Yachting

I RECENTLY RETURNED from a whirlwind week in Italy, learning what’s coming from a bevy of boatbuilders. For yachting enthusiasts, there’s a lot of “new” to be excited about. ¶ During a visit to Azimut Yachts in Avigliana, the builder said it will launch the Magellano 30 Metri this summer, debut two boats in its Grande collection—an 85-footer and a 118-footer—at the Cannes Yachting Festival next month, and introduce its S7 and Magellano 58 at the Düsseldorf boat show in January. ¶ In Piacenza, Absolute Yachts has more than doubled its usable real estate. The room is needed as the builder prepares to launch its largest yacht to date—the Navetta 75—next month. Look for this flagship at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this fall. In the Fly range, Absolute…

IF YOU’RE FEELING a bit disoriented, that’s perfectly normal. We haven’t quite reached the crossover point where Capt. Nemo’s sub Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea becomes reality in the world of submersibles, but it sure does feel like we’re starting to get close. ¶ Recent months have seen two of the world’s premier builders of submersibles—Triton Submarines in Florida and U-Boat Worx in the Netherlands—unveil submersible designs that can go deeper, hold more people and include more features than ever before. The new models are expanding everyone’s ideas about what is possible for undersea research, entertainment and just plain having fun while exploring underneath the yacht. Some of the designs look more like underwater laboratories or cruise ships than what we’ve come to expect from submarine launches in…

THE FUGU 29 has a Petestep hull designed to deflect spray, reduce pounding and increase efficiency. The MerCruiser engine reportedly delivers a 40-knot cruising speed while burning less than a gallon of fuel per nautical mile. This boat, which has a cabin accommodating two adults, is customizable. There are 350 hp or 430 hp sterndrive engines, and singleor dual-prop configurations. Options include suspension seating; hull, tube and upholstery colors; and electronics and lighting. Dual-hull steps and deflectors reportedly offer better hydrodynamics than spray rails. Whom It’s For: Fuel-conscious owners seeking performance too. Picture This: It’s Friday in Newport, Rhode Island, and you want to hit Winfield’s Restaurant on Block Island for dinner. You drop the hammers on the Fugu 29 without burning anywhere near as much fuel as an outboard-driven…

FERRETTI YACHTS has taken to heart the old adage of sticking with what works. The Ferretti Yachts 580 is a new addition to the Italian builder’s flybridge range, which already includes nine other models from 50 to 98 feet length overall. Filippo Salvetti is responsible for the 580’s exterior, as well as six other models in this range. IdeaeItalia handled the interiors. Seven 580s have already been sold, according to the builder, with the first launch scheduled for October. The model’s public debut is expected to be at 2023 Boot Düsseldorf. ¶ Beginning atop the flybridge, there’s forward-facing, U-shaped seating, with a wooden dinette aft. Adjacent to the portside helm station is additional guest seating for four. Forward, there are two sun pads that are 86 square feet each. ¶…

THE LARGEST CITY in Maine was born of fire and water. Portland’s seal shows a phoenix rising from the ashes, a reference to the way the city rebuilt after not just one, but four devastating fires. At the same time, since at least the 1600s, the city’s heartbeat has been its waterfront. Today, that waterfront is a mix of working boats and tourist haunts that’s noteworthy because it’s more restored than rebuilt. Yachtsmen who head ashore will encounter much of the same vibe that existed when sailors stepped off their ships in the late 19th century. About 70 percent of the structures were built back then, making this seaport unusual even within New England. It’s hard to find entire streets lined with Victorian commercial architecture like the ones that still…

IF YOU WERE A BABY BOOMER KID who grew up in the sailing-crazed town of Newport, Rhode Island, as I did, there was no way you didn’t have at least a passing familiarity with Pearson Yachts. They were everywhere on Narragansett Bay, built on Aquidneck Island in nearby Portsmouth. Even if you didn’t actually sail a Pearson, you probably knew somebody who built them. ¶ I learned to race sailboats out of Newport Yacht Club on a pair of Pearsons—first a 26, then a 32—owned by the father of a high-school buddy. My first real taste of cruising under sail happened on another set of Pearsons—a 28-foot Triton to start and, later, a 32-foot Vanguard—both skippered by a fellow editor when I started working at Cruising World magazine. ¶ And…