Take a bow

High bulwarks surrounding the bow space offer further protection from the elements. The bow lounge can be configured in three different ways with a spa pool, full bar setup or alfresco dining room. The dining room option is available should the owner choose to put the master forward on the main deck.

The launch yacht’s down master meant the dining room was on the main deck forward, with the bow hosting the spa pool option, and it felt just right – decadent and louche in the way a boat with this unorthodox design calls for. The deck was done in the same recycled teak seen throughout the yacht.

Lounge seating to port and starboard of the spa pool, plus a very cool upholstered lounge in the tip of the bow, round out what is an exceptionally intriguing space – one that will not just be the epicentre of social interactions on the boat but is sure to be a large part of the conversation as well.

One of the drivers behind the design is Ferretti’s desire to build a boat that will function well beyond the Med and the Caribbean.

The All-Season Terrace provides better shelter for more temperate areas of the world, and it’s the builder’s hope that this will help make the Infynito popular in new, burgeoning markets such as Asia.

Another factor of the design is the Infynito’s aspiration to be an explorer yacht. With long cruise times, all the space had to be usable regardless of the weather; thus the standard carbon-fibre poles rigged to a sunshade were traded in for something far more substantial.

Speaking of max use of volume, the 90’s 7.33-metre beam helps her out in spades. The resulting volume was a boon for IdeaeItalia, the Italian studio that dreamed up the plush interior. There, the Infynito’s focus on owning a small carbon footprint was put into effect by using natural fabrics, regenerated leather and recyclable materials wherever possible.

When stepping aboard, the eye is drawn to the glass transom, which immediately helps create a feeling of wide-open space. Modular furniture in the 34-square-metre cockpit accentuates the breezy ambience while an aft docking station to port helps manoeuvre this admittedly hefty vessel in close quarters. The space is also partially shaded by the cockpit overhang, offering respite from the sun. One small detail I really liked was that the cockpit is flush to the saloon.

That saloon continues the laidback vibes with an open-concept layout illuminated by large windows to port and starboard. Interestingly, the galley on the first yacht was an amidships country kitchen – a nod perhaps to the Australian and American audiences Ferretti might be going after, although the options list does offer a more formal enclosed galley complete with separate passageways for crew service.

The model in Cannes had a formal dining room with a table for eight situated forward of the galley. This space, roomy and well-lit with natural light, was highlighted by a large window that looks forward out onto the bow terrace. It means you can stand at the bow and look aft straight through that glass transom – a very cool design feat.

That view is lost if the main-deck master layout has been chosen, but the down master – full-beam and amidships with a sumptuous ensuite – solves that.

The forepeak VIP was another oddity on this vessel. The queen-sized berth faced to port, which I can’t remember seeing on a similarly sized boat before –it’s usually either forward or aft facing. The VIP’s ensuite is situated in the tip of the bow, though it is roomy and has a shower that’s definitely big enough for broad shoulders.

Up top on the flybridge, the Infynito offers yet another unexpected design feature, at least for a Ferretti. For the first time ever, the builder has fully encased the forward section of the flybridge. This area includes a helm with twin Poltrona Frau seats and three Simrad screens, plus a lounge section. It’s yet another nod to this yacht’s aspirations as an explorer, or at least a vessel that’s more than ready to take on most weather conditions.

The space will be hugely appreciated by captains and guests alike as the Infynito makes longer passages into cruising grounds that are less than paradisial.

The aft portion of the deck is open to the elements and features an alfresco dining table and modular sunlounges all resting on even more of that recycled teak. The layout is relatively traditional by many standards, but for Ferretti, it’s a significant departure from previous builds.

What’s a bit more traditional is the yacht’s propulsion system, which is composed of twin 1,550-hp MAN engines that offer a reported top hop of 20 knots and a cruise of 15 knots.

I didn’t get to run the boat, so I can’t speak to the fuel burn or performance, and to date Ferretti has been tight-lipped about those numbers as well. It will be interesting to see how this model performs both in a sea and regarding efficiency, considering her design clearly has an appetite for long-range cruising.

The engines reside in what counts as a roomy engine room by Italian standards, with good-enough access to all the service points, and a custom-designed fire system that is certified by RINA.

Anyone looking to buy the Infynito would first be struck by its rather avant-garde design but will then be taken by the more traditional parts of the boat, including generous living and work spaces, and a very functional layout that focuses on melding outside and in. It would be easy to write this boat off as gimmicky, but that would be foolhardy. Not only is this a yacht with a lot going on, it’s a yacht with a lot to offer, too.

ferretti-yachts.com
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