Following the arrival of Asia’s first wallywhy200 in Singapore last year, Wally is set to enjoy an even higher profile in the region this year with the arrival of at least two units of the new wallywhy150.
Since debuting in Italy at last year’s Venice Boat Show, the 24m wallywhy150 earned plaudits in France at the Cannes Yachting Festival, Europe’s biggest in-water show, before making its US bow at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the world’s biggest.
Coming up this year is the model’s Asia premiere, with hull two expected to be delivered in May after being sold by Speedo Marine to a client who plans to use it between the likes of Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The wallywhy200 inspired main-deck suite will be featured on hull two, as it was in hull one, and all subsequent builds. It offers 270-degree panoramic views of the bow.
However, the space will be used for a dining room on Asia’s next hull, which is scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong through Ferretti Group Asia Pacific in late summer. The upgraded Volvo Penta D13 IPS1350 engines (1000mhp/735kW), which are available on both units destined to Asia, give the yacht a maximum speed of 23 knots and a cruising rate of 20 knots. It also gives the yacht a 1,000nm distance at 10 knots.
Stefano de Vivo, Wally’s Managing Director, said: “Our goal was to anticipate market demands by developing a yacht capable, once again, of being ahead of its time, starting from those innovative features that made the wallywhy200 successful.
“The wallywhy150 is a flexible yacht, ideal for experienced owners who understand and appreciate the skilful use of space, considerable living areas and its unmistakable personality. We’re sure the wallywhy150 will establish itself in the most diverse international markets.”
Shape and style familiar
Look from the side and the 78ft wallywhy150 looks much like the 88ft wallywhy200, with an almost identical profile to the 200GT ‘big sister’ that kick-started the why (Wally hybrid yacht) series, which features models numbered after their volume.
Like the wallywhy200, the wallywhy 150 features a full-length widebody design – so no side passages on the main deck – and is fronted by the almost vertical bow rising the height of two decks. Again, each side features two long, parallel strips of dark glazing that run below full-length ‘bulwarks’ in the chosen hull colour.
“In the next 20 years, I think that this shape of boat will be much more common because when you come inside and see the volume, you understand why,” de Vivo says.
Also like her big sister, the wallywhy150 is topped by an angular, stealth-like flybridge superstructure that only Wally could design, although this time it’s an open design without an enclosed skylounge.
The proportions between length and width are also almost identical. In fact, the wallywhy150 initially just looks like a slightly smaller edition of the wallywhy200 – until you approach the aft deck.
Open Terrace with Flybridge
Instead of a beach club dominated by two raised garages accessed by drop-down sides, the wallywhy150 has a large, clean aft deck described by Wally founder Luca Bassani as a “terrace on the sea”, a concept he popularised on the Tiketitan The following are some examples of how to get started: Tiketitoo Sail yachts were popular over 20 years ago.
The aft deck features a high/low platform which can be used to deploy a tender of up to 3.9m (12ft8in). It also has steps integrated to the port. The low-sofas have adjustable backrests and are located just forward. Guests can enjoy the views of the sea, even through the glass-paneled bulwarks.
To port of the sofas are steps to a fantastic flybridge, the yacht’s other major outdoor social zone. Under the hardtop, a three-sided couch takes center stage. It faces the clean, aftdeck that can be furnished with sunpads or loungers, and offers clear views thanks to the wraparound railings.
The wet bar located in front of the sofa has Y-shaped supports that support a large covered table for alfresco dining. The upper deck is a panoramic view for guests, even in the forward section where the pilothouse has been set down four steps and looks like another planet.
Featuring two high-backed, Poltrona Frau helm seats and three Simrad screens, the enclosed control room recreates the Darth Vader vibes of the wallywhy200’s wheelhouse, with an almost all-black décor only interrupted by a light daybed on port side. The foredeck is a great place to get a good look at the pilothouse. It’s a small working area that can be accessed through a low-level door located starboard of your dining table.
Split-level First
The saloon differs from the wallywhy200 in many ways. It is true that the double-height interior of the wallywhy200 is a Ferretti Group first.
On most motor yachts, the aft platform is well below the cockpit, but on the wallywhy150 it’s on the same level as the saloon, so a vast indoor-outdoor terrace is created when all the doors electronically slide out of sight. Stoppers can be raised when needed to create a seaworthy barricade.
“This is the first vessel with direct access to the sea at cockpit level with no stairs necessary,” says Bassani, Wally’s Chief Designer. “It’s effectively a floating loft on the water.”
The interior by Studio Vallicelli Design immediately stands out due to a 2.5m-high, ribbed-teak ceiling that rises like a wave above the saloon’s upper level, which is reached by four steps on either side. Ferretti Group’s design team has created multiple furniture arrangements for the lower and upper level.
Lower level: a long dining table in hull 1; a bar and bar stools on the upcoming US delivery; low-slung sofas for second Asia-bound ship, with dining room located forward. De Vivo’s own ideas include bringing the outdoor vibe inside and continuing the unpolished teak decking into the lower level.
On the upper level, there is usually a sofa facing aft. On the first hull, a large Edra couch offers views of the aft deck and sea. A central cabinet houses a retractable double-sided television.
“As the beach club is on the same level as the saloon, it becomes so much more useable as you’re fully engaged with everyone inside. Even on the upper level, you’re overlooking the beach club and sea,” he says. “There are so many ways to arrange the saloon, so you almost want to have three or four boats just to try them all.”
Supreme Master Suite
The forward bulkhead has a centrally located entrance that leads to the four-sided galley and laundry area, as well as stairs to two crew quarters in the bow with ensuite bathrooms. It is possible to design the galley in an open-style, so that it can be seen from the saloon.
The upper saloon has a starboard entry to the master room. There is a long hallway with fluted paneling, past cupboards, before you reach the bathroom, which is nearly full width and twin sinks. Going beyond the bathroom door leads to one of the wallywhy150’s ‘wow’ moments.
Described as an “amphitheatre of the sea”, the symmetrical, spaceship-style bedroom offers spectacular views through windows wrapped around the bow and both sides of the room.
“All visitors love it, especially the ladies. They say, ‘Wow, yeah, I like this’,” Bassani smiles. “If the wives or girlfriends like it, then it’s a very positive sign.”
The lower deck has the guest cabins. The standard layout features two en suite cabins in the middle of the boat, each with a forward-facing twin bed and a port-facing double.
Full-beam VIP is a cabin with a large bathroom and a bed that faces port. Wally can also offer two full beam VIP cabins, by combining space from the two midships.
Overall, the Wallywhy150 offers many of those best features of the Wallywhy200. It also provides a new way to live in the water with its huge aft balcony that leads straight into the double-height saloon.
“We tried to make the wallywhy150 a bit different from the wallywhy200 and we’re happy we had the chance to change the concept a bit,” Bassani says. “We needed something smaller as the wallywhy200 was too big for some people walking onto an 88ft motor yacht because it has the space of a 115-footer.
“A lot of people prefer the wallywhy150, but that’s expected because the wallywhy200 was the first to introduce the look and concept of the wallywhy series, so people understand it better and are more familiar by the time they see the wallywhy150. There are many reasons why the wallywhy150 is so popular.”
Photos by Gilles Martin-Raget & Toni Meneguzzo
www.wally.com
www.ferrettigroupasiapacific.com
This article first appeared on Yachtstyle.co.
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