T
he Yacht Club de Monaco
commands attention: this
Norman Foster-designed,
boat-inspired marvel (complete with
towering masts) leaves most superyachts
that line its dock metaphorically and
literally in the shade. It’s a special 100ft
sailing boat that can pry admiring stares
away from both the club and the massive
white motor yachts that sit alongside her.
But then Tango, the latest hull in the
Wallycento series, is rather unusual. She
has a striking black carbon hull and rig,
and a flush teak deck that seems to stretch
far beyond her true length. She is the
second Wally for a repeat client, and the
fourth Wallycento to be built, but it’s
immediately clear that she differs from
her siblings, thanks to her unique design
team: Pininfarina for the interior, and
Mills Design for the naval architecture
and exterior design, which was developed
in collaboration with Wally.
Leaving Port Hercules for a sea trial
between Monaco and Cap Ferrat,
conditions are light, with only six knots oftechnologies in construction, systems, rig
and sail handling,” were vital to the brief.
After all, he was attracted to the
Wallycento in the first place because he’d
“never sailed at 25 knots and always
wanted to know what it’d feel like.”
The 147ft Southern Spars carbon mast
ofers a total sailplan of more than 6,800
square feet upwind, and the boat easily
reaches seven knots. “Tango is lively and
reactive in light air,” says Bassani. “The
feeling at the helm is that of a much
smaller boat, balanced and quick.” And a
fast turn at the helm proves his point –
Tango feels like she’s running on rails and
reacts immediately with only one finger
on the wheel.
From outside, the flush deck of Tango
is both stylish and regatta-friendly.
“Tango’s unusual reverse sheerline
combines with our ramp deck geometry
to allow a smooth unbroken line, running
from bow to the stern,” explains naval
architect Mark Mills.
“Since the first meetings, we shared the
same vision of the innovations that can be
applied to this type of yacht, like the
cutting-edge deck layout that combines
our flush deck with bulwarks aft, as
introduced in 2006 with Esense, with the
ramp deck of Alegre,” says Bassani.
This feeling is reinforced by the fact
that Tango has no cockpit, in the style
of the first classic yachts. But a large
removable table can be installed with
chairs and a bimini, creating a
comfortable area when the yacht is at
anchor or moored in port.
Even though Tango follows the same
box rule as other Wallycentos, the latest
edits are clear improvements. Mills
Design brought new ideas to the shape
of the hull, the rig, the layout of the
deck equipment and the all-important
weight reduction. “The most obvious
development has been rearrangement“The feeling
at the helm
is that of
a much
smaller boat,
balanced and
quick.” Tango
feels like
she’s running
on rails
and reacts
immediately
with only
one finger
on the wheel
true wind – but it is enough to get a
glimpse of the potential of this cruiser-
racer. In a few seconds, the new 3Di sails
from North Sails are up, creating a
cathedral of carbon. “The deck hardware
is powerful and fast: it takes only seven
seconds to hoist the jib,” says Wally
founder Luca Bassani.
This technical wizardry, which the
owner describes as “the most advancedRACE MODE
For regattas, Tango
has a crew of 24 and
in her first ocial
regatta, last year’s
Les Voiles de
Saint-Tropez, she
made an immediate
impact, winning one
race and finishing
sixth overallPHOTOGRAPHY: GILLES MARTIN-RAGET; CARLO BORLENGHI