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Text and photographs by Antonio Bignami
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BENETTI FB 218
Almost ten years have gone by since Azimut yard acquired the
Benetti shipyard of Viareggio (Leghorn, Italy). Benetti has been
"the" yard entitled to represent part of the history of Italian
pleasure yachting. Its name has been a synonym for the Italian
style and the Italian tradition of craftsmanship, creativity and
innovation as far as design and technology of luxury pleasure
motor yachts is concerned. Since then, style and design followed
their course. The yard, supported by an extraordinary
entrepreneurial activity, perfectly associated the past, the
present and the future of the international shipyard activity by
meeting the demands of particularly demanding and knowledgeable
clients.
In this way, the heritage that Benetti represented and
still represents for the Viareggio-based shipyard activity
gradually increased. One should keep in mind that for most
international maxi-yacht clients Viareggio is synonym for the
Italian yachting style. Nowadays, this Italian style is gaining
consensus and success, notwithstanding the difficult period it is
going through for several reasons. The related economic sectors,
the yard structure which passes from an elite-oriented to and
entrepreneurial company, the unmistakably Italian yet
internationally accepted and celebrated style are just some of the
features that describe Benetti's 1997 success which will most
probably last till the third millenium. Images speak better than
words.
The photographs shown here, taken from a small helicopter
fighting against the wind, hovering a few feet above the waves and
the sprays, depict the extraordinary Benetti FB 218. She is a 164'
steel semi-displacement yacht, with the classically raked aft
transom, molded aft swimming platform and four decks. She is
powered by two MTU 12V396 TE 94 engines; each engine produces
2,262 hp and propels the 325-ton yacht at a maximum speed of 18 knots.
Sixty men worked at her construction every day for 24
months for a timely delivery. Even though the owner has classical
tastes, hi-tech solutions were applied during her construction.
the yacht was fitted with a helicopter landing platform on the
sun-deck, a futuristic fire-fighting system capable of controlling
all interior spaces - including the engine room and the aft garage
- and a 24-hour machinery monitoring system. Mahogany, marbles,
golden accessories: Naval Architect François Zuretti
successfully designed her interiors so as to perfectly meet the
refined taste and top quality requirements of her owner.
The interior construction material is mahogany lighted up by bright
upholstery; carpet and floor covering are in light ivory color;
all internal doors have rounded top and golden knobs, screws and
locks; all bathrooms are in marble with different veins and colors
and they have golden taps and fittings. Decks are covered by 1300
selected top-quality Burma teak staves. Actually, a complete
description of this Queen of the Seas is impossible in this short
article, for much more space is needed.
We let the reader fly with
his own imagination by describing just the nicest aspects of this
beautiful yacht. The sundeck is fitted with a Jacuzzi whirlpool
and a bar with dumb-waiter. In the upper deck, there is the salon
with four extraordinary crystal pyramids displaying valuable
objects collected by the owner. Two sliding electrical doors are
separate it from the dinette that is fitted with a beautiful 10-
seat oval marble and crystal table.
Two maps of the Old and New
World obtained from the original map displayed at the London
Stanford Museum are inscribed in the two sliding doors. The ample
spaces on this deck were obtained extending the deckhouse to the
sides of the vessel. The helm station, fitted with hi-tech
navigation and machinery instruments, is in mahogany with dark
leather finishing. Access to a forward panoramic area is possible
from the helm station.
This area is fitted with a C-shaped settee
and a round table standing over a beautiful wind-rose created by
alternating light and dark teak panels. The plush enclosed area is
decorated with black Porotoro and red Alicante marbles and
includes the luxury mahogany staircase connecting the three decks.
Access to the master suite is from the lobby. The suite surface
extends throughout the deck beam and includes a private office, a
stateroom, two walk-in closets/cabins directly connected to a
roomy bathroom with central Jacuzzi tub and a king-size shower
with Turkish-bath like system. As far as weight is concerned, the
3,228-square foot surface of valuable marble used on board is
5/16" thick and is laid over a honeycomb structure to have
lightweight furnishing.
The lower deck layout includes two forward
guest staterooms with twin beds and two aft guest staterooms with
queen-size beds. All cabins are very comfortable and plush, with a
tasteful combination of textiles and finishing materials. Crew
quarters were intended to offer a comfortable arrangement for 11
crewmembers. The owner's attention greatly concentrated on their
comfort. All cabins are fitted with toilet and shower, the dinette
is ample and bright, service equipment is extremely practical and
of extra size.
The engine room, with the two MTU propelling units
and two 125-kW generating sets, is fitted with a monitoring system
provided with a color and touch-type screen. The service station
aft includes the fire-fighting "high-fog" plant, with 12 big
bottles - 3 of which are nitrogen bottles - capable of controlling
a fire anywhere onboard. The big aft hatch perfectly integrates in
the hull design and facilitates boarding. The transom garage
contains all technical and marine equipment, scuba-diving
equipment, a 20' tender and, depending on sea conditions, two
personal watercrafts that are usually fitted forward.
The FB 218 is ready to sail but the legend of the Benetti yard
continues and dreams become reality. Today, on a hot summer day in
the beginning of August, as I am writing these notes on the Golden
Bay, the brand-new 177' steel yacht FB 219 is launched in the
stretch of water in front of Viareggio and the new covered dock is
inaugurated. This new dry-dock - with programmed water filling -
will allow the materialization of the Benetti yard's ambitions and
challenges: to design and build new and bigger models with maximum
length of 230 feet.
The legend continues.
TECHNICAL DATA
Builder: Benetti; 55049 Viareggio (Lucca, Italy); via Michele Coppino 104; tel. +39-584-3821; fax +39-584-396232 (Azimut, 10051 Avigliana (Turin, Italy), viale dei Mareschi 14; tel. +30-11-9367271; fax +39-11-9367270)
LOA: 164'
Beam: 30'
Draft: 8'2"- Full load displacement: 330 tons
Fuel capacity: 15,060 gallons
Spare fuel capacity: 2,114 gallons
Freshwater capacity: 3,170 gallons
Power: 2x2,262 HP MTU 12V 396TE94 -Maximum speed: 18.1 knots
Range at 12-knot cruising speed: 3,400 miles
Classification: American Bureau of Shipping - Maltese Cross A1 - AMS.
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