Some yacht layouts are so predictable that you could practically walk through the boat with your eyes closed and still find your way around. But in recent years, more designers and builders are breaking the mould and creating something else entirely, which is what Sanlorenzo has done with its new flagship, the 64Steel Attila.
A superyacht with a unique layout customised to suit her owner’s lifestyle, the 64.25m Attila is the largest yacht to emerge from the Italian builder, by some way. It’s 12m longer than the 52Steel Seven Sins and at 1,600GT, more than three times the volume of the builder’s 499GT former flagship.
The Attila owner’s previous boat was the Sanlorenzo 46Steel, Achilles. The first 64Steel represents not just a step up in size for this owner and her builder but also in scope. She brims with creative ideas and big- ticket amenities that you would expect to find on a much larger yacht.
With bold exterior lines by Officina Italia Design and a striking silver hull, Attila is certainly a head-turner. Interior design and decor are by Francesco Paszkowski and Margherita Casprini, who worked in concert with the owner and Sanlorenzo to create the calm interior motif and unusual layout.
The moment you enter Attila, you can tell she is different. The owner’s idea was to get rid of a formal main saloon and create a way for everyone to be connected as they enjoyed the yacht throughout day. “Who is using a big saloon in a boat?” says the owner of Attila. “They are not. In the end, in the summer, you are outside.”
Stepping into the main-deck living area, you have to take a moment to get your bearings. Instead of a foyer or saloon, you enter directly into the dining room, which is anything but a formal affair.
The first thing you see upon entering this room is dual staircases to port and starboard, leading to the expansive beach club below, which is bathed in light from the glass-bottom pool above on the main deck aft. Sliding glass doors open on both sides of the dining room to let in fresh air.
“This is unique,” says Antonio Santella, Sanlorenzo’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We have this connection between the pool, al fresco veranda, dining area and beach club. People are not divided into different groups. They are all together.”
A 10-seat wood dining table, backed by a bar and a huge grill, consumes the room. Placing a barbecue inside the yacht’s living spaces – essentially inviting open fire onto the main deck – was no easy task. It challenged the yard to find creative solutions, which emerged with the use of A60 fireproof stainless steel as well as installing a special system to remove smoke.
This barbecue is just one of the elements that speaks to her owner’s Argentine origins and love for grilling meat. Another is the copious, dedicated meat storage found on board – during my visit I was shown 450kg of meat stored on the tank deck.
With her enormous volume and 13.1m beam – wider than most yachts of her length – Attila has the room to pack in all of her owner’s special requests as well as amenities you’d usually find on larger yachts.
“All the design ideas you see in this boat are typical of boats 90m and over, and we are only 64m,” Santella says. “This was the goal: to give something more and be similar to a 90m or 100m boat.”
This includes items such as a touch-and-go helipad, storage for two big 10m-plus tenders, and a 78sqm beach club with a gym, sauna and massage room.
Another big-boat goal, according to Santella, was to have all the guest living spaces on the main deck. There are four double cabins and one master-worthy VIP on the main deck that any guest would feel lucky to have. To achieve this layout, the only ‘saloon’ on the main deck is a cosy cinema lounge.
A larger, but still cosy, saloon is found on the upper or bridge deck, adjacent to another dining area for 14. This deck also houses the Captain’s cabin and a cabin for a nanny or staff member, while the bridge is forward, enjoying excellent sight lines.
The deck above is a space completely dedicated to the owner, as per his exacting brief. “The main characteristic of this boat is the fact that the owner wanted to have a full deck completely private for him,” Santella says.
This palatial suite includes a large en-suite bathroom, walk-in wardrobe and a forward-facing bedroom opening out onto a private terrace with a pool.
Aft on this deck is a private living room opening onto an outdoor lounge area. It’s the ideal personal space for an owner who says he plans to use the boat “as much as possible.”
Between Attila’s delivery and world premiere at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show, he had already used his new boat for three months.
The owner loves to be outside, but if he happens to be stuck inside more than he likes, the calming yet cool interior should be a pleasure in which to spend time. The designers wanted to create something that was modern yet timeless, choosing a soothing palette of grey, white and brown and a plethora of natural materials.
The interior is replete in marble, backlit onyx, glass, stainless steel and teak, the owner’s favourite wood. Furnishings come from Italian brands like Flexform sofas and Catellani & Smith light fixtures, while Summit has provided suitably chic exterior furniture.
Sanlorenzo admits that building this owner-specific, technically intrinsic yacht was a challenge, but it’s one they relished.
“Every boat for us is a challenge,” says Santella. “We don’t build a boat without innovation. On every Sanlorenzo boat, there is something different from all the others.”
For those who want to push the envelope even further, the technical platform of the 64Steel is designed to extended up 70m. Perhaps this owner, after he’s had plenty of time to chill and grill on his new yacht, will be ready to go even bigger yet.
Attila proves that the sky’s the limit for what an innovative yard, designers and owner can create when they combine forces.