The first Bluegame motor yacht in Southeast Asia has made an instant impact in Singapore even without a public launch event. Dealer Simpson Marine said the new BGX70 berthed in front of its office in ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove has led to round-the-clock enquiries from existing clients and even passers-by strolling along the boardwalk.
“We’ve never had so many enquiries from one boat,” says Julien Solari, Singapore Country Manager for Simpson Marine, which has represented Bluegame across Asia since 2020, having represented its parent company Sanlorenzo across the continent since 2015.
“Since the BGX70 arrived, we’ve been receiving calls and messages from people who walk past the boat and our office. People are used to seeing more traditional motor yachts in the marina, so this really makes people stop and stare.”
Bluegame launched the BGX70 in 2019, with the model effectively continuing the design concept behind Sanlorenzo’s SX crossover range into smaller sizes. Zuccon International Project – responsible for Sanlorenzo’s SX series – designed the model with Bluegame founder Luca Santella, while Lou Codega handled the naval architecture.
With an exterior more akin to a military patrol boat than a luxury yacht, the 72-footer has just two decks, in contrast to most of the flybridge motor yachts of this length seen elsewhere in the marina.
The BGX70’s lower deck starts with an enormous swim platform, which can carry water toys and a tender that can be deployed by a crane cleverly integrated into the bulwark. On the port side, the platform plays host to an enormous wet bar with Gaggenau grill, while the starboard side features exterior stairs to the main deck, among the yacht’s three staircases for guests.
As well as being unusually large, the platform leads straight into the main saloon, which is just a couple of steps down and has views of the water on both sides as well as an extensive vista over the aft platform.
“On BGX models, people spend a lot of the daytime on the lower deck, which on other yachts is typically only used for sleeping at night. It’s a unique design and a unique way of using a boat,” Solari says.
“Sanlorenzo’s SX range launched in 2017 revolutionised the market and many other brands have followed the large aft platform connecting to the cockpit. Now, I think you’ll see more shipyards follow the BGX concept, with the large swim platform leading into the saloon.”
The yacht’s radical design is made possible by using Volvo Penta’s IPS system, so the engines can fit under the large platform rather than further forward, where the engine room would occupy a sizeable portion of the lower deck on a more conventional motor yacht.
“It’s all because of the IPS system. On a typical yacht, the engines would be where the [BGX70] saloon is, but the IPS can be located just under the swim platform. It’s a beautiful and unconventional layout, whereas almost all other yachts of this length have the same layout as each other.”
The hull in Singapore features a light oak interior and luxury furniture by Minotti and Poltrona Frau, while Simpson Marine dressed the yacht for private viewings with luxury bedding from Frette, decorative clothes and bags from Berluti and crystalware from Baccarat. “Like Sanlorenzo, Bluegame is almost unlimited in what it can offer in terms of design and furniture,” Solari says.
The saloon offers access to the main deck up an internal staircase, while a forward door leads directly into the full-beam master suite.
On the hull ordered for Singapore, the master suite is connected to a multifunctional room featuring modular furniture than can be arranged to form an L-shaped sofa, twin berths or a double bed, making it suitable as a children’s room. Depending on the set-up, it can also be used by the owners as a private lounge, cinema, office or even gym.
If required, the room can be transformed into a guest cabin by closing the ‘hidden door’ and partition between the rooms. In such a case, this middle cabin is accessible from the forward hallway, which also leads to the VIP cabin in the bow and stairs up to the main deck.
The main deck starts with an outdoor area that includes an L-shaped sofa and a dining table. Side decks lead to the bow area, a remarkable social area with sofas on each side connected to an oversized sunbathing area forward, which covers access to the crew cabin below.
A bimini can cover the area, while those wanting a more secluded spot can lounge on sunpads on top of the superstructure.
The main-deck interior includes a dining area that’s served by a discreet, elegant galley along the starboard side. The twin-seat helm station is set slightly to port and technology includes the IPS joystick and Dynamic Positioning System, which automatically maintains the boat’s position without anchoring, even in strong currents and waves.
The hull in Singapore includes lithium batteries, which can power the air-conditioning and other onboard systems silently overnight without the need to run the generator.
Bluegame’s other models include the BGX60 launched in 2020 and the more open-style BG range that includes 42, 62 and 72 models and the upcoming BG54.
“We’re already in discussions to bring more Bluegame models to Singapore and we expect more orders now that people can see the BGX70 for themselves,” Solari says. “This is just the beginning.”