Sanlorenzo SD96 Luxury Motor Yacht Doubles Up in Asia

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Simpson Marine announced sales of the SD96 into Hong Kong and Singapore; Photos: Thomas Pagani

Sanlorenzo’s remarkable run of success in Asia just keeps on going. The new SD96 was one of the stars of the last Cannes Yachting Festival , especially as the hull used for the world premiere featured an interior by Patricia Urquiola, marking the renowned Spanish architect and designer’s debut work in the boating world.

The model received praise and accolades, yet yacht lovers in Asia will get the chance to see the SD96 for themselves in Asia next year as not one but two units have been sold to owners in the region.

Just months after the Cannes show, the Sanlorenzo Asia division at Simpson Marine announced the sales and that the 29m yachts will be delivered in Hong Kong and Singapore in early 2021. Furthermore, the hull heading to Hong Kong will feature an interior by Urquiola.

“The SD96 was our team’s favourite new model at Cannes, impressing with larger volumes and smart connectivity,” said Nick Stratton, Sales Manager for Sanlorenzo Asia.

As the new entry-level model of Sanlorenzo’s semi-displacement yacht line, the SD96 replaces the successful SD92, which sold a remarkable 27 units since its launch in 2007.

The vast main-deck saloon features huge windows and sofas designed by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina

One of Sanlorenzo’s three composite ranges along with the SL and SX, the SD range (96, 112, 126) is designed for long journeys and draws inspiration from the lines of transatlantic yachts of the 1930s.

The two SD96 yachts heading to Asia will join an impressive fleet of SD yachts cruising in the region, with an SD92 and SD122 based in Hong Kong and the flagship SD126 based in Singapore.

“The SD range is very appealing to owners in Asia who wish to cruise longer distances,” Stratton said. “Suddenly journeys once not possible become a reality and there’s a new excitement to owning a yacht.”

URQUIOLA MAKES HER MARK

Bernard Zuccon of Zuccon International was responsible the exterior of the three-deck SD96, one of several models he and the company have designed for the Italian builder.

This forward view of the saloon shows the foldable dining table that can be stored in the bench, which has sliding backrests

However, it was the decision by Sanlorenzo Chairman Massimo Perotti to have Urquiola handle the interiors that gave the model a distinct character, as she followed other interior designers including Dordoni Architetti, ACPV (Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel) and Piero Lissoni, Sanlorenzo’s Art Director since 2018.

“I chose Patricia because I wanted to add a more feminine touch to our interiors,” Perotti said. “She is the most sought-after woman in global design thanks to her ability to combine beauty and comfort.”

Urquiola has spent much of her adult life in Italy and has an office in Milan with about 70 staff. She made her name in residential interiors and joins a relatively small number of female designers in the yachting world, which includes Bernardo’s sister Martina.

Patricia Urquiola on the first Sanlorenzo SD96

Considering the global appeal of her work, Urquiola is certainly among the most famous and her Instagram following (290,000) is even bigger than that of Kelly Hoppen (170,000), the celebrated British designer whose clients have included the Beckhams and who handles the interiors of Pearl yachts.

The exterior of SD96 retains the shape of the forward and lateral windows of the rest of the SD range, but with panes that are visually similar to the hull, due to Urquiola’s choice to apply one-way films to the cabin windows on the lower deck.

Urquiola emphasised several themes in her work on the SD96, including the use of natural colours and textures throughout the yacht, and selected use of blue , such as in the glass panelling in the master cabin, and the sofas and seats on the upper deck.

The owner’s cabin is forward on the main deck

“Our starting point for this collaboration with Sanlorenzo was the sea, a great source of inspiration for the whole development of the concept and therefore the interior of the yacht,” Urquiola said. “The materials, shapes and colours evoke the marine world, creating a flowing and elegant space full of natural colours.”

However, Urquiola’s most significant design stamp is her emphasis on flexibility and modularity, which has enabled many of the rooms and spaces on the yachts to be used in multiple ways.

FLEXIBLE INTERIORS

On hull one, shown in Cannes, the scene is set when boarding the main deck, where a huge, open cockpit has a long sofa aft and a clean deck featuring loose chairs and small tables – set as you wish.

The lower deck features a living room that can convert to an en-suite cabin

Wide doors lead you in the elegant saloon, which has enormous windows along both sides, parquet flooring and cannulated oak- panelled walls in all four corners. The starboard aft corner features a fold-out TV and encloses the crew stairways to the engine room and upper deck.

Urquiola designed the saloon’s light-grey carpet, along with those in the master and guest cabins, while the furniture includes a sofa and several other pieces she designed for Cassina.

Her love of transformability is shown on starboard side, where folding chairs from Gio Ponti face a table that can actually fold up and be stored in the long bench. Furthermore, the bench backrest is able to drop down, allowing guests a clearer view through the window, a view that is also enlarged when a section of the bulwark slides down.

The upper deck features great continuity between the uncovered aft deck and the enclosable skylounge

Forward is the central staircase, which Sanlorenzo always takes great pride in making into a focal point. Made of bronzed steel and wood and enclosed in a travertine shell, it accesses both the upper and lower decks.

Starting starboardside, the hallway leads forward to the master cabin, which starts with the en-suite bathroom on the right and a walk- in wardrobe on the left, while the bedroom is forward and has half- height oak panelling all around.

The forward-facing double bed has a leather head rest, while above it, across the room, is an attractive glass design with a blueish, wavy effect designed to provide continuity with the sea and sky. To port, below the side windows, is a dressing table fixed to the oak panels.

A drop-down television can turn the skylounge into a cinema

The hallway also leads across to a central day head and portside to the galley by Boffi, which accesses the stairs that lead down to an elegant and spacious crew area in the bow.

The central staircase features a beautiful, recessed handrail and leads down the lower deck, where guests are welcomed by a living room to port. Exemplifying Urquiola’s desire for flexibility, the room can be transformed into a twin cabin with en-suite by rearranging the sofas and using sliding panels to enclose the room.

Otherwise, there are three fixed guest cabins, comprising one starboard of the living room and two midships, aft of the hallway.

UPPER DECK SUPREME

The upper deck has a large, open aft area that can be covered by a bimini attached to the hardtop, which reaches about 2m aft of the skylounge. The outdoor area features sofas, stools and a coffee table that can be converted to a dining table, with up to 10 people able to enjoy al fresco meals.

On the upper deck, the open aft area is partly covered by the hardtop

The skylounge can be fully opened aft when the doors are slid and folded away, while there are also fully opening windows on each side. This cosy space is another highlight of Urquiola’s emphasis on transformability, as the area can be used as a living room, dining area or a cinema due to modular furniture.

Forward of the wheelhouse are two comfortable, almost-square seating areas with coffee tables, then seven steps down to a beautifully designed foredeck with two large lounging areas on either side, making the most of what’s often solely a working area.

And the yacht has a further surprise when it’s revealed that the aft garage door is fixed to the starboard steps, which opens up much more storage space for a tender and toys.

The stairs from the upper deck to the foredeck, which Urquiola changed from a working area to a snug guest zone

The yacht is built for comfort and long periods at sea. The hull features a sharp profile and a vertical bow, and comes from the concept of famed French designer Philippe Briand, combined with input from Sanlorenzo’s engineering team.

With the more powerful option of twin 1,380hp MTU engines, the SD96 has a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 15, while navigating at 10 knots maximises fuel economy and allows for an impressive range of 1,800nm.

Simpson Marine has 12 offices in seven countries and regions around Asia, so provides a strong support network for the growing fleet of Sanlorenzo owners in this area.

The wheelhouse, on the upper deck, features an oak steering wheel

“Imagine cruising to destinations such as Raja Ampat and the Anambas Islands in Indonesia, the Mergui archipelago in Myanmar, or Busuanga and Palawan in the Philippines,” Stratton says.

“With the SD96, it is now possible to explore the region in total comfort. We strongly believe in this model and the SD range, and are sure more sales will follow.”