as low as it
goes, and even in the smallest
guest cabin, the twin berth
on the port side, the beds
are a useful 6ft 3in long and
28in wide (190cm x 71cm).
Layouts based on rational
right-angles make the best
possible use of the space
available, and careful thought
has been given to stowage volumes in the cabins.
Careful thought has also been given to the yacht’s construction.
Ferretti as a brand may stand for dependable solidity and
tradition, but it still has to move with the times. Resin infusion
techniques are used for every glassfi bre moulding, saving
signifi cant weight while also, in theory at least, creating better-
quality laminates. The lower deck is constructed on a complex
tray moulding, lending effi ciencies to the boatbuilding process
that translate into time and money saved – vital in a competitive
global marketplace. From bucket of resin to completed yacht,
a 780 takes four months to assemble.
Installed technology is also at the cutting edge. A joint Simrad-
Naviop integrated navigation and vessel-monitoring system was
fi tted to our test 780, with three screens at the lower helm and

Even in the twin cabin, the berth

sizes are unusually generous

Vast main deck windows ensure

a fi ne view out from the saloon

two upstairs. Fly-by-wire electro-hydraulic steering marries the

electronics at the helm with the hydraulics in the engineroom,

which not only makes installation and maintenance simpler but

also improves reliability.

It certainly works. Fitted with MAN’s dependable – almost

industry-standard – 1,550hp V12s, the larger of two engine

options available, our 780 freed itself from the confi nes of Cannes’

Vieux Port with a joie de vivre that would have been unimaginable

just a few years ago in a yacht of this size and displacement. The

main difference between engines of this generation and their

forebears is not just in horsepower and its effect on top speed, but

in how that power makes itself available. The tremendous torque

Optional 1,550hp

engines give a top

speed of 30.1 knots

FERRETTI 780