The real “bomb” of the Cannes Yachting Festival 2019 is the new Sanlorenzo SD96 in a unique version of designer Patricia Urquiola.
The new SD96 from Italian shipyard Sanlorenzo is exceptional in many ways. Primarily because it exists in two fundamentally different versions at once. It can be said that any Sanlorenzo yacht is unique, since the level of customization offered by the shipyard is such that you will not find two identical Sanlorenzo in nature.
In this sense, SD96 is no exception: you can change the layout, decoration, colors, furniture style, equipment in it … But there is also a special, ready-made version, which is more of a work of art.
Patricia Urquiola’s special version of Sanlorenzo SD96 is more of a work of art
Long before the premiere, Sanlorenzo invited the famous designer Patricia Urquiola to develop her vision for the SD96. It was in this version that the yacht made its debut in September at the Cannes Yachting Festival, making not even a sensation, but … let’s say, a kind of stupor in the yachting community. Without the lyrics, by the time the Cannes boat show ended, Sanlorenzo had already sold three SD96 cases, all in the version by Patricia Urquiola.
But what about the customer’s personal preferences, individual approach, that’s all? In other words, is it possible, by choosing this version, to change something in it? Not. But when buying a painting by a famous artist, you won’t add a mustache to a portrait, and a couple of birches to a landscape! What did Patricia Urquiola do so that the future owners preferred her ideas rather than the opportunity to express themselves in creativity?
Concept
First, a few words about what the Sanlorenzo SD96 is like as a yacht. The SD abbreviation stands for Sanlorenzo Displacement (or Semi Displacement) – a transient vessel (hull material – fiberglass, lines were developed by Philippe Briand), stable on the move and traditionally not too fast. Although it depends on how you look at it: 18-20 knots under two 1380 hp engines. from. – a decent result. The hull is composite (lighter than steel) and very voluminous, which implies large rooms – what you need for long comfortable cruises. Especially considering that a fuel reserve of more than 15 tons gives an impressive cruising range: at full speed, the calculated value exceeds 500 miles, and in economic mode (10-12 knots) this figure will increase even more.
With a three-deck configuration, the SD96 looks more solid than most flybridge yachts of this size, since the flybridge is partially closed and turned into a sky lounge – the upper saloon, which immediately gives the feeling of a four-deck superyacht. And, of course, the SD96 stands out for its unusual exterior features, such as an outdoor teak ladder that connects the two outdoor seating areas in the bow. It’s hard to believe that this impressive boat is the junior model of the SD series: Sanlorenzo also has 112 and 126 feet in the line.
Design
The well-known bureau Zuccon International Project was engaged in ship architecture and construction. As for the interior and layout, for the author of the project, Patricia Urquiola, this is the first experience of working with yachts. Perhaps that is why she managed to create such an unusual atmosphere on board. Not that most yacht designers have a blurry look, but Patricia has managed to dispense with industry stereotypes.
Dossier Sanlorenzo SD96
Length:
29.29 m
Width:
7.60 m
Draft:
1.98 m
Displacement:
125 t
Fuel supply:
15 500 l
Water supply:
2500 l
Engines:
2 × MTU 10V 2000 M86 (1380 HP) / 2 × Cat C18 (1150 HP)
Maximum speed:
20 knots
Cruising speed:
16 knots
Passengers:
10 people
Crew:
5 people
How successful “non-yacht” designers can work in a very specific “marine environment” is a subject of eternal debate. But in this case, the issue is removed thanks to the first-class team of engineers and designers of the Sanlorenzo shipyard itself. This format of work allowed installing the ideas of the “land” designer into the yacht painlessly and irreproachably.
Urquiola’s main ideas are transformability, mobility and comfort. Simply put, all spaces must be comfortable, spacious and used in a variety of ways. The latter aspect was previously out of favor on many superyachts: it was believed that transformer solutions were the lot of compact boats, where space was in short supply, and on large yachts there was enough space. However, even the owners of huge ships always lack something, otherwise they would not constantly build something even longer for themselves. Another question is that the transformation proposed by Patricia Urquiola is much higher than sofas that fold out into sun beds and back. How about a vanishing dining room or living room turning into a cabin?
Main deck
The disappearing canteen is not a figure of speech. She is on the right side, near the entrance to the salon. It looks like an ordinary dining table, which can become bigger-smaller, wider-narrower, higher or lower, or maybe … completely retract into the seat along the side. No one has ever offered such a radical solution on the market.
All furniture in the salon is mobile. The natural question is: how will all this behave during pitching? But, first of all, SD96 is a very stable yacht and for something to move even by a centimeter, you have to get into a serious storm. And secondly, there are special storage places for everything that may need to be removed: the team will cope with it in a few minutes.
The main ideas of Patricia Urquiola, realized on board the Sanlorenzo SD96, are transformation, mobility and comfort
The glazing of the superstructure is the floor-to-ceiling windows that Sanlorenzo already knows. At the same time, there is no feeling of an aquarium: absolutely nothing is visible from the outside, and from the inside the glass does not even look tinted – the world around it appears in natural colors.
The bow bulkhead separating the salon from the owner’s cabin is not just a wall, but a whole installation with a fantastically beautiful gangway leading up to the sky lounge and down to the guest cabins. The master suite begins in the hallway, from where you can access the dressing room and bathroom, and the cabin itself is located further to the bow and has a panoramic view from three sides. The fourth “wall” is trimmed with a unique blue glass with a wavy pattern that slightly fluoresces in the dark. Even the door is made of it: being closed, it merges with the general background. Other finishes selected by Patricia Urquiola include bleached oak panels in the form of bamboo stems, unique furniture from collections of Italian designers, fantastic textiles and unusual linen carpets designed by Patricia herself. Nothing here is typical.
The SD96 has an interesting two-level open foredeck – perfect for cocktail parties. An external staircase leads directly to the upper saloon. Unique layout in this size!
Dmitry Lukin, Sales Director of Sanlorenzo Russia at West Nautical
Lower deck
The most interesting example of transformation is found on the deck below where the guest cabins are located. There are different layouts for the SD96: with four (including the “master”) or three cabins and a living room. The designer chose the latter, but, as is usually said in such cases, “no one was hurt”, because this very living room turns into a cabin entirely. It’s not about a sofa that can be folded out, making a sleeping place for an “emergency” overnight stay for late guests. The sliding bulkhead system completely isolates this room; the sofa turns into a comfortable double bed, the panel in the wall is electrically driven, revealing a large TV … Moreover, this cabin also has a private bathroom!
Designed to seamlessly link open decks and yacht interiors
The fact is that a small hall adjoins the living room, which looks like a room with built-in wardrobes. Some of the doors actually hide wardrobes for the occupants of the cabin. The others are followed by a shower and toilet. The sink is right next to the porthole, but you can only guess its existence by sliding the bleached oak countertop. The comfort here is no less than in other cabins: the class and level of transformation is simply unprecedented.
Team premises
They are usually written briefly, but on SD96 they deserve a separate mention. As always, at Sanlorenzo, work areas (helm, crew quarters and galley) are grouped in the bow so that the crew can work in isolation without disturbing the guests. But here we went even further. The helm station and galley are made … in one space. True, on closer inspection, you can find a system of sliding bulkheads that allow them to be separated. The decoration is the same in style as in the guest areas, perhaps a little more modest. A ladder leads down to the crew cabins: a separate one for the captain and a couple more doubles, although three people are enough to calmly manage the boat.
Open decks
Sky lounge is another multifunctional space. As mentioned, this is the closed part of the flybridge. But it is closed conditionally. The side glazing is lowered and a pair of glass aft doors are retracted completely. All furniture is mobile, so here you can easily organize a living room, a dining room (the table changes height, turning from a coffee room to a dining room) or a cinema (a huge screen opens from the ceiling).
The open area is a luxurious aft terrace with a transforming table, bar counter, armchairs and sun loungers. The design is made to connect the open and closed parts completely seamlessly, while tasty details such as knitted Paola Lenti chairs or portable lamps that resemble traditional ship lanterns create that very unique atmosphere that you rarely see on a production yacht. …
The open nasal seating area is made on two levels
The flybridge consists of a closed skylight with retractable glazing and an open deck aft
Flybridge dining area. The aft part of the flybridge can be additionally protected with an awning
If open space is not enough for you, welcome to the two-level lounge in the bow: the upper terrace with a sofa is level with the flybridge, the lower one, with sun loungers and tables, is at the level of the main deck. To get from one to the other, you do not need to run around the yacht around the perimeter: they are connected by a comfortable wide teak ladder.
On the aft platform, deck chairs are reclined from the sides, where it is also pleasant to relax, and a huge garage accommodates not only a tender (4.5 m / 950 kg), but also a lot of water “toys”, so you will not be bored on board. Including missing home. SD96 looks like a home, which is an infrequent phenomenon for yacht design, but, as we can see, it is quite achievable thanks to the new Sanlorenzo strategy – cooperation with the best names from the world of “earthly” architecture and design.
It all started with the legendary Paolo Lissoni and the SX yachts. Collaboration with Patricia Urquiola, it seems, turned out to be even more successful. Let’s see who will be next. In the meantime, in Cannes, Sanlorenzo SD96 won the Best Layout Trophy in the category of yachts 24-30 meters long. Congratulations!
Text
Olga Selezneva
Photo
Sanlorenzo yachts
Chief Editor
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