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Wally Hermès Yachts (‘WHY’): A Yacht Like No Other

Revolutionary. Audacious. Radical. Three adjectives that scarcely begin to describe the 58m-long, 38m-wide yacht sitting as a full-size model in Ancona’s shipyard. This is the first-born offspring of WHY – Wally Hermès Yachts – a joint venture between the Monaco yacht brand and the iconic Parisian house, and one which aims to redefine the art of living on the sea.

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Artistic Director of Hermès, explains that Wally’s President and CEO, Luca Bassani Antivari, had thought of asking Hermès to accessorise the interior of one of his yachts when they met in 2007. “I was impressed by the daring of his projects,” says Dumas. “My instinct was to get on board with him and go and seek out new territories in yacht design, but I had no interest in speed.”

Wally Hermès Yachts (‘WHY’): A Yacht Like No Other Wally Hermès Yachts (‘WHY’): A Yacht Like No Other

With a cruising speed of 12 knots, and accommodation for 12 guests and 20 crew in living areas of a staggering 3400sqm, the new concept is not about ultimate performance but about stability and space. It uses the tried-and-tested Norwegian Ramform hull – ideal for the WHY 58x38 project. The hull was developed to provide patios which flood the interior with natural light, photovoltaic panels on the glass hull sides and on the roof opening (“like Venetian blinds”), a 25m-long forward end swimming pool and a 36m aft deck beach.

Wally Hermès Yachts (‘WHY’): A Yacht Like No Other Wally Hermès Yachts (‘WHY’): A Yacht Like No Other

Both Dumas and Antivari are emphatic that environmental issues are of key concern to the project. The WHY 58x38 requires less power at cruising speed than a more traditional boat of equal size. Its diesel-electric propulsion is highly efficient, while the 900sqm of photovoltaic panels provide for most of the boat’s auxiliary systems. In comparison to a yacht of this size, the WHY 58x38 should save up to 200 tons of diesel per year.

“The WHY 58x38 yacht looks very unfamiliar but it remains on a human scale,” concludes Pierre-Alexis Dumas. “Space is the greatest luxury on the sea, but I believe the new luxury will be the time to enjoy it.”

For further information, visit www.why-yachts.com.

Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: WHY



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