The Vieux Port of Cannes may be fantastically beautiful, but it is not necessarily known for its size. Weekends in July and August are the worst - that's when the narrow harbour basin can be like a hectic beehive. All the better and easier on the blood pressure if you have a system on board that allows you to steer an 85-tonne yacht intuitively and with centimetre precision using a joystick through a bustling marina.
"Our Amer Cento Quad is the largest superyacht to use IPS drives and the first to be equipped with four IPS-1050 units," says Rodolfo Amerio, who manages the Permare shipyard together with his sister Barbara. Better known in the Italian yachting scene by his nickname "Dodo", the yacht builder prefers to lend a hand himself - whether in the hall or during sea trials - and is clearly delighted to be able to present his latest new build to BOOTE EXCLUSIV outside Cannes. From the flybridge helm, his white shirt unbuttoned wide and his right hand on the ergonomic Volvo Penta joystick, he calmly steers the 8.6 million euro Amer model through the harbour. While we wait for a sporty Riva with an inexperienced captain to clear the way and finally dock at the pier, Dodo explains: "In our opinion, the IPS units from Volvo Penta offer outstanding engine performance and a significant increase in comfort on board compared to conventional shaft drives. With the steerable traction propeller nacelles in the stern, we reduce the vibrations in the ship to an absolute minimum, which significantly improves the stay on board and especially in the interior, even at high speeds."
Added to this is the much-described and incomparably intuitive manoeuvrability in docking mode, which allows even inexperienced owners to park their yacht in even the smallest berths. Another advantage that is of particular interest to more and more owners and potential shipyard customers is the significantly reduced fuel consumption of the Volvo Penta system. "After all, it makes no sense to drive a Tesla Model S for the sake of the environment and then burn 900 litres of diesel per hour on the water," comments the shipyard boss.
During the test drive across the Golfe de la Napoule, precisely defined test runs were on the programme in order to record the diesel consumption in detail under all load scenarios. The results are fascinating and should prompt many other shipyards to take action. For example, the Amer Cento Quad consumes only 69 litres per hour at a creep speed of ten knots, 410 litres at a cruising speed of 22 knots and only 591 litres per hour at a top speed of 28.6 knots, which is easily 300 litres per hour less than many smaller semi-planes in this market segment. The total output of 2388 kilowatts distributed over four engines also guarantees plenty of driving pleasure - the 100-footer styled by yacht designer Massimo Verme accelerates from six to 26 knots in seven seconds. Hold on tight! Humphree interceptors ensure optimum trim at all speeds and manoeuvres, which, in combination with stabilisation fins from the Swedes, get the best out of the GRP hull.
The modern and unobtrusive interior designed by Stefano Tini also benefits from the compact arrangement of the four IPS units in the stern, as the engine room takes up significantly less space. In addition to four large guest suites, there are three bow compartments for a crew of four on the lower deck and a spacious lazarette in the stern. The owner's suite with adjoining office to starboard is located at the very front of the main deck and utilises the entire width. Behind it, the chef cooks in a first-class, loft-style galley with an integrated crew mess. The aft saloon has two L-shaped sofa corners and a dining table for six people, while a large-format flat screen swings out from the ceiling for entertainment purposes. As the yacht was built as a spec yacht, Stefano Tini designed a pleasing interior concept in which large white wall and ceiling panels, light-coloured fabrics, mahogany and teak predominate.
A tidy, calm mix of styles that should appeal to the masses. The teak flooring made from wide planks is particularly eye-catching. "The teak doesn't just look vintage, it is vintage," explains Barbara Amerio as we walk across the three decks. "The 150-year-old wood comes from an old house in Follonica and originally came from the Indonesian island of Java." A staircase leads from the aft cockpit to the flybridge, which is covered by a fixed bimini and, like the entire exterior, is covered in cork rather than teak. The look is similar, but the feel is very different. "Cork has outstanding material properties that are ideal for decks," explains Dodo. Cork is rot-resistant, does not get hot in the blazing sun, insulates very well against noise and heat and is many times lighter than teak. "By replacing teak with cork, we save almost a tonne of weight on the sundeck alone, which lowers the centre of gravity, which benefits stability," he explains. For the layout of the flybridge deck, the shipyard relied on its many years of experience and ensured that the future owner will prefer to spend time up here with a large seating area, dining table and bar including barbecue. A jacuzzi and comfortable sun loungers are located aft and complete the enticing open-air offer. "Of course, we can adapt the layout to the future owner's wishes if necessary," explains Dodo as the Amer Cento Quad slowly approaches the busy harbour of Cannes again. While we wait for the crew on the yacht in front of us to calmly prepare the anchor for mooring, another advantage of the IPS drives is revealed: the integrated Dynamic Positioning System. Rodolfo Amerio presses a button on the command transmitter and the solid GRP semi-glider remains anchored in place. The four IPS nacelles regulate the thrust and direction all by themselves. Once our path is finally clear again, we return to the narrow berth on the Jetée Albert Edouard in "Dodo style", completely relaxed.
Click here for the Video of the Amer Cento !
Martin Hager
