YATCO interviews shipyards, designers, and naval architects around the globe to bring you their most unique projects to date. Here, we spoke with Francesco Ansalone, the marketing & communication manager for Arcadia Yachts, who tells us the story of the yard’s most original build and what made it so.
What was Arcadia Yachts’ most unique build and why?
I think that undoubtedly the ARCADIA YACHTS most unique build is the first A85 yacht launched in 2010. It introduced not only ARCADIA YACHTS on the market but the very new disruptive (at that time) concept of slow yachting as well. We were new pioneers! Once the yacht was launched and promoted, and explained to the market, we must admit that things have gained momentum and now it is much easier for people to understand our philosophy.
What is Slow Yachting?
Slow Yachting is yachting philosophy fully embraced by ARCADIA YACHTS (I would say even strongly supported by ARCADIA) in which the key idea is that you start benefiting from your yachting experience from the first moment you step on board and in particular during navigation.
Arcadia A85: Sleek-Line, High-Speed
In 2010 when ARCADIA YACHTS launched its first A85, the key yachting trends magnified sleek-lined, high-speed (and high fuel burning) yachts – open yachts were the iconic product at that time. Generally, the “key” metric was top speed, and a yacht was used to reach a place/bay in the minimum amount of time possible without any consideration about comfort (acoustic, vibration + need to grab to a handle at every moment) and conviviality (almost impossible to speak and move at 40knots speed!). Navigation was an amount of time almost lost because of speed.
The slow yachting approach is to guarantee wonderful moments during navigation as well. Sailing at 12-14 knots you have the time to look, feel, and appreciate the nature and the landscape around you. You can easily move from one spot to another of the yacht during a smooth navigation.
Apart from that, as a semi custom builder I would say that all our yachts bear onboard something unique and strongly bonded with their owner’s personality and taste. Just to focus on recent launches, I would say that A105 #03 “SEA CORAL 2” was a very interesting yacht to realize.
What made the requests so atypical?
I would define this is yacht as a highly “adapting” one. We designed her with the clear request of the owner to make it a wonderful and perfect yacht on multiple scopes:
- She was supposed to sail 6 months in the Med and 6 months in the Caribbean EVERY YEAR
- She was supposed to be simultaneously private for 6 months and available for charter the other 6 months EVERY YEAR
So, we had to work on flexibility and capability to satisfy all these requests at the same time in just ONE yacht and making it at a competitive price. Please let me say, after this experience that realizing a “multipurpose” and “multigeo” yacht is never really an easy-going task to accomplish…
How did it turn out?
The owner is very satisfied with the yacht and for all the request she made. In terms of Charter, booking is great and as well for private use, we have been told, “it has been a fantastic way to spend the 2020 spring period on board.” Happy Customer, happy shipyard!
All Yacht Builds in YATCO’s The World’s Most Unique Yacht Builds Series
- Lynx Yachts – The World’s Most Unique Yacht Builds Part 1
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Patrick Knowles – THE ISA 63m – The World’s Most Unique Yacht Builds Part 2
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Heesen Yachts – Project Cosmos – The World’s Most Unique Yacht Builds Part 3
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Arcadia Yachts – The World’s Most Unique Yacht Builds Part 4
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Interview with Patrick Bray of Bray Yacht Design and Research – The World’s Most Unique Yacht Builds Part 5
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Burger Boat’s NORTHLAND Motor Yacht – The World’s Most Unique Yacht Builds Part 6
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Oceanco Yachts – The World’s Most Unique Yacht Builds Part 7