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Grand entrance

Italian yacht builder Sanlorenzo introduces its game-changing crossover line with the SX88.


Photography by Sanlorenzo

13 September 2017

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At a glamorous reception on the eve of the Cannes Yachting Festival, Sanlorenzo hosted over 150 guests at the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc to celebrate the world premiere of its latest creation, the 27-metre SX88 “crossover” motor yacht. The model is the first to emerge from a new range being introduced by the Italian yacht builder, with further model launches on the horizon.

Perhaps most evident change seen on this new crossover model is its profile, with a “high, seaworthy bow” tapering to the stern, giving an overall more aggressive and sturdy look than is most familiar with the yacht builder, which the company says suggests the look of an all-weather vessel. The superstructure has a dark colour to reduce the overall impression of volume, and to create balance with its windows.

The name “crossover” stems from the fact that the range combines the best elements of a flybridge cruising yacht with a compact explorer. The yacht’s styling was conceived in-house by Sanlorenzo with creative input from Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta of Officina Italiana Design. Naval architecture was developed by Lou Codega, who is renowned in the high-performance ocean-going fishing yacht sector, with tank testing carried out in Wageningen, Holland. The first SX88 yacht to be built has interior design from Piero Lissoni.

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Sanlorenzo has highlighted a number of the SX88’s attributes as marking firsts for the company. With a GRP hull and carbon fibre superstructure, the semi-displacement yacht has been optimised for a range of speeds but will have a top speed of 23 knots and cruising speed of 21-22 knots. There has been a focus on reduced environmental impact, including high-power lithium batteries, new lighting technologies, efficient and modern systems and insulated glazing to reduce load on the HVAC system.

From a technical perspective, Sanlorenzo has collaborated closely with Volvo Penta to incorporate its Inboard Performance System (IPS) propulsion system with pods that have twin forward-facing, counter-rotating propellers for “superior grip in the water below the hull” said Volvo Penta. The two pods can be steered independently for maximum manoeuvrability. The pod-driven propulsion offers up more space on the lower deck to the accommodation, maximising guests space while improving efficiency through state-of-the-art technology.

This boat is made for connoisseurs: people who respect the sea and love to go boating; people who like nature and sport and want to interact with the water. This boat can be filled with a lot of extra equipment, like a bigger tender, a jetski and items for windsurfing and diving, so that a family and their friends can really enjoy their contact with the water,” said Sanlorenzo CEO and Chairman Massimo Perotti.

Owners will have a choice of layouts on the main deck, between a fully-open space or to place an owner’s cabin towards the front of the interior. With the open option, the entire main deck can be arranged to create a continuous flow from stern to bow by folding back the full-height saloon doors. In line with the current trend to maximise foredecks for guest use, this area features double L-shaped lounges with coffee tables and sun pads, directly connected to the interior in the open-main-deck configuration. When the owner’s cabin is placed on the main deck, the galley moves to the lower deck.

To maximise the guest space on the main deck, the sole helm is located on the flybridge in a space that can become fully enclosed and has air conditioning for operator comfort.

Either four of five double cabins can be specified, depending on the main deck layout, which is unusual for a yacht of 27 metres and would be popular for the charter market. Crew accommodation is located to the aft of the lower deck, forward of the engine room.

At water level, the stern has an open design that serves as tender storage, a 30-square-metre beach club with shading from umbrellas and a focal point for water sports activities. This beach area has space for a 15-foot tender, a jetski and additional water toys, launched by a crane concealed in the prolonged profile of the handrail.

Providing a fun and helpful feature for those less comfortable getting in and out of the water by swim ladders, the automated platform can be submerged and the gangway can be adjusted from a horizontal to a descending angle, for a gentle pathway into the water.

The SX88 has already proved a popular introduction to the Sanlorenzo stable, having sold eight units, with the next deliveries due from spring 2018.

sanlorenzoyacht.com

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