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Benetti’s Class 44M may borrow from more classic styling, but this is no yacht stuck in the past. As Ocean magazine discovered after stepping aboard Juno’s 7, the first 44M delivers a joyous haven of contemporary calm.

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Class act

Benetti’s Class 44M may borrow from more classic styling, but this is no yacht stuck in the past. As Ocean magazine discovered after stepping aboard Juno’s 7, the first 44M delivers a joyous haven of contemporary calm.

Written by Charlotte Thomas

Photography by Breed Media

08 April 2026

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We all know the drill by now – it seems that every new yacht that launches has to have some innovation that will change the market. Transformer this and fold-down that, it’s all great. But sometimes, you just want something that does what it’s supposed to do really well. In fact, I would argue that we’re almost at the point where it’s those yachts that often sport conventional styling and more conventional layouts, which are the ones that actually stand out in the marina.

Case in point – Benetti’s latest Class 44M.

She’s the largest yacht the Italian shipyard offers in GRP, but she’s notable for another reason – her lines, while unmistakably contemporary, are also unmistakably classic in style and proportion.

Juno’s 7 hails from Benetti’s Class 44M line of custom yachts, but don’t be fooled – just because she doesn’t have some fancy fold-out back end or unusual asymmetric deck layout doesn’t mean she’s not current. This is modern superyachting with surprisingly modern spaces, and she has the capability to do more than just sit at anchor looking pretty – which is more than can be said for some in her size bracket. It’s a neat trick to create a yacht that effectively transcends time and fashion – but that’s what Benetti, in collaboration with Cassetta Yacht Designers, has achieved.

Juno’s 7 is the first of the new Class 44M yachts to emerge from the shipyard, and she’s a winner in terms of her style and finish.

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Cassetta Yacht Designers were tasked with developing both the exterior and interior of the model, based on an existing technical platform but essentially serving as a clean- sheet design.

“Juno’s 7 is special,” enthuses Giorgio M. Cassetta. “Our goal was to preserve the classic language, marked by a strong, elongated bow and a hull suited for long quality voyages, while incorporating contemporary elements in the glass surfaces and the use of transparency, and by removing outdated decorative motifs, which I always try to avoid.”

The windows, Cassetta points out, are significantly larger than in previous builds, adding value, beauty and functionality to a yacht that already had incredible volume and top-tier onboard comfort for her size. “The result,” he adds, “is a clean, balanced yacht with a statement of sobriety and elegance that we hope will age well.”

Her layout sticks largely to convention. Her main-deck cockpit offers comfortable lounges and seating, and a glance to the side highlights a subtle detail that makes a huge difference – the aft fashion plates, which typically would have been realised in GRP, are now transparent to ensure a more open feeling, more light, and less encumbered views for guests.

Those clear fashion plates also make a considerable difference from the inside, where the larger glass windows and open-plan saloon and formal dining area feel both bright and connected to the outside.

This feeling is further enhanced by the minimal intrusion of structural elements that are needed to hide ventilation ducts and other technical elements. The result is a generous interior space that doesn’t feel compromised in any way.

The guest lobby and stair lie forward of the saloon, and on Juno’s 7 features an artwork comprising car engine parts mounted behind glass like a three-dimensional painting-cum- sculpture – a piece with particular resonance for the yacht’s owners.

Moving further forward again takes you past a day head to the master suite, which starts with a starboard-side antechamber most often decked out as a study or office, but which on Juno’s 7 has been equipped as a gym.

The sleeping area lies forward, up a couple of shallow steps. A warm palette and understated touches feel instantly calming, while light and views pour in from the enlarged windows on either side. A seating area to starboard and table to port that could serve as a vanity or desk luxuriate in the space, while a walk-in robe and dressing room can be found aft to port.

Forward lies a full-beam ensuite that offers an outboard shower to one side, head to the other, and a central section that features beautiful, carved his and hers bowl sinks. “They’re Forest Green sinks, carved from solid stone to a custom design,” Cassetta says. “And exist only on Juno’s 7.”

Guests are accommodated in four suites on the lower deck, comprising two twin/double cabins, and two VIP cabins with transverse beds. Juno’s 7 also offers a sixth guest cabin, located on the upper deck in the forward part of the widebody upper saloon. While this does impinge a little on the upper saloon’s space, there’s still plenty of room for a comfortable seating area or TV lounge, and many will like the flexibility of being able to have a treatment room or gym up here, if not the cabin, with minimal impact on interior space.

Besides, outdoor living is what this yacht also does well, with several social spaces complemented by furniture from Minotti, Cassina and other Italian brands.

In the stern there’s a decent beach area, opened up thanks to sliding glass transom doors. The upper aft deck holds a large round dining table under the sundeck overhang – perfect for alfresco family meals – and comfortable aft lounges, with an awning extending from the end of the sundeck providing further shade.

Atop the yacht, the expansive sundeck offers the usual amenities – aft sofas, chairs and sunlounges that just scream to be relaxed on, with another awning providing shade, if required, while under the hardtop there’s another large alfresco dining table (this one is a custom creation with a hard-wearing ceramic insert) and a bar counter with forward-facing stools. In front, there’s another seating area, ensuring guests and family will have plenty of spots to escape to.

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A highlight, however, is the forward alfresco lounge on the upper deck, which is well hidden when giving the yacht a passing glance, but is surprising in its scope. It extends from in front of the bridge windows all the way to a spa pool in the bow, and feels like a second sundeck with U-shaped lounge served by a high-low table, large sunpads and temporary awnings for shade. Often, these foredeck areas are only good for a sundowner, but this feels like the perfect alternative to sitting aft when in port, as well as being a great spot to chill out in the breeze on a hot day at anchor.

It all speaks to that modern take in spite of the more classic lines of the yacht, and that’s reflected in Juno’s 7’s interior details. “The Class 44M is very modern,” Cassetta confirms. “It shows in the onboard atmosphere, the emotions felt in the living spaces, as well as the materials used.

“I prefer materials valued not for their rarity or ethically questionable sourcing – like tortoiseshell, endangered woods, or minerals mined by children – but for the craftsmanship they embody.”

This shift in value is crucial, Cassetta asserts, because it preserves centuries of human knowledge and skill. “The yacht is full of raw materials in both look and feel,” he continues. “For example, the antique elm flooring is full of knots, irregularities and colour variations – things unthinkable in traditional yacht design, which demands flawless perfection. But here, the imperfection is intentional, born from nature and time, then shaped by the human hand. It creates a kind of womb-like warmth on board.”

Another example is the ensuites. “We used continuous surfaces of mineral resins with powdered stone instead of large marble slabs that often signal opulence, or even evoke tombs – cold and sterile,” he explains.

“Plus, marble sinks – literally. Using so much of it on a boat is counterintuitive. In this case, the craftsmanship shines through in a technique reminiscent of Venetian pastellone or Moroccan tadelakt.”

It’s hard to overstate the joy of something so understated yet so beautifully finished, but that’s exactly what Juno’s 7 is.

Radical design may turn heads, but it can wear thin quickly. Juno’s 7 combines contemporary luxury with practicality, incredible guest areas, serious cruising capability and a timeless elegance that will draw admiring glances long after the crowd has grown tired of the more out-there concepts. She is, indeed, a class act.

benettiyachts.com

 

 

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