The salon employs an Italian mid-century look, but the full-height windows on all sides are thoroughly modern.
Sanlorenzo Yachts
Retro-looking yachts have been around, in one form or another. Modern classics, such as the mahogany runabouts from builders like Grand Craft and Hacker, are purposely designed to look like boats from the 1930s. Builders like Van Dam and Boesch meanwhile are building more contemporary vessels from mahogany, while Riva, Bertram and Chris-Craft employ subtle 1960s curves as design cues for their fiberglass vessels.
In the superyacht world, builders like Benetti have introduced the Motopanfilo series that, in some ways, harken back to its iconic 1970s series of the same name, while Picchiotti’s Gentleman’s Runabout series is a more stylized version of a 1930s cruiser.
Sanlorenzo’s SHE is the latest in the modern-retro school, a one-off, 84-footer that was designed to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sanlorenzo Group under the leadership of Chairman Massimo Perotti. “SHE is a celebration of Italian yachting artistry,” says Perotti, who has brought the Italian shipyard into the world of fine art and contemporary design by sponsoring artists at Art Basel Miami and the Venice Biennale, and the permanent Sanlorenzo Arts Center in the heart of Venice.
Standing for “Sanlorenzo Heritage,” SHE’s exterior came from the drawing board of Zuccon International Project and the interior was completed by Lissoni & Partners. “SHE represents everything we believe in. Elegance that doesn’t shout, innovation that respects, a design that endures,” says Perotti. The yacht, currently under build, will be completed next summer.
The fold-down beach club adds a modern twist to the stern.
Sanlorenzo Yachts
SHE’s exterior, in fact, could be mistaken for a 1960s cruiser—a stylish one, but certainly from a specific era. Benetti’s Motopanfilo and the Picchiotti Runabout, by contrast, use more subtle design cues from the past. But SHE has a long forefoot and open foredeck, no visible windows in the hull beyond several portholes, and a dated, two-tier superstructure. But on closer inspection, modern details emerge—the flush sundeck a top the boat, curved windows on the main deck and helm area, and, almost impossibly, a fold-out beach club at the stern.
“Every detail reflects our vision of a contemporary, conscious way of experiencing the sea,” says Tommaso Vincenzi, CEO of Sanlorenzo.
The Smart Island system, for instance, is a modular outdoor design. It allows for agile, flexible configurations on the sundeck and in the cockpit so that no line-of-sight or forward view from inside the boat will be compromised. Incorporating removable furniture, the design also adds to the vessel’s sleek profile.
The Smart Island System design retains the vessel’s sleek 1960s profile without any jagged edges or clunky corners.
Sanlorenzo
The interior has what the design team calls a “Milanese lounge” effect, with mahogany finishes, white decor, and tailored detailing with fine materials. “It reuses traditional elements and evokes the grace of the 1960s but leaps forward into 2030,” says Piero Lissoni, Sanlorenzo’s art director. The details reflect the midcentury Italian design’s elegance but with a modern twist. “Refined yet never nostalgic,” adds Lissoni.
The main salon features full-height windows and movable décor, connected to a circular staircase that leads to the mezzanine with the dining area. On the lower deck is a full-beam owner’s suite at the stern, along with a VIP stateroom and smaller guest cabin. The crew area, located forward, includes two cabins for three crew members and a spacious, fully equipped galley.
The full-beam main suite, surrounded by mahogany walls and ceiling, includes contemporary features like the en-suite and side couch.
Sanlorenzo
One of the boat’s most impressive features is what you don’t see. SHE is the first yacht in the Sanlorenzo fleet to use Volvo Penta’s hybrid IPS propulsion system. Equipped with twin 1,000 hp IPS30 units, SHE can cruise in either hybrid-diesel mode at 20 knots or go into full electric at nine knots. It also has an electric “boost” that accelerates the standard cruise speed with a burst of battery power.
The vessel has other eco details such as synthetic teak that replicates authentic teak in both looks and the ability to stay cool underfoot, a bio-resin in the layup, among others. “Every element of SHE’s technological framework is conceived to elevate sustainability, simplify operations and preserve the purity of her design,” says Vincenzi.
More importantly for owners who like the retro look, SHE will pay homage to yachting’s past without sacrificing modern comforts.
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