Erwin Bamps leaves no room for doubt. "This is a completely different approach to what we do in the 50-foot range," he says firmly. The CEO of Prestige takes part in a tour of the M8 and reveals: "It's exciting to surprise the market like this." The French-Italian brand of the Beneteau Group is known for the S and F flybridge lines and the X-line displacement yachts. Less than a year after the very first multihull - the M48 was presented to the public at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September 2022 - it is now following up with a 19.82 metre long and 8.85 metre wide large-capacity model, which unmistakably bears the proven signature of Garroni Design and is being built at the Beneteau Italia shipyard in Monfalcone near Trieste. With a production area of 45,000 square metres, the modern site on the Adriatic has sufficient capacity for further projects.
"A villa on the water"
The M8 was designed for motorised propulsion from the outset. Overall, the concept was narrower than a comparable twin hull with sails, but higher. "There is no reference to sailing cats here, as is usually the case," says chief designer Camillo Garroni Carbonara, "the proportions are typical of a contemporary motor yacht. The M8 is a villa on the water."
The two hulls, in turn, were moulded in the Marc Lombard studio based in La Rochelle, France. They are designed to glide smoothly through the waves and accelerate the catamaran effortlessly up to 20 knots. The twin-hull arrangement ensures pleasant sailing characteristics and stability at anchor and when travelling. However, it is also one reason why the M8 should only consume around half as much fuel as a monohull with a similar volume. At eight knots, for example, the shipyard estimates a consumption of 20 litres per hour. During a test run off the coast of southern France, the displays showed a consumption of 77.2 litres per hour at 10.7 knots and 204 litres at 17 knots.
Owners can save money not only by travelling more slowly, but also in other areas. The optional "Silent Boat Pack" consists of solar panels and a battery pack and allows clean and quiet operation at night and for several hours during the day, completely without running generators.
Even more space on board the Prestige M8
The generous dimensions, which Garroni equates with a villa, mean a great deal more space. "The concept is designed to fulfil the customer's desire for more volume," explains Cristina Malalan, Marketing Manager at Prestige, "we're talking about 270 square metres of living space here." This is divided, for example, between a 50 square metre saloon and a 30 square metre master suite, which is more like a private flat and takes up the entire width of the forward lower deck.
All in all, guests on the almost 20 metre long M8 enjoy as much space as on a five metre longer monohull. Thanks to the design and height, even the outside decks can be used almost all the time, and even in rough water the 32 square metre cockpit or the 50 square metre flybridge remain nice and dry.
Prestige is celebrating the 4.20 metre wide platform at the stern as an innovation, "a bespoke project with Opacmare", as Cristina Malalan emphasises. When fully raised, it extends the cockpit with a terrace; halfway up, the platform closes the space between the hulls and becomes a beach club; when fully lowered, it serves as a launch base for the tender and also as a large bathing ladder with wide and comfortable steps.
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Sustainable materials used
Out here, a change of material and the move towards greater environmental awareness is also confirmed: Prestige is moving away from teak as a decking material and also from artificial alternatives, such as those already used on various yachts in the group. "This is Iroko," says Erwin Bamps, "we have found a hardwood that is sustainable and better than artificial teak in terms of feel and value for customers." The CEO also mentions that he saw it on various sailing yachts during boot Düsseldorf: "Iroko is very much on the rise." Bamps calmly dismisses the objection that it might feel a little too hard: "In terms of treatment, appearance and ageing, it is very similar to teak."
Freedom of design for a customised Prestige M8
Customers can choose from various configurations for the layout and interior. The U-shaped open galley can either be positioned at the front of the main deck, opposite the dining area, or it can be moved down one level to the aft part of the starboard bow. There it takes the place of suite number five and reduces the up to eleven berths for guests by two. A further two beds can be removed when the two suites on the port side are merged to form a large VIP suite with lounge and dressing room. The saloon with its huge windows is also modular and can therefore be arranged very flexibly. From here, three open staircases lead to the master area and the respective lower decks, one of which also serves as a staircase to the flybridge. Thanks to filigree metal supports, the view glides unhindered through the space. Aft, two glass doors lead directly into the cockpit, with a bar in between.
According to Erwin Bamps, who was previously the CEO of Gulf Craft, Prestige is capitalising on the semi-custom concept with the M8; the aim is to win over customers with a particularly broad portfolio of options. This also applies to the interior by Valentina Militerno de Romedis, who designed the "Miami" colour concept, among other things, thus paying homage to a city that stands for the future. "It is the symbol of modernity," says de Romedis with conviction.
Premium service for owners
With the flagship catamaran, however, Prestige also wants to fulfil the often cherished desire for more customer service and is focusing its marketing efforts on new software. To realise the project, the Beneteau Group has invested in the company Yacht Solutions, which has developed a special user platform. "Customers go online, open an account and select the equipment for their yacht from their armchair," explains Erwin Bamps, "this can include clothing, towels or accessories and cutlery, even wine and champagne" - in principle, the complete equipment for the very first trip. Once the owners have ordered everything, the goods arrive at the shipyard or at the yacht's handover point, and the service continues.
"Our people make the beds on board and put away the cutlery," reports Bamps, "just like an online concierge service". This is nothing new, but it is something completely new for the size segment in which Prestige operates: "You usually see this more in the environment of large superyachts." However, the French are not that far removed from the latter. Even with a 24-metre model from the M series, they would be in the same league as the 30-metre formats in terms of space, taking into account the size advantage of the catamaran concept.
Technical data
- Length over everything: 19,82 m
- Length (hull shape): 19,67 m
- Width: 8,85 m
- Depth: 1,65 m
- Displacement (empty/full): 41,12/52,67 t
- Material: GRP
- Motors: 2 x Volvo D8 V-Drive
- Engine power: 2 x 447 kW
- Speed (max.): 20 kn
- Speed (travelling): 15 kn
- Range: 350 nm @ 15 kn
- Fuel: 2 x 1850 litres
- Water: 2 x 425 litres
- Waste water: 240 l
- Guests/crew: 7-11/2
- Construction: Garroni Design/Marc Lombard
- Exterior design: Garroni Design
- Interior design: Valentina M. de Romedis
- Class: CE "A"
- Shipyard: Prestige, 2023
- Starting price: from 4.75 million euros
