BENETTI DELIVERS THE FIRST DIAMOND 145: 44 METERS OF MAJESTY

Achieving a balance between tradition and innovation has always been one of the goals of Benetti yachts, which have won the hearts of owners around the world. Class category flagship Diamond 145, launched in January and delivered in Viareggio on July 20, is one of the new models from the Tuscan shipyard that best embodies this difficult but fascinating combination.

Traditional values are interpreted with deep respect for the Benetti family feeling and the stylistic hallmarks of the fiberglass yachts in the Class category, which are designed by famous architects and feature unprecedented luminosity and habitability. Innovation is evident in the amazing modernity of exteriors featuring essential lines, in interiors furnished with refined contemporary materials, and in the use of unprecedented construction solutions that improve comfort and its durability as time passes by using high quality components.

Exterior lines: grandeur, elegance and light

Diamond 145’s superstructural masses are refined and dynamic, the hull sides are high and the reverse sheer line is extremely long. The huge glazed surfaces created by the yacht’s exterior designer Giorgio M. Cassetta accentuate the yacht’s length and flood the interiors with natural light.

Cassetta, who is one of the youngest and best-known designers on the international yachting scene and has collaborated with the yard since 2013, commented on the results of his work by saying: “Diamond 145’s size offered the opportunity to develop an imposing vessel with a majestic bearing and highly contemporary detailing, combined with an approach to style that reflects the idea of a timeless yacht”. His work is driven by the desire to offer a contemporary take on the classic style that has made Benetti yachts famous all over the world.

Created for an expert and demanding owner, Diamond 145 has a profile that exemplifies the revisitation of neoclassical style. The relationship between light and dark-coloured volumes encourages the notion of powerful, extended shapes, giving the yacht a look that is both majestic and consistent with the Benetti’s heritage. Teak, steel and glass bestow unprecedented sophistication on spaces reminiscent of an even bigger yacht, not least the outdoor stairway on the left side, which climbs seamlessly from the yacht’s point of entry to the top of the Sun Deck.

Layout: boundless spaces for megayacht-style comfort

The layout has been carefully studied to emphasise and take full advantage of both exterior and interior spaces, ensuring the maximum convenience and an unprecedented sense of welcome. Crew and guest flows are devised to ensure maximum privacy, not least on the Sun Deck, which at 102 square meters is the most spacious in the category. On this deck, the space in the fore contains a comfortable sofa and a dining area with a table, plus a big relaxation and sunbathing area aft that can be furnished as required by the owner.

The Upper Deck has a pool in the bow and contains the big pilothouse, with the captain’s cabin located next to a bridge featuring an integrated Light Bridge console, which has a carbon fiber structure that combines lightweight and strength. This particular solution is the fruit of the first collaboration between Benetti and Seastema, a leading player operating in the field of ship automation, navigation and onboard electronics in all the main sectors of the marine industry. The end result is improved visibility for the captain and crew, plus even more freedom of movement. And with the aim once again of maximising liveability in the wheelhouse area and the guest and captain’s accommodation, all electronic devices are located in a special storage area on the Main Deck.

Amidships, a big living room with a dining table and a space for relaxing leads to the outdoor area in the stern, which is furnished with a table and a series of sofas.

The expansive full-beam owner’s apartment covers about 60 square meters in the bow on the Main Deck. This exclusive suite has a big bathroom, a roomy walk-in wardrobe and a separate office area leading to the Master bedroom.

In the central section of the deck, the day area is furnished exclusively with a series of sofas and low tables. The undisputed protagonist in every space remains the light, which literally floods into the Master and salon through the huge glazed surfaces designed by Cassetta, helped by a design feature that moves the exhaust trunks further forward than usual. This has made it possible to create a big bowed glass salon door that allows the light to enter and increases the sensation of indoor and outdoor areas flowing seamlessly into each other.

The outdoor space that opens out behind the living area is furnished for long periods of total relaxation both at anchor and at sea.

Full-width sliding glass doors in the transom open out onto an elegant beach area fully appointed with sofas and a bar, offering direct access to the sea. To amplify the feeling of being in touch with nature and eliminating the barriers between indoors and outdoors, the only thing separating the indoor and outdoor beach areas is a step just 20 centimeters high. This space can be furnished and used in different ways, as required, both at anchor and at sea. The garage area, which is completely separate from the rest of the yacht is positioned on the side to avoid interfering with the owner and guests, can accommodate a tender over 6 meters long, two three-meter jet skis and various water toys.

The four double cabins with bathroom for guests, out of which  two VIP cabins with double beds, and two cabins with twin beds that can be converted into doubles, are on the Lower Deck, as are the five cabins for the crew of eight plus the captain.

Materials and furnishings: the appeal of modernity creates sophisticated and welcoming moods

The interiors and exteriors are decorated with fine materials chosen to create a refined combination of lighter and darker shades of brown, white and grey, including carbon, burnished brass, various types of wood (particularly oak), and a wide variety of marbles (Grey Stone and Silk Georgette, for example), leathers and fabrics. The futuristic bridge, on the other hand, has a polished carbon finish that highlights the hi-tech beating heart hidden behind this “classic of tomorrow”.

High build standards that reflect the “Obiettivo 50” design culture

The design culture at Benetti has always focused on how to ensure that the yard’s yachts can be enjoyed as time passes, giving satisfaction not only to the first but also to all future owners. This mindset drives the yard’s engineers and designers to find solutions to construction challenges that not only improve comfort but also ensure its durability, that reduce and facilitate maintenance requirements by using components of the very highest quality and by introducing increasingly smart fitting-out techniques, and that make it easier to refurbish the decor in future years.

Benetti recently decided to give this mindset a name: Obiettivo 50.

A name that combines the desire to create the classics of the future, as well as the ability to build boats of the very highest quality that stand the test of time, without losing any of their charm, elegance and functionality.

The effects of this culture are there to see as soon as you go on board Diamond 145. When at sea, the level of silence is quite simply exceptional and puts the boat at the top of its category. This has been achieved by making use of every available solution to reduce noise and vibration to the bare minimum: from a transmission system fitted with an elastic coupling and thrust bearings, to floating floor and bulkheads on all decks (from the Lower to the Upper Deck), the bypass electrovalve fitted to the engine idling exhausts, and soundproofing on the discharge piping in the main onboard spaces.

Moreover, the complex Air Treatment Unit (ATU) has filters to remove dust and water particles and ensures that the air throughout the yacht (owner, guest and crew areas) is fresh and clean by changing it six times an hour.

The fiberglass used for the boat’s exteriors, like all the models in the Class category, is finished with epoxy fillers and painted white to achieve outstanding levels of gloss and aesthetic finish, and to guarantee it stays that way over time. For the same reason, the steel on the deck is all hand polished, piece by piece.

Inside, all decorative wall and ceiling panels are meticulously identified by a barcode and applied using the fitlock system. This level of attention to detail ensures the possibility of rapid repairs, as well as enabling future owners to refurbish the interiors more easily.

Engines and range

The engine room, with a separate Engine Control Room like on a megayacht, contains two 1,400 HP Man 12V engines, giving Diamond 145 a range of 5,000 nautical miles at 11 knots. Top speed is 15 knots and cruising speed 14 knots.

The delivery of Diamond 145 confirms the success of the fiberglass yachts built by Benetti, with sales topping 300 units over the years, and looks ahead to a particularly lively season for Benetti, with various launches and numerous deliveries scheduled in the run up to the start of the autumn boat show season.