Benetti presentsMEDITERRANEO 116’
The new model in Benetti’s Class Displacement range 5 meter GRP and carbon fiber displacement hull with long range Extreme space rationalisation for maximum comfort on board The product of collaboration between Benetti, designer Giorgio Maria Cassetta and hull designer Pierluigi Ausonio
Mediterraneo 116’, the new model in the Class Displacement range, is proof that when experience and intuition meet, the result is always excellence. The Mediterraneo 116’, novelty for the season 2016/2017, is a 35.5 meter GRP yacht with sleek lines that seamlessly marries over a century of know-how gained by the Viareggio Shipyard with the most sophisticated onboard design and technology innovations.
An even more “dazzling” yacht than ever, if possible, because one of the dominant features of the new design is light. Natural light, of course. Meticulously designed surfaces, impressive three-meter-long windows and a big crystal glass door all flood Mediterraneo 116’ with light, consolidating and amplifying the feeling of wellbeing onboard.
This sense of total wellbeing represents the focus of all exterior design work by Giorgio M. Cassetta Design. “The usability of the space onboard and the solutions proposed”, explains Giorgio Cassetta, “are comparable to those typically found on much bigger yachts. We have given Mediterraneo 116’ classical lines and proportions, but with a contemporary twist, because we wanted to create a yacht conceived to tackle future challenges, but without betraying the spirit of Benetti’s most glorious past projects”.
The main deck showcases all the skill and flair of Benetti. The innovative distribution of space subverts the cockpit’s traditional DNA, offering a remarkably broad and seamless view of the sea, both from the sidewalks and through the salon. This new ergonomics make the spaces more livable from every perspective.
The main lounge flows onto the cockpit through an opening over two meters wide and the windows, each measuring three meters, are continuous. There is no impediment at all to interrupt the purity and harmony of the design. Even the storage has been redesigned with a view to self-sufficiency. Mediterraneo 116’ is a yacht that offers the comfort of a cruise ship.
The dining area has a table seating up to twelve and is surrounded by a walkway so wide it can be used as a balcony to relax on.
Luminosity, harmony and continuity are also the distinctive features of the owner’s area. The window in the studio is enormous, as is the one in the cabin, and most importantly neither has any uprights. The cabin occupies the entire beam of the yacht and has a useful length of 3.4 meters.
Moving to the lower deck, the least common denominator continues to be the light. The portholes, , for example, are in reality 1.6 by 0,7 meter uninterrupted windows, no less. In line with the Shipyard’s exacting standards, there are four double cabins on this deck, with two VIP suites aft and two cabins with bunk beds. And they all have their own bathroom, naturally.
Three double cabins are provided for the crew, plus the captain’s cabin on the upper deck next to the helm station, providing accommodation for a total of seven.
Here too, like the main deck, every single centimeter is part of the all-embracing plan to provide unmatched service and total privacy. To achieve this, the crew can move freely around the yacht using a passageway reserved exclusively for them, without disturbing the owner or their guests.
The “surgical” approach to rationalising available space is clearly visible on the upper deck too, which stands out because of the spacious open area in the bow. But there’s more, with an area set aside for a swimming pool, if desired, that can be customised to reflect the owner’s tastes and needs. The 360-degree panorama of the sea is unimpeded by even the lifeboats.
Finally, eighty square meters are dedicated to the sundeck, which has a remarkable useful length of 16 meters. The rollbar is integrated in the furniture and the storage compartments are, once again, entirely available for use by guests.
The elegance and uniqueness of Mediterraneo 116’ can also be found in the interiors designed by Achille Salvagni, who plays on the theme of contrasts, with on one hand the smooth colourways of light wood with a velvety handfeel, and on the other the deep shades of dark wood with a polished finish. “These contrasts are reminiscent of the interiors of ocean liners from the 1940s and ‘50s, which designers of the calibre of Giò Ponti, Paolo Buffa and Guglielmo Urlich used to interpret their sophisticated vision of Italianness”, explains Salvagni. Nothing in the interior decoration is superficial, “already seen” or “fashionable”. Luxury takes on new forms, based on a quest for pure originality. The flowing spaces, with their almost feminine contours, are in contrast with the masculine nuances of chrome but don’t overwhelm them. Salvagni defines all this as “separations that unite”. Other tokens of the sophisticated approach adopted are the recovery of brass from seafaring tradition and the use of leather worked as only skilled craftsmen know how.
This style revolution, based on the concept of “design at the service of wellbeing”, couldn’t of course be at the expense of high performance in the water: Mediterraneo 116’ is propelled by two Man V12-1400 engines delivering 1,400 hp each, pushing the yacht to a top speed of 15 knots and a cruising speed of 14 knots. At 10 knots, the efficient hull designed by Pierluigi Ausonio gives the yacht a range of 3 thousand nautical miles. Stabilisation at anchor and during navigation are provided by the innovative but consolidated electric stabiliser fins with a consolidated reputation built by CMC Marine.
