Boat of the Month - Lazarra 75 LSX

If you can imagine being shrunk to the size of an ant and crawling inside a Bang & Olufsun hi-fi or TV, well, the Lazzara 75 LSX was just like that. No wires or stuff, just a world of superb design and craftsmanship that is so understated and smart that it became eye popping. 

There was nothing flashy or cheap. No gimmicks, other than the six Foxtel units hidden in a cupboard so that each cabin could watch their own program. Nothing vulgar or spivvy. It was so superbly low-key and yet totally luxurious in a dimension rarely seen other than in the rarefied world of superyachts.

The leather sofas and chairs might have been trimmed by Rolls-Royce or Chanel. The dashboard and helm had no dials or switches or gadgets that were crammed in to impress. Just black glass screens that lit-up with dials, maps and touch pads. Think iPhone meets NASA.

The atrium-style galley was two levels high and encourages you to throw a filet of beef into the Miele oven and rip the cork out of some Verve. But we were already drunk with childlike delight. At which point we tried to find fault, which was a total waste of time.

FIVE-STAR LIVING
The glass corridor walls that turned from fog to clear opened the 75 LSX to a full-beam feeling. Notables include leather-trimmed lockers and drawers, crème marble bathrooms with fabulous fittings, padded walls and ceilings, plus silk bedspreads, it’s all five-star.

Back aft were four Volvo Penta pod drives lined up in a gleaming engineroom with groovy blue lights all adjacent to the skipper’s cabin so he could deal with all this. No one upstairs was going to disturb their reverie for a moment dealing with technical stuff, it was just push the levers down and wait a few moments for 30kts to register on the screen.

Roaring down the bay with a small photo chopper a few feet above us made one feel like James Bond, even though the mirror showed Blofeld. But even a couple of years on, the Lazzara 75 LSX still looks and acts the part.

THE 75 TODAY
In fact, she still presents in show-standard condition. Her original owners, who employed a full-time captain on the motoryacht since new, are upgrading to a larger boat and pass on the 75 LSX as immaculate. Although this is bound to be a crewed boat again, the IPS Joystick docking device and remote means you can drive the 75 yourself.

Australian Lazzara Yachts agent, Grant Torrens International Marine (GTIM) will have the Lazzara 75 LSX on display at its Prestige Motor Yacht Display running May 19 to 29. This special show will be GTIM’s Sovereign Islands marina and coincides with the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.

For further information contact Scott Wellington-Stones, phone (07) 5577 2299.

CREW’S VIEWS
Boats like these are very rare. Such good taste and superb finishes are seamlessly blended by international boatbuilders with real experience and the effect is stunning. Unless you had an Aston Martin and a cliff-top villa of similar specifications, the rest of the day after disembarkation may leave you more than a touch flat, particularly a few hours later in the check-in queue at the Coolangatta airport. Oh well, dream on. Or buy the pre-loved boat and save on most things but the luxe factor.

(QuickSpecs)
LAZARRA 75 LSX

FOR SALE: POA
PRICED FROM: Approx $6 million when tested mid-2009
YEAR: 2009
MATERIAL: Composite balsa-cored construction
TYPE: Variable deadrise monohull
LENGTH OVERALL: 23.39m
BEAM: 5.54m
DRAFT: 1.07m
WEIGHT: 36,740kg (half load)
PEOPLE (NIGHT): 8 + 2
FUEL: 3142lt
WATER: 757lt (plus desalinator)
HOLDING TANK: 378lt
ENGINE: 4 x Volvo Penta IPS600
RATED HP: 435 (each)
PROPS: Forward-facing Nibral Duoprops
MORE FROM: Grant Torrens International Marine, Sovereign Islands, QLD, 4216. Phone: (07) 5577 2299, email: boatfast@bigpond.com or visit www.granttorrrensmarine.com.au.