If the presents were on board, they arrived on time. Shortly before Christmas, on 11 December 2018, "El Leon" set sail from Cape Verde and reached Barbados on 17 December. It took 144 hours to cover the 2,000 nautical miles, which means it travelled at an average speed of 14 knots. These are not such unusual figures if "El Leon" were not a Mangusta, making it one of the brand's first vessels ever to cross the Atlantic on its own keel.
Mangusta - the reasonably well-informed yacht aficionado probably explains the term as follows: sleek lines, powerful engines, surface drives with roostertail, more of a toy for adrenaline-driven guys than a comfortable family yacht. Mangustas, or rather their owners, like to moor their thirty, forty or even fifty metre long power yachts in St. Tropez, Ibiza or Miami. A quick trip to the Bahamas or Formentera is part of the usual lifestyle.
What do modern owners want?
A few years ago, the management of the Overmarine shipyard in Viareggio, which has been building Mangustas for decades, rightly asked itself whether this portfolio was enough to attract a steady stream of new owners. After all, the green glamour trend was slowly taking hold in the superyacht industry at the time and owners were increasingly asking for optimised drive systems or remote destinations that could not be reached with a diesel-hungry Mangusta.
There was a need for action. And so, together with the talented yacht designer Alberto Mancini, Overmarine developed the Oceano line: three-deckers made of steel and aluminium with the recognisable design DNA of the Open series - built in a specially acquired shipyard in Pisa and excellently received by the market. 43 and 46 metre long Oceano displacers are already underway with their owners. The Overmarine sales department predicts that many more will follow. And with the success of this second line behind them, it was relatively easy to develop a third Mangusta line, a mixture of the two existing ones, so to speak.
This brings us back to "El Leon", the first Mangusta GranSport 54. The number stands for the length in metres, making the GranSport the largest Mangusta to date. The exterior is more reminiscent of a standard Mangusta Open than the Oceano models, except that the GranSport 54 has a raised pilothouse and looks even more "muscular" than its brand sisters. Unlike an Open, the bridge has been moved up a few steps to create space for the owner's cabin on the main deck. "With the GranSport 54," says Overmarine's Sales Director Francesco Frediani, "we wanted to create a maxi-open with a long range. An almost-displacement yacht that appeals to a new, younger target group."
There was no existing hull for this ambitious project, so Overmarine engaged the renowned design office of Pierluigi Ausonio to achieve the desired values of 30 knots top speed and 15 knots cruising speed with transatlantic range. Ausonio, experienced with fast naval vessels, designed the GranSport with a hull that, as he says, does not glide, but lifts itself out of the water to a certain extent and pushes through the surface. At the stern, Ausonio gave the yacht a round bilge to accommodate the four drive trains and optimise the flow of the propellers. As in Mangusta's largest Open, the 165S, the engine room of the GranSport 54 houses four MTU 16V 2000 M96L diesels, each of which mobilises 1965 kilowatts. "Only when this package was realisable did we start looking at the other features. The basis had to be right first," says Francesco Frediani, explaining the yacht's development process.
Alberto Mancini, who has been making a name for himself in the yacht segment up to 50 metres for several years and has been busy collecting references and awards, came on board again. Important specifications from the shipyard included a beach club, a large flybridge, exorbitant glass surfaces and a pool in the bow area - these elements had generated enthusiasm among almost all those interested in and buying an Oceano. While Mancini initially started with a 45-metre design, it quickly became clear that the yacht needed different proportions. The shipyard gave the go-ahead, so Mancini extended it by nine metres and probably hit the ideal dimensions. "I always had a centreboard in my head as inspiration," says the young Italian. I also wanted to integrate the Mangusta DNA into a raised pilothouse yacht." Anyone who has seen and driven a few Mangustas can attest to Mancini's very talented hand.
A ceiling height like on land
It goes without saying that such a yacht cannot compete with displacers in terms of volume. However, the effect is all the more surprising when you enter the saloon of "El Leon". The ceilings here are 2.60 metres high, which is an excellent value for a yacht of this size and type. "I tried to push the engineers, as such a height always gives a nice feeling of space," says Mancini. The loft character is further enhanced by the floor-to-ceiling windows; transversely laid floorboards also make the room appear wider than it actually is, turning the combined living and dining area into the light-flooded and spacious centre of "El Leon". White curtains can filter the light and ensure that the huge six square metre painting at the dining area for ten is shown to its best advantage.
Light also plays an important role in the master suite, which is located in front of the saloon. As on Mangusta's Oceano models, the glass floor of the pool above illuminates the suite. The owner, who was relatively heavily involved in the design of the yacht, may have created the ideal retreat with his cabin. Not only does it have a veritable size across the full width of the hull, but also a lockable office, a small dining table for two, a second make-up table or desk in the bedroom, a reclining armchair with side table and a balcony to starboard, which is ideal for breakfast or a sundowner. The brown floorboards with light-coloured joints also run across the floor, while Mancini and the owner chose materials from Rubelli and Hermès for the walls. With the exception of a few sofas, almost all of the furniture on board - most of which is made from walnut or macassar wood - is custom-made.
Such a personalised approach naturally suits a yacht like "El Leon", which also has a lot to offer on the outside decks. On the one hand, there is the pool in the bow area with a draped lounge under which the tender is stored; on the other hand, there is the 70 square metre beach club that opens up at the stern and the 100 square metre sundeck with an extended, protective hardtop including skylight and a variety of options for socialising.
Incidentally, "El Leon" takes its guests on the lower deck, where there are several options on the shipyard side; while a private yacht like "El Leon" is ideally equipped with the four-cabin layout, owners who want to charter can also get five cabins. This increases demand even further, and higher weekly rates can also be generated. A gym, a cinema and two VIP cabins are also possible. "It's just important that the owner gets involved in the construction process as early as possible," says Francesco Frediani. The spec construction of the second Mangusta GranSport 54 has already begun.
Technical data
- Length over everything:54 m
- Waterline length:46,86 m
- Width:9,01 m
- Depth:2,30 m
- Material:Aluminium
- Volume:< 500 GT
- Motors:4 x MTU 16V; 2000 M96L
- Motor power:1965 kW
- Maximum speed:30 kn
- travelling speed:20 kn
- Range:4200 nm @ 12 kn
- Fuel:71 000 l
- Generators:2 x Kohler
- generator output:125 kW
- Tender:Custom, 7.20 m
- Class:A1, Yachting Service, +AMS, LY3 Compliant
- Construction:PLANA Design
- Design:AM Yacht Design, Overmarine
- Shipyard:Overmarine, 2018
This article appeared in the BOOTE Exclusiv issue 04/2019 and was revised by the editorial team in July 2023.
