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![]() TECNOMAR VELVET 83![]() If it is true that the market for superyachts - boats exceeding 24 metres in length - has experienced considerable stimulus in recent years, it is equally true that much of this impulse was given by the advent of large open motoryachts. Furthermore it is undeniable that the open "fashion" arose precisely from the success of yachts built in Italy and that Versilia, the beating heart of our shipbuilding industry, has since become an actual goldmine of opens.
We were saying that the Velvet 83 firmly retains the family feeling that Tecnomar expresses in its opens: highly characterised by the hull with its soaring bow high on the water, with the pronounced forecastle and then the bulwarks gradually dropping towards the stern, finishing at the extremity by framing a comfortable bathing platform. The deckhouse has been kept fairly low and well joined to the broad windshield, wraparound and elongated aft, capped by a thin hardtop which in turn includes a spoiler that serves as aerial holder. Beneath it there is a soft- top extendable over much of the cockpit below for protection from intense summer heat. The deck superstructure is further streamlined by elongated windows, known as open view, next to the uprights of the top, surfaces that contribute to giving considerable light to the interiors. The external spaces feature two sundecks. The first is an integral part of the cockpit, positioned above the garage for the tender, while the other is formed out of the deckhouse forward. Both are accommodating, thanks to their large size but also to the sizes of the gangways that link the two extremities of the external deck. The whole decking is in teak, including the aft bridge and the double stairway by which it is accessed. There is an outdoor dining area in the cockpit with table, sofa and armchairs. Access from this area to the interior is by way of large sliding glass doors. As soon as you step inside, the Velvet 83 offers a living area with leather sofas, chaises longues, armchairs and an item of furniture containing a retractable plasma TV. We felt it to be a soberly furnished but decidedly elegant area, with light coloured floors and sofas and dark wooden furniture. Forward it gave a glimpse of, indeed displayed, a high tech command bridge with essential forms but fully complete instrumentation. The helmsman has a dominant position over the sea, the bridge, the saloon behind but also over the space beyond, towards the bow. In fact the Velvet 83 has a fairly original internal layout which in the forward zone includes a second living area, on an intermediate level between the main and lower decks, consisting of a spacious L-shaped sofa and a low coffee table. It is reached by going down a stairway on the starboard side. The two areas are separated by glass, which gives greater airiness and depth to the whole, striking the eye in a highly evocative way. The result is an extremely vast day area which well integrates adjacent environments, from stern to bow, making on-board life extremely convivial, with an optimal level of overall comfort. Design of the galley, next to the second saloon, is not only functional but also attentive to the aesthetic profile, with dark wood for the furniture and steel for the work surfaces and appliances. A central stairway leads to the night area which consists of an overall three cabins including the owner's. They all give onto a corridor, first the guess cabins which are similar in size and furnishings, with twin beds, wardrobe and private bathroom-shower. The cabin for the owner and his wife, at the end of the corridor, is an actual suite which exploits a space running the full width of the hull. The double bed is in a central position, served by bedside tables and two chests of drawers set along the walls. The en suite bathroom, with spacious shower, is positioned aft on the starboard side while the vast wardrobe is on the port side. The crew's quarters forward are equipped with a private bathroom and with separate access to ensure a good level of privacy. As for performances, the Velvet 83 has a top speed of 43 knots and a cruising speed of around 36/37 knots, the thrust supplied by two powerful MTU 2.000 HP engines coupled to a classic propulsive configuration with shafting lines. |