44-metre explorer from Cantiere delle Marche: "Maverick" has water under its keel

Explorers are slow, aeroplanes are fast. Don't they go together? Yes, the cross between the two is "Maverick", a Flexplorer! Even the name of the 44-metre-long Explorer refers to Top Gun, the grey paintwork is in the style of a fighter jet and the black wings on the top deck are reminiscent of the angled twin tail unit of the F-14A Tomcat, the original aircraft type from the first Top Gun film. The aft bulwark is even emblazoned with the full name of the pilot played by Tom Cruise, Lt Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, in a font based on that of the US Navy, of course. There's no question that this is a film fan on board the vice flagship of Cantiere delle Marche (CdM). His name: Tom Schröder.

Schröder travelled to the ceremonial launch with his wife Jeannine and their four sons. There is another reason why the German is no ordinary CdM customer. Tom Schröder is an investor and came to appreciate the philosophy and quality of the Ancona shipyard so much during construction that he acquired a 75 per cent majority stake in November 2022. The remaining 25 per cent is held by the management around the CEOs and founders Vasco Buonpensiere and Ennio Cecchini.

Travelling the world for several years with the whole family

Cantiere delle Marche introduced the Flexplorer line in 2021 with the 40-metre-long "Aurelia". "Maverick" adopts the concept with interior design by Francesco Paszkowski and lines by Hydro Tec. Tom Schröder comments: "Her appearance exceeds all our expectations - all the design elements fit together perfectly. She radiates power and robustness, but also a certain elegance. It is an Explorer that could not be more beautiful. We can hardly wait to leave the shipyard in March and start our journey around the world." On the first leg, "Maverick" is set to reach high latitudes, with a 22 millimetre thick ice belt along the waterline and speeds of up to 15 knots. The route includes Iceland, Greenland and northern Canadian coasts and estuaries, covering 5,000 nautical miles non-stop with 64,000 litres of diesel in the bunkers and travelling at ten knots.

The artificial word Flexplorer actually alludes to the flexible use of the aft deck. It can be parked up with tenders and toys in typical Explorer fashion, but does not have a bulky telescopic crane. Instead, the "Maverick" A-frame crane disappears below deck and provides a sheer surface when not in use. When the bulwark is folded down, a 135 square metre "beach area" is thrown open. The rectangular pool in the centre can also be covered; when empty, the deck furniture ends up in it. The gym, sauna and diving centre are located one deck below.

Invisible crane for the mini supplier

The four-tonne tender will soon be suspended from the trapezoidal carbon crane from Advanced Mechanical Solutions. The 9.55 metre-long single structure almost passes for a supply vessel and was developed by the owner's family with Valerio Rivellini. Cantiere delle Marche provided the construction site, aluminium was used for the hull and carbon for the superstructure. The highlight: just like the mother ship, the floating satellite has a large aft deck. Instead of storing the rescue tender in the foredeck or next to the large one on deck, the Williams 435 Sportjet is "piggybacked" by "Iceman" via a winch in the cockpit. This saves space and creates flexibility. On board the four-tonner are two Seabobs, two six-metre canoes, four E-Foils from Aerofoils as well as fishing and diving equipment including six compressed air cylinders. In tender mode, up to twelve guests can be shuttled close to the coast thanks to the 50 centimetre draught. For short passages, "Iceman" remains in the water and is towed behind.

During the shell construction, "Maverick" was given an additional deck and reaches correspondingly high. Two pairs of fin stabilisers ensure roll stability. As with its sister ship "Aurelia", the main deck is asymmetrical with a single running deck on the port side. Owner Tom Schröder explained the general layout very aptly to BOOTE EXCLUSIV:

"There are four cabins and the crew area on the lower deck. The main deck consists of the huge saloon, an open galley with a cold room and a very large cabin. This is actually the master suite, but our sons are now 'fighting' over it. The current owner's deck above originally housed another saloon or lounge and the bridge. During construction, however, we came up with the idea that the bridge naturally has the best view forward and that another saloon doesn't really offer any added value, especially as the beach club is home to a lounge with a cinema. So we turned the upper deck into an owner's deck and positioned the wheelhouse and a lavish sun deck one deck higher. To top it all off, we developed a crow's nest at the very top so that you can see everything from the best place on board."

Tom Schröder talks about "Maverick" at the 12th German Superyacht Conference and together with CdM CEO Vasco Buonpensiere about Cantiere delle Marche. The BOOTE EXCLUSIV event will take place on 15 February 2024 at the Hotel Hafen Hamburg. Tickets are available here.