NEW BOATS - Frenetic Ferretti
I’m struggling to keep up with the number of new launches at this autumn’s boat shows — having counted close to fifty debuts at Cannes and Southampton (recession? What recession?). I thought that the rest of the Euro show season was going to be somewhat dull.
I should have known that the Ferretti Group would have kept something back — the popular range has followed the trend of many production builders in recent years, with the boats seemingly getting ever larger, but it’s good to know that the brand is still thinking about the entry-level yachts. At the Genoa Boat Show in October, the yard will unveil two new models — the 500 and the 620.
The Ferretti 500 is essentially a re-examined 470, which was one of the bestsellers of the entry-level range. Key details considered include increasing the cockpit’s surface area and a reworked interior décor that, says the yard, “gives a renewed feeling of contemporary classicism”. Hmmm.
The hull’s sporty lines have received the large-window treatment, which should make for pleasantly airy lower-deck guest cabins, including two opening ports for the forward owners cabin. One other notable layout change on the main deck is the decision to follow the trend for an aft galley complete with a hinged window to create an inside-outside feeling between the cockpit and the saloon. While I’ll admit that I have yet to be convinced that this is a good idea — naked flames and hot pans in draughty corners doesn’t sound terribly seamanlike to a crusty old git like me — the format seems to be growing in popularity so I’ll wait before passing further comment.
Interestingly, a similar layout looks to have been employed on the new 620 — itself a refreshed version of the old 592 — although, in this case, an ‘electric wall’ coupled with the aft sliding door is said to isolate and enclose the galley area. Elsewhere, the master cabin and the two guest cabins have also benefited from the hull window treatment, with the forward master also gaining from opening ports.
Both models are the result of the ongoing relationship between Ferretti’s in-house AYT and Centro Stile bods, and naval architects Studio Zuccon International Project, and both have projected top speeds around the 30-knot mark. If all this wasn’t enough, Genoa will also see the first appearance of the Ferretti 800. Does it ever stop?
Photos: Ferretti 500; Ferretti 620.