Only six years have passed since the launch of Monte Carlo Yachts. What shipyard boss Carla Demaria has achieved in this time is impressive. The yacht builders belonging to the French Bénéteau Group
French Bénéteau Group with halls in Monfalcone, Italy, has grown into a global player
global player in the highly competitive semi-custom market - a 400-strong workforce now completes around 35 new yachts every year. The confidence of owners and potential customers in the brand and the quality delivered is astonishing - new models are regularly ordered exclusively on the basis of drawings and renderings. Anyone who wants a new MCY in the near future has to be quick.
"Our order book already lists four MCY80 orders, although the almost 25 metre long semi-glider is only celebrating its world premiere here at the Cannes Yachting Festival," said Marketing Manager Federico Peruccio in front of the new flybridge format in the Vieux Port.
What is the recipe for success? Is it the same DNA of the now six models of different lengths? Is it the distinctiveness? "The eye-catching and unmistakable styling of our yachts certainly plays a decisive role," says Peruccio. All Monte Carlo Yachts models are characterised by a high freeboard, an elegantly curved deck line and two round hull windows that appear to merge together. Rarely have designers remained so true to themselves in the exterior styling of a complete yacht line as the Venetian design duo Dan Lenard and Carlo Nuvolari.
"We are in close contact with our customers, and we heard from numerous conversations that a model was missing from our range, a yacht that lies exactly between the 23-metre-long MCY76 and the three-metre-longer MCY86 in terms of space and layout," reports Carla Demaria. In order to stand out from the competition, the design team worked together with the shipyard on a layout that would offer the MCY80 owner and his guests an interior volume that is usually found on much larger formats. To achieve this, the designers moved the galley from the main deck to a lowered tween deck to port of the helm station. This leaves an impressive 30 square metres of space for the bright saloon with adjoining dining area. A sliding door aft of the bridge also makes it possible to separate the crew work areas.
"Our Asian customers in particular really appreciate this option, as it guarantees a lot of privacy," says Carla Demaria. Additional space on the main deck is provided by the elimination of a day toilet. Guests use the bathroom in the starboard guest cabin while underway and at anchor, which can also be reached from the stairs to the lower deck thanks to a second door. However, due to its XXS dimensions, this wet room is not suitable for overly corpulent yacht enthusiasts. Owners and guests live on board the MCY80 in a tried-and-tested lower deck layout: the VIPs in the bow, four guests behind them in rather clearly laid out cabins and the owner in the centre. The owner has a full-width suite at his disposal, which is flooded with natural light thanks to two large round hull windows, including a sea view from the queen-size bed. As in the entire interior, warm and subtle natural colours dominate, with fabrics predominantly from the Armani, Rubelli and Hermès collections. Of course, every owner has their own preferences here and, with the shipyard's decor professionals, a team on hand to fulfil almost every conceivable wish.
The crew area consisting of two cabins, a shared toilet and compact mess room is located aft of the owner's suite and in front of the engine room, where two MAN gensets with either 1155 or 1230 kilowatts each transmit their power to the propellers. The more powerful propulsion package accelerates the semi-glider, which displaces around 63 tonnes when fully fuelled, to a maximum of 30 knots, but the most comfortable cruising speed is just over 20 knots. "A large tender is on the wish list of many owners," reveals Federico Peruccio. "That's why we invested a lot of time in optimising the lazarette." The result is an incomparably large stern garage for this size of yacht, with space for a jet tender up to 3.85 metres long. The Fly naturally offers more space for tenders and toys, but with its smart layout and elegant choice of furniture, it is far too good for that.
