WORLD PREMIER-“ILLUSION I”
BENETTI – NEW 58 METERS “ILLUSION I”
WORLD PREMIER AT THE 2014 MONACO YACHT SHOW
The M/Y Illusion I, the latest jewel from the Benetti family, will be one of the stars at the 2014 Monaco Yacht Show. The 58 meter four decked steel and aluminium M/Y, built at the Benetti Livorno shipyard, was designed by Green & Mingarelli for a European Owner.
The upcoming Monaco yacht Show will be the perfect showcase for Illusion I, the new 58 meters M/Y that consolidates Benetti’s leadership in the over 40 meter displacement hull market.
Illusion I, whose external design is the beautiful result of the Benetti design team with considerable input from the Owner and his design staff, has four decks plus a sun-deck. Designed for commercial charter use, the Owner will also use her privately, thanks to a layout that includes one Vip and four guest cabins, in addition to the owners cabin, giving her a total capacity of 12 + 1 passengers.
The Lower deck is given over to the guests. Aft, we have a beach area with an ample bar zone and a stylish finish: here the Owner wanted to have the same level of decor as found in the guest areas. The beach area is distinctly separate from the garage, which opens laterally for launching and recovering the tender and the two jet skis. There is also generous room in the garage for wetsuits and diving gear. Moving forward, beyond the engine rooms, we enter
the Vip cabin. Located amidships, the cabin takes full advantage of almost eleven meters of beam. The spectacular bathroom is placed parallel to the vessels side, offering a priceless view. Then we have the other guest cabins, each obviously with a private bathroom: three
twins (one with a third pullman bunk) and one double. On the same deck, but completely separate, we have the crew quarters, with four single crew cabins and a double for the chief engineer, each with its own bathroom. There is separate access to all decks from the crew
quarters, guaranteeing maximum privacy for the guests and increasing the crews efficiency in service.
The Main Deck cockpit, the first area to be found when coming aboard, is very spacious. A large c-shaped sofa with twin coffee table and comfortable lounge chairs has its own complete corner bar. The main salon is dominated by the Owners refreshing choice of locating the dinner table for ten next to the entryway: it is entirely dedicated to entertainment. And thanks to the aft location of the air vents, the area is very spacious and bright – the walls are fully in glass and fill the room with a splendid natural light. And for even more light, on deck the gunwales in front of the windows have been lowered to view the sea from inside and literally inundate the salon with light. Main salon is furnished with three large sofas, supplied by the Owner, along with a low table and a retractable wide screen TV. From forward, the bar overlooks it all.
The owners interior designer, in collaboration with the Benetti design office, personally chose the style of furnishings and décor, with a dominant theme in pink, while the choice and combination of the materials used is quite special. Travertine, wood, and several kinds of
marble alternate with other more unusual materials: ray-skin, coco or slivers of mother ofpearl. In the guest area all the walls are covered with black walnut panels, with a specialdesign: to augment contrast and movement, the walnut panels are alternated with parchment
covered panels. The parchment is very difficult to work with, but the yards artisans managed to completely satisfy the owners needs and the grain evident in the chosen materials creates a very suggestive contrast. The Lalique crystal insets add yet another touch of elegance, and
reflect the natural lighting. The ivory leather ceilings complete the effect of space and light. Passing from the salon to the main foyer, with its majestic stairway connecting the three decks and the crew area, then enter the modern galley. Its granite finishings, along with a custom
made refrigerator, two large ovens, burners, deep fryer, and two wok burners, put it on a level with the best five star kitchens. A dumbwaiter connects the main deck pantry with the upper deck pantry.
After the foyer, we enter into the Owners suite. The cabin, proceeded by a relax area, is full beam with large lateral windows and a beautiful sofa to one side. The owners bathroom, just like the Vip bathroom, is entirely finished with an onyx décor, with both sinks in carved marble.
Extremely spacious, with two entryways and his and her dressing rooms, it includes an enormous central shower, a bathtub and twin toilets. With the many details that make this yacht so special, also note the custom finished Rose Gold faucets in all the bathrooms. Another
characteristic of this area is its complete silence. Noise and vibration reduction throughout the yacht was a specific request made by the Owner, and the Benetti technicians, together with a Danish company specialized in noise reduction, succeeded admirably. This is why everything is double sealed and there is carpet in the crew area.
Informal evenings are hosted on the open Upper deck, where we find the 14 place dinner table and mobile bar; while inside there is another small salon with sofas, entertainment area, and a corner bar. Fun and relaxation are the central themes that determine the upper deck
layout, where we also find a small movie theater (which if needs be, can be converted into an extra cabin), a wine cellar and a cold-box for cigars. Moving forward we find the entryway into the crews quarters, with a cabin for the chief stewardess, the captains cabin, and the radio
room with direct access to the bridge. Here we have yet a further example of high technology, with five large touchscreens that integrate all the command, management and monitoring functions of the ships systems. From the stern, we now come to the Sun deck and all its features. A marvelous mosaic Jacuzzi is surrounded by sunbathing recliners, mobile bar, barbecue grill and dinette. The whole area can be sheltered from the wind thanks to a double sliding-doored veranda, but the six window skylight always leaves a view of the starry heavens. All the external furnishings are in dark painted teak while the marble is rustic travertine.
Whether inside or outside, all lighting aboard is furnished by a highly customized LED illumination system, with the possibility to individually control each fixture and create infinitely refined lighting scenarios.
And in following the Benetti tradition, the Under lower deck is devoted exclusively to the yachts systems. Including the engine room, the deck also has a large cold room with refrigerators, icebox, an area reserved exclusively for all the infotainment systems aboard, and an ample laundry room. There is also a service elevator connecting this deck to the main deck.Performance wise, Illusion I is very kind in a seaway, and has a 15 knot fast cruising speed. At the 12 knot normal cruising speed, the Illusion has a 5,000 nautical mile range. Propulsion is provided by twin CAT 3512C motors, developing 1,380 kw each. Generators are twin CAT C9 Gensets for 200 kw each, plus a third CAT C4.4 generator for 82 kw. Illusion I is a very refined yacht with a very original décor, designed to furnish maximum possible comfort at sea, with record low levels of noise and vibration, and proudly maintains Benetti’s high class reputation worldwide. Illusion I will be available to charter in the Caribbean and Bahamas through Camper & Nicholsons International, at a weekly rate starting from $350,000. For more information on
chartering Illusion I, please go to Camper & Nicholsons International – Illusion I .
