Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Ferretti Yachts is presenting the new Ferretti Yachts 650, the first in a series of models that are bound to extensively renovate the brand in the range below 70 feet in length. This yacht, which is the outcome of the cooperation between the Research and Development department AYT&D - Advanced Yachts Technology & Design, the Group’s Centro Stile, and Studio Zuccon International Project, will officially make its debut at the al Cannes Yachting Festival 2014.
Even before being officially presented, the new model has already attracted great interest on the market: indeed, the first hull of the Ferretti Yachts 650 has already been sold to a Chinese owner, a fact that bears witness to the international success the brand is meeting with, especially on the leading market of the Asia-Pacific region. The second hull too has been sold, to a Middle East owner, while the third 65-footer (the first in the version with hard top on the flybridge) will reach the United States in 2015.
“In Cannes we are presenting a yacht we strongly believe in - explains Stefano De Vivo, Ferretti Group’s Chief Commercial Officer - and the first feedback we received from the market is the best confirmation we could get. The Ferretti Yachts 650 is a contemporary yacht which skilfully combines the sober and timeless charm of all Ferretti Yachts crafts with excellent performances in terms of both speed and range, as well as outstanding technical solutions and the highest possible safety standards. The user-friendliness of all onboard equipment goes hand in hand with impressive comfort and liveability solutions, capable of meeting the needs of the most demanding owners all over the world".
The Ferretti Yacht 650 immediately strikes the eye for its truly distinctive profile. Its outer silhouette is characterised by an aerodynamic flybridge and new fibreglass decorative elements that “cut” through the profile of the glazing in the superstructure. An unprecedented decoration connects the windows of the three cabins below deck (the master stateroom, the guest cabin, and the VIP cabin), which are extremely large so as to let through plenty of natural light into all guest areas. The pilot station dashboard has also been restyled, and can now boast a new sophisticated design.
The slender lines of the Ferretti Yachts 650 - which is 19.67 metres (64.6 feet) long and has a beam of 5.25 metres (17.3 feet) - are further enhanced by the yacht’s aft area, specifically designed to ensure easy and safe tender handling and increase the guests' onboard comfort. A lift has indeed been installed on the yacht, capable of fitting an over-3-metre-long inflatable boat and which can be lowered by a metre with respect to its original position, thereby allowing to handle the tender without any davit and ensure easy launching into the sea, also thanks to some steps built in the hull. This innovative solution ensures the utmost efficiency, user-friendliness and safety when launching and hauling the inflatable boat, besides converting the peak (which is davit-free) into a large aft storage compartment where water toys and other equipment can be conveniently stored.
As is the case on all models in the range, on this 65-footer too the Shipyard is proposing several different layouts both on the sundeck - which also comes in the hard-top version - and indoors. Ferretti has indeed designed a “TaiHe Ban by Ferretti” edition of the 650, targeted in particular at Far East owners.
This concept, developed internally by Ferretti’s teams, draws inspiration from the most important building of the Forbidden City in Beijing - famous for its luxury and precious furnishings - where the main official ceremonies were held in the past in the presence of the Emperor. Besides featuring a new interior décor, in line with the culture and taste of the markets for which the yacht has been conceived, this second layout also includes a series of areas that have replaced others and are exclusively devoted to business meetings and social events.
MAIN DECK
Access to the cockpit is gained from the swimming platform, both to port and starboard, thanks to two flights of steps built in the hull; a concealing electro-hydraulic gangway can also be installed to starboard upon request. In the middle of the cockpit is a large fixed wooden table, completed by an aft sofa and four movable chairs. On the starboard side, near the up-and-over window "connecting" the cockpit and the galley stands a practical cabinet with a wooden top, featuring several storage compartments and a section pre-fit for the ice-maker. Further right, some steps lead to the flybridge, while on the opposite side a door opens towards the stairs to the crew quarters, which include a single cabin with separate head.
A glazed door leads to a large open space characterised by stylish furniture and furnishings as well as by an extremely rational and functional layout. Stepping in, the galley, located on the starboard side, has been positioned so as to maximise the ‘interaction’ between the interiors and the main deck. It is open an all sides and is 'enclosed' by two convenient peninsular units, a solution that allows to fully exploit this section even as a large bar area that also opens onto the dining and living areas, further contributing to a sense of volume and making living onboard even more enjoyable - not to mention the extraordinary visibility ensured while cruising. Upon request by the Owner the galley may also be closed with bulwarks. On the left are a cabinet for tableware and several drop-leaf door units concealing the audio/video electronic appliances.
Walking towards the bow, the dining area is located to starboard and is furnished with a large C-shaped sofa and an extendable glass table seating up to six people. On the opposite side is a second sofa, behind which the TV has been installed, which can also be concealed upon request. An optional refrigerator/bottle rack can also be installed in this area. The pilot station can be found beyond the sofa, on the left. The stairs beside it lead below deck.
LOWER DECK
The underdeck layout on this yacht includes three double cabins and three separate heads. The rational space arrangement is very much appreciated also because of the outstanding noiselessness it ensures. Indeed, the systems operating also at night time - such as the genset and the air conditioning system – are installed at the extreme stern, in the engine room, just like the electro-hydraulic stabilising fins, which may be installed upon request. In this way, the distance between these systems and the Owner’s bed is extended to approximately 7 metres, with four soundproofing bulwarks and three rooms (the sailor’s cabin, the tank and the owner’s bathroom) in between.
The Owner's quarters are located amidships and include the cabin with a full-beam head behind the bed, and a large walk-in wardrobe. The cabin is furnished with a sofa to starboard and a vanity set to port. Leaving the master’s cabin and stepping into the lobby, a storeroom can be found, where a second “in-column” washing machine + tumble drier may be installed, in addition to the standard one fitted in the sailor's cabin. Continuing along the corridor towards the bow, the guest cabin, with twin beds and separate head – which may also be used as a day toilet -, is located on the right, while the double VIP cabin with private bathroom and separate shower is at the extreme bow.
In the “TaiHe Ban by Ferretti” edition, the areas devoted to social life have been increased, turning the main deck into a large open space to be used for both official meetings and less formal events. The main difference in this special edition is that the galley has been replaced by large dinette, while the central part of the salon has remained unchanged. The galley is now on the lower deck, replacing the starboard guest cabin. The layout of the remaining part of the deck has not changed, and features two double cabins and three bathrooms.
FLYBRIDGE AND OUTDOOR AREAS
The design of the flybridge, very sporty, draws inspiration from that of the most recent models in the Ferretti Yachts range. A new aerodynamic support bracket for the radar and satellite systems has been installed aft. The alternative version can be fitted with a very aerodynamic, thin, bronze-shade hard top which shelters the sundeck in its entirety, including the large sunbathing area. In the central part, starboard, is the second pilot station, with the co-pilot sofa on the left. Behind it, the bar area has been arranged, featuring a grill and a sink; aft, the C-shaped sofa and the large table can seat up to 8 people. Another spacious sunbathing area can be found at the extreme bow, on the wheelhouse.
DÉCOR AND MATERIALS
One of the main innovations on this new are its outfitting and interior décor. Centro Stile’s team of architects and designers has performed a painstaking study aimed at the selection of new materials, new colour shades and, consequently, new colour and material combinations - an outfitting that endows the Ferretti Yachts 650 with an even more dynamic, brighter, and yet extremely refined style.
All furniture is in “Silver Oak”, a new grey-silver oak wood. Upon request – and in the first hull - all furniture tops are in leather, in the same colour shade as the wood. All solid wood details – i.e. furniture edges and frames -, conversely, come in a new polished lacquered material. The leather selected for the pilot station and the pilot seat is also new.
The main deck ceiling pattern is extremely original, with alternating horizontal stripes of ivory-shade leather and polished lacquered material, where the spotlights have been installed. The entire lighting system on the first Ferretti Yachts 650 uses LED technology, both on the main deck and underdeck.
Onboard systems have been devoted great care too, by installing soft-touch switches, thereby applying on this 65-footer a technical feature that had so far been present on larger models only.
The décor on the lower deck gives the guest cabins and heads a truly unmistakable look. In the master cabin, the numerous leather inserts in the bed band and headboard are in the same colour shade as the wood used on the entire boat. The wall dividing the cabin from the bathroom has been restyled and is now characterised by three satin Plexiglas niches alternating with greyish python leather. The owner’s bathroom, in turn, is characterised by natural stone inserts on the shelves, combined with a black top, in the same colour shade as the washbasin. The large mirror is now jutting and “framed" by a LED backlighting system. The décor of the other two cabins and their heads is perfectly harmonised with that of the owner’s area.
ENGINES
The Ferretti Yachts 650 is equipped with Caterpillar engines, more specifically with a pair of CAT C18, a type of highly reliable engines ensuring very consistent performances, which in the standard engine configuration - a pair of 1015 mhp C18 engines – allow the yacht to reach a cruising speed of 27 knots and a maximum speed of 30.5 knots. The optional engines (1150 mhp), in turn, can push the yacht to a cruising speed of 30 knots and a top speed of 33 knots. The range is 275 and 245 nautical miles, respectively, at maximum speed, and 290 and 270 nautical miles, respectively, at cruising speed (preliminary data).