21 November 2018
The superyacht which took 750,000 working hours to build, was finally delivered to her owners at an exclusive and lavish ceremony at its Livorno shipyard.
With a steel hull, aluminium superstructure, pool and “touch and go” helipad, Spectre is the third Benetti superyacht built for the owners in less than ten years. The exteriors lines were designed by Giorgio M. Cassetta, hull lines and naval architecture were done by Mulder Design.
Spectre’s owners are John and Jeanette Staluppi, experienced owners who adore James Bond filmography, 50s and 60s sports car adrenaline excitement, and the Made in Italy ethos.
Staluppi’s wish is to feel the same emotions on board the new megayacht as they did in a motorcar on the racetrack. The main challenge for Giorgio M. Cassetta, who designed the exterior lines, was to create an extremely dynamic yacht with huge volumes.
The result is a very “traditional” vessel with a long and sharp bow and extended superstructure volumes that slide towards stern.
Huge attention was focused on the connection between exterior line detail and interior design: the outdoor fixed furniture has been designed and custom made to correspond with the interior focus on shiny teak, black lines and steel.
The contribution and support of the Dutch firm Mulder Design, which was responsible for the structural design, the hull and the propulsion system, was hugely important in this design. Due to many clever measures the weight of the yacht has been reduced considerably. The performance, of what Frank Mulder, founder of the eponymous studio, has baptised as the “High Speed Cruising Hull”, is incredible. The maximum speed is 21.2 knots, 30% higher than a traditional displacement hull and the autonomy is equal to 6,500 nautical miles at the considerable speed of 12 knots.
“We are proud to have participated in the creation of this spectacular 69-meter long motoryacht”, said Frank Mulder, recalling how Spectre is the ninth project of the Staluppi’s with Mulder Design. “Her High Speed Cruising Hull will not only be approximately 30% faster than “normal” displacement yachts with similar power but will also reduce fuel consumption at long range speed. The ground-breaking use of Total Ride Control®, which is a combination of roll reduction and pitch reduction, will greatly improve comfort when cruising at 20 knots”.
The words of the Dutch engineer echo those of Giorgio M. Cassetta, who commented: “I love Spectre!”
it is a perfect example of a virtuous synthesis between the owners’ and the builder’s cultures. John and Jeanette Staluppi, with their great experience and energy, have led us to imagine a yacht complete with everything you could wish for boats of this size. Benetti has taken up the challenge and has created a yacht with many technological innovations respecting the highest quality standards”.
The interior layout is modern and has been created by the Benetti Interior Style Department, while the owners took an active role in selecting some particular furniture. The whole atmosphere on board is a homage to the traditional late-‘800 Liberty French hotels and boutiques. On the Main Deck, for example, the main salon floor takes inspiration from that of a Parisian Déco style resort, enriched with modern touches thanks to the choice of Armani fabrics, chosen by the owner. Other references to French taste are represented by the designs of the carpet and, especially, the windows, which reference those of the most characteristic Liberty shops in Paris.
Welding the future