Vespro signals new dawn
Centouno Navi has started building its first Vespro, a weekender that combines 56-knot performance with eco credentials.
24 November 2022
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Italian newcomer yard Centouno Navi has already made waves with its radical 39-metre Eterea and 28-metre Forza models, which promise cruise speeds approaching 50 knots and, in the case of the Forza, top speeds in excess of 60 knots. Now the Viareggio-based yard has revealed details of a new 16.5-metre model called the Vespro – fast dayboat or weekender – the first hull of which the yard has started building on spec.
Centouno Navi was founded by designer and entrepeneur Manuela Lucchesi and Naval Architect Marco Arnaboldi, and while high performance boats may seem like a retrograde step, the brand’s focus is firmly on a sustainable philosophy. The hulls have been designed to create more lift and reduce drag, while hydrojet propulsion offers better acceleration and higher speeds compared to conventional props – all part of the drive to embrace eco principles. The same goes for the models’ interiors, which use sustainably sourced and recyclable materials wherever possible.
The new Vespro will serve as an entry level to the brand but is no less impressive than it’s bigger siblings, with twin MAN V8 1,200hp engines coupled to MJP 350X waterjets for a projected cruise of 50 knots and a WOT max of 56 knots. Range at max speed is predicted to be 350 nautical miles.
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The Vespro – which translates as dusk or twilight – draws on the design and engineering nous of Lucchesi and Arnaboldi, both of whom have lived by the sea and on boats all their lives. The exterior lines feature the sort of reverse sheer that echoes classic muscle boats, but the open style also gets a cool and thoroughly contemporary edge.
The sides and rear of the deckhouse are unglazed and the windscreen can retract into the coach roof for a full en plein air experience. The engine room air intakes are cleverly integrated into the sweeping aft pillars supporting the hardtop. The aft cockpit comprises a large walkaround sunpad and the fold-down panels in the bulwarks serve to increase the size of the aft deck and swim platform.
“The Vespro may be smaller than her cousins, but she has the same lightweight construction using carbon and fibreglass in a hybrid sandwich with vinylster resin and PVC foam core for optimal mechanical characteristics,” says Arnaboldi.
“Centouno Navi is all about respect for the sea and the Vespro reflects that,” adds Lucchesi.
“Because the hull form and waterjet propulsion are so efficient, the yacht actually burns less fuel and emits fewer emissions at higher speeds. So … fast is green!”
The long foredeck is almost entirely filled by another sunpad, while under the hardtop is an L-shaped lounge with accompanying dining table, facing sofa, bar unit and the helm station. Below, the accommodation provides for a comfortable V-berth in the bow with ensuite and a spacious saloon area with galley. There is also the option of another guest cabin behind the companionway stairs.
The Vespro in expected to make her international debut in summer 2023.
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