That's at least 50 metres, isn't it? Even before the first visit to the Custom Line Navetta 38, Ferretti's new addition appears much larger than the 39 metres stated by the shipyard. The outer surfaces in particular appear to be wider than the actual eight metres would suggest. A glance at the data sheets provides the figures in black and white and proves that the new model number one, which replaces the Navetta 37, actually offers plenty of space for guests. If you also include the converted areas, the three decks have an impressive 465 square metres of living and usable space. A space miracle to which the Ferretti designers, together with the in-house product strategists around Piero Ferrari, have allocated 299 gross tonnes and for which the brand has issued a kind of motto: "Optimum control of volume, functional use of the entire area".
Before visiting the terraces, salons and suites for twelve guests, it is definitely worth stepping back and admiring the straight outer lines from the jetty. Filippo Salvetti, a good acquaintance at Ferretti, has visibly left his mark. "A clear, timeless design," he says, "with three main horizontal lines." He clearly wanted everything to be "as fluid as possible". A leitmotif of the design is the triangle, which supports the hardtop as a bracket and is then repeated in a more trapezoidal shape in the glass fashion plates on the sides and the openings of the bulwarks. The handrails are elegantly integrated into these. The hardtop and the equipment carrier are finished in black, "just like the Custom Line 50", adds Salvetti.
The Ferretti boss gets the first Navetta 38
The brand has adapted well to the ever-changing customer requirements and is in a solid position. "300 custom line yachts in almost 30 years," announced the commercial director of the Ferretti Group, Stefano de Vivo, in connection with the launch of the Navetta 38, six of which have already been sold. It's important to maintain such an average, so internal product advertising comes in handy. After all, the first 38 is officially a matter for the boss: Ferretti Group boss Alberto Galassi had it built as a worthy replacement for his Navetta 33. So it's no wonder that he also attached great importance to renowned Italian design for the interior, from a studio that is set to bring a breath of fresh air to the brand. However, the 38 was not the first Navetta for Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel (ACPV), who had already fitted out the 30. "There are family similarities," explains Patricia Viel, "but the 30 was more sporty, blue and shiny, with lots of maritime details."
For the 38, the design duo chose a different, more elegant language with neutral colours and lots of warmth with largely natural woods such as oak or teak, leather and coarsely woven upholstery fabrics. Wall panelling with a 3D look, such as raffia - a natural raffia from the leaf surfaces of the raffia palm - forms a fitting backdrop. The ivory-coloured textured wallpaper comes from Phillip Jeffries. A striking preference for natural-coloured, light brown leather, which is used extensively - for example on the headboard of the bed in the owner's suite - is evident on all floors. In the lobby, in the staircase and in the corridor in front of the four guest suites on the lower deck, the natural material covers the entire wall surface from floor to ceiling. Even the handrails have been meticulously wrapped in leather, which creates decorative folds and at the same time makes every movement comfortable and safe.
Antonio Citterio designed the furniture for B&B Italia Maxalto
The elegant natural look is also reflected in the guest bathrooms. While Pietra d'Orcia was used in the master suite, the designers opted for Crema d'Orcia on the lower floor. The brushed oak ceilings, whose grooves create a fine, regular striped pattern, are a perfect match. This looks great, "and also has acoustic benefits," as Patricia Viel emphasises. The fact that these ceilings, which are divided into large rectangles by thin black lines, continue almost seamlessly across the outdoor terraces emphasises another popular motto at the moment: the merging of indoor and outdoor spaces. The basis for this is, of course, the huge window areas in the salons, which largely turn out to be sliding doors.
Another design element connects the salons and suites, namely rounded wooden door frames at the upper corners, in which mirror or glass elements slide back and forth to separate bathrooms, galleys or corridors. Then there are the many free-standing pieces of furniture that guarantee maximum flexibility or, as Patricia Viel puts it, "enable different layouts". The majority of the pieces come from Antonio Citterio's collection for B&B Italia Maxalto, such as the sofa in the 42 square metre main salon or the dining area with twelve seating options. The round leather pouf is also his work - a piece of furniture that offers various options simply because it can also be used as a coffee table. The designers created and had other furniture made especially for the Navetta 38, such as the ceiling-high built-in cupboards with mirrored doors, which were positioned in the centre and aft of the saloon and in which the crew store crockery and glasses.
The sun deck alone measures 75 square metres
The delicate sofa modules and armchairs on the sun deck or the aft cockpit, which also visually extends the beach club with a veritable, slightly higher lounge thanks to a glass balustrade, are also in-house creations. When designing the skylounge on the upper deck, the interior specialists were most clearly guided by the inside-is-outside motto. "The room looks like a winter garden," says Viel, referring not only to the floor-to-ceiling windows. "We deliberately chose teak for the flooring." With the sliding door open, the room opens directly onto the impressive rear terrace, where there is a long sofa and a shaded dining area for ten people.
Guests slip just as seamlessly onto the two side decks and from there, past the captain's suite and the wheelhouse, reach the so-called sunset lounge, which is also ideal for sun-seeking guests to relax in a private atmosphere during the day. The fact that a 2.85 metre long Williams tender or, alternatively, various water toys are stowed under a flap in the bow does not bother anyone. On this terrace - as well as on the very top of the sundeck - the designers were able to let off steam once again in terms of furnishings. "The sundeck is 75 square metres in size," reveals an impressed Patricia Viel. Or to put it another way: from the Jacuzzi at the stern to the lounge with bar and grill to the front loungers, she and her business partner were able to divide a 15-metre-long area into individual zones and furnish them appropriately.
There are seven screens in the wheelhouse of the Custom Line
Despite the focus on the interior design, Custom Line emphasised the importance of a solid and clean drive system for the displacement vessel, as the Ferretti Group wants to further advance its vision of a sustainable use of resources. The Navetta 38 travels at speeds of up to 15 knots with two MAN packages and is prepared for the use of SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) technology. The catalytic converters can filter 70 per cent of the nitrogen from the exhaust gases, which would then comply with IMO3 regulations. When travelling - the 38 delivers a range of 2800 nautical miles at a speed of ten knots - it remains pleasantly calm on board thanks to stabilisers from Naiad and Seakeeper, even during stormy crossings or in wavy anchor bays.
Entertainment is provided by state-of-the-art audio-video technology, which guests operate via iPads and whose end devices are more or less discreetly concealed in the rooms. In the large lounge, for example, the TV screen is hidden in the ceiling panelling and only folds down when it is needed. The Bang & Olufsen loudspeakers, on the other hand, echo the design of the ceilings with their ribbed wood panelling.
In the wheelhouse, Team Italia's control technology is allowed to take centre stage. All important data is collated on a central 44-inch screen, flanked by two upright 27-inch monitors and two embedded 24-inch touchscreens. In addition, the crew around the captain operate two multi-keyboards with a trackball and 7-inch display, bringing the total number of screens to seven. The large steering wheel almost looks a little out of date here, yet fits perfectly into the calm and straightforward design of the room. Just as everything on the Custom Line Navetta 38 comes together in the end - down to the smallest detail.
