BENETTI ‘SEASENSE’ 67 m
Life at sea is the feeling of a gentle breeze, smelling of freshness and salty ocean. Life at sea is the feeling of a gentle breeze, smelling of freshness and salty ocean. This principle was guided by the Benetti shipyard when they undertook to create such a project. The yacht was not supposed to become another “high-rise building” on the water with air conditioning and small balconies. The main goal was to create a cozy sea oasis that could give the feeling of the sea to the fullest. This is exactly what the new vessel M/Y ‘Seasense’ turned out to be
From the very beginning of work on this project, the owner knew very clearly what exactly he wanted to get on his future yacht. And with equal precision, he imagined exactly what he didn’t want: dark lacquered wood paneling, low ceilings, faded neutrals, a pompous formal dining room that no one would use, white carpet, and a closet called a gym. But the most important, even fundamental issue was open space – a lot of open space. The Dutch designer Cor D. Rover was invited to work on the project, who was able to bring a truly new concept and idea. Perhaps the M/Y ‘Seasense’ stands out somewhat from all that has been built by the Benetti shipyard, except for the typically narrow vertical windows. The first thing that catches your eye is the offset superstructure. The aft part of the main deck is fenced only with a “weightless” railing, instead of a massive bulwark, which often blocks the most beautiful views. The steel hull looks more masculine than any of Benetti’s predecessors, and thanks to its blunt bow and long stern, the M/Y ‘Seasense’ is somewhat reminiscent of a modern expedition vessel.
Seasense was inspired by the idea of a ‘beach club’ which defined the style of the yacht. The bathing platform welcomes you with rain showers, and there is no usual beach with a bar or chairs. But as soon as you climb to the main deck, it immediately becomes clear why. Before the guests appears a huge pool, measuring 10 by 4 meters, and all this with a vessel length of 67 meters and a width of about 11 meters. A real beach club is built around the pool with sun loungers and sofas, which are protected by umbrellas and side blinds from the sun. Such a beach area can simultaneously accommodate at least 12 guests. The next innovation that causes amazement is the transformation of the pool into a basketball court. Yes, to a real sports area with baskets for balls! For this, a huge preparation was carried out, since filling and emptying the pool with a capacity of 27 thousand liters required a scrupulous approach. Benetti engineers have done a great job of studying the stability of a vessel with a full pool using the ‘Seasense’ scale model at the Marine Research Institute in the Netherlands. Briefly, the process is as follows: water is pumped into tanks under the pool, and supporting structures are installed on the bottom. Then the entire “bowl” is covered with specially designed panels, which are stored on the lower deck for the time being. True, as they say in Benetti, this is a rather lengthy activity, which can take at least 6 hours.
As we move deeper into the deck, another non-trivial solution draws attention to itself. Teak boards are laid not traditionally along, but across, which visually makes the deck space wider. And although at first Benetti tried in every possible way to dissuade the owner from such a bold reception, nevertheless this decision found a place on board. In addition, this laying method has saved significant resources, because there is less waste. The beach club is adjoined by a bar corner with relaxation areas, as well as a dining room. Formally, the dining room is outdoors, but can be completely separated from the beach area by sliding glass partitions, creating the feeling of a summer countryside veranda. The owner specifically insisted that all areas be as open as possible and remind you that you are still on the yacht. The saloon on the main deck is more suited to the definition of a cinema. It is a TV lounge with an integrated media library that can be enjoyed on a 98-inch screen. The salon-cinema is also separated by glass partitions from the dining room. All this allows flexible use of spaces, combining the beach club, dining room and lounge, or, on the contrary, dividing them into three independent zones. Since there were no dining areas in the salon on the main deck, the skylounge on the upper deck took over the functions of serving for the VIP. There is also a sofa nook, an office with a library, and a dining room at the junction of open and closed space. A large outdoor al fresco area serves as an unspoken continuation of the skylounge. The interiors were designed by Area Studios in Los Angeles. The designers were challenged to get away from the hackneyed color schemes and traditional textures that make a full custom yacht too predictable and similar to hundreds of others. More than a hundred different materials were used on the Benetti ‘Seasense’. So, dozens of types of wood were used as wall panels, and several types of marble were used for each of the bathrooms. And that’s not counting the numerous flooring solutions that are radically different from each other in all areas.
The blue color was taken as the basis, which conditionally resembles sea water. On M/Y ‘Seasense’, it is present in one intensity or another — from “royal” blue to azure, as if symbolizing a smooth transition from the color of the deep sea to heavenly pale blue. Furniture and textiles by Walter Knoll and Martin Brattrud serve as bright spots against the calm shades of walls and floors. Velvet emerald upholstery, silky colorful Tai Ping carpets are perfectly combined with small splashes of pink, gold and lime. Overall, the M/Y ‘Seasense’ style features a sleek, modern design, yet retains a cozy, homely feel. The master apartments, located in the bow of the main deck, also fully correspond to the concept of a cozy home. They were conceived as an open space filled with “air”, where a large number of art objects could be placed. This required certain decisions, for example, in order to hang canvases by the artist Valerie Berlin on the walls, the ceilings in the guest areas had to be raised to 2.5 meters. The central place is occupied by a double bed, above it the ceilings already reach an incredible 3 meters. This was necessary to place an art object – a stainless steel chandelier Studio Roso. Its mirror polished edges play with the light and fill the bedroom with highlights. The cabin is complemented by a sun lounger, dressing rooms “for him” and “for her”, and a bathroom with shower and bath. Near the master suite there is another VIP cabin, which will most likely be used for members of the owner’s family. In addition to a double bed and a wardrobe, the suite has a dressing room, a bathroom and a dressing table. In addition, its color scheme also draws attention – rich blue has been replaced by bright red accents. Four more guest cabins are located on the lower deck – two VIP and Twins each, where the beds can be either single or transformed into one large bed due to sliding beds.
The topmost level, the sandek, also has an interesting layout. The covered central part is reserved for a professional gym. It is a full-fledged fitness club with a whole set of exercise equipment, dumbbells and other necessary sports equipment. And it’s important to note that this is really a gym, and not a narrow corridor with one machine – this is what the owner of M / Y ‘Seasense’ wanted to avoid. The elevator in the center of the gym could be a serious problem, but this “flaw” was turned into a full-fledged art object: a cylindrical shaft was decorated with air bubbles. From one side of the gym you can go to the bow of the yacht with another beach club. From here, unforgettable views of the sea horizon open up, which can be contemplated from the Jacuzzi, or lying on one of the mattresses surrounding it. Aft, on the other side of the gym, there is a cocktail area with a bar, barbecue and even a wood-fired pizza oven! From a technical point of view, everything is organized more traditionally and familiarly on M/Y ‘Seasense’. The vessel is powered by two 1,850 hp CAT 3512C diesel engines, thanks to which the maximum speed is 15.5 knots, and the cruising range is 5,000 nautical miles at 12 knots. Also on the M / Y ‘Seasense’ there is a stabilization system, which includes two pairs of bladed propellers. In the garage is an 8m Benetti limousine tender, custom built by Giorgio Cassetta.
