ShowBoats International
Testing the Metal
Justin Ratcliffe
03/01/2008
I’m going to stick my neck out here to say that in my opinion, the Sanlorenzo 40 Alloy was the most exciting yacht to make its debut in Monaco last autumn. It was not the biggest by a long chalk, but what distinguishes this all-aluminum production yacht (which, incidentally, is a tad under 40 meters at a less fulsome-sounding 38.5 meters, or 126 feet, overall) is the concept behind its audacious, yet functional design. Named after the initial letter of the owner’s surname and the four members of his family, 4H is the first of the new metal series to come out of Sanlorenzo’s Viareggio facility. I spotted its eye-catching profile in Cannes when the yacht was
anchored between the Vieux Port and Port Pierre Canto, but I had to wait until the following week to go aboard in Monaco. I was not disappointed. Click on the Specs tab at top to see complete list of resources. Two motives dictated Sanlorenzo’s move to aluminum as a
construction material: to offer clients more choice by extending its range, and to maintain performance in a planing hull over 108 feet when weight becomes an issue with GRP. Once the Italian company decided to enter the metal-boat sector, Sanlorenzo also committed to
maintaining the high-quality standards that characterize the rest of its fleet. Accordingly, it sought the guidance of John Winterbotham & Partners, an English consultancy firm
specializing in the superyacht field. The process was supervised by Mike Worthington-Leese, formerly a surveyor with Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, resulting in a quality book that certified and signed off each stage of production. Worthington-Leese calls it a "living document," insofar as the document is constantly being updated so as to improve production procedure and coordination. "It’s been a steep learning curve for Sanlorenzo," admits Worthington-Leese, who
travels to Viareggio about once a month. "But the engineers are extremely proud of their product and mindful of the fact they are new to the metal-boat market, so they’re happy to listen and take advice." With general concept, exterior styling, interior layout and décor by Francesco Paszkowski with Margherita Casprini acting as interior design liaison for Sanlorenzo,
the two designers worked in close association with the European client who, as a former owner of the Wally Tiketitoo, was looking to marry the plein air lifestyle of a sailboat with the luxury and performance of a motorboat. Top: The VIP cabin. Middle: The stairwell with colored Perspex
panels. Bottom: The owner’s study. (Click images to enlarge) "In my heart of hearts I’m a sailor," says the owner, "and always will be." Paszkowski achieved the union in a single masterly stroke by designing into the main-deck bulwarks no fewer than four hydraulically operated terraces. While one or two such balconies are not new features on larger vessels, four on a
yacht of less than 40 meters is unheard of. "As Sanlorenzo’s first metal boat, they wanted something that was different from what the market already offered," explains Paszkowski. "But the tricky part was adapting the exterior ShowBoats International lines to create a family resemblance with the Sanlorenzo 100 and 108 fiberglass models." Positioned on either side of the main salon and in the forward gym and master cabin, the stunning effect is to open up the
interior to natural light and sea breezes and extend its boundaries over the water. The fold-down terraces in the main salon are accessed via sliding glass doors and together add more than six feet to the yacht’s maximum beam when lowered. In the gym and master suite, the teak-decked platforms are divided into upper and lower sections, so for added privacy just the upper panel can be raised at eye level. The owner’s bed is athwartships, so when the vessel is anchored in a secluded bay he can gaze out at the horizon from a perfectly prone position. Stanchions slot into the perimeter of the terraces, and stainless locking steel pins ensure the mechanism is secure and watertight in line with the yacht’s ABS certification. Although requiring some
precision engineering, the technology behind these solutions is not especially new or complex, and I only wonder why we have had to wait for the 40 Alloy to realize the full potential of the terrace feature.To keep the profile low and streamlined, the raised pilothouse-style bridge is on an intermediate level, which means guests can enjoy all-round views while seated in the sun-deck lounge. The result is a yacht that gives the impression of being two boats in one. "If you stand on the sun deck," says Paszkowski, "it feels like an open model; whereas in the main salon, it is more like a widebody yacht." The problem with a raised pilothouse is that access is usually only from the inside. But here again, the 40 Alloy is innovative. Paszkowski added two automobileinspired gull-wing doors that besides looking very stylish also provide the necessary
headroom for getting in and out quickly and comfortably—a useful option when maneuvering in a tight berth. As a safety feature, the doors open automatically at the touch of a button, but when closing them you have to keep the button pressed, and electronic gears slow the movement down to avoid nipped fingers or worse before shutting and locking for a watertight seal. The only drawback is that the first step up to the doors is rather high, but this likely will be resolved by adding an intermediary step. The main salon. The owner requested that the systems monitors on the bridge be standardized to give the console a clean and harmonized appearance. Engine room and navigation data thus are fed into what Captain Frank Hesse calls a "little black box" and then relayed to five identical screens. To the best of our knowledge, 4H is also the first non-displacement hull to be fitted with Naiad at-anchor stabilizers. But it is not just at anchor that the stabilizers come in handy. Hesse is especially pleased with their performance when under way. "At twenty-five knots, you can turn fifteen degrees to port or starboard and the boat barely lists," he claims enthusiastically. "That means guests can be enjoying drinks on the flydeck and glasses don’t shoot off the table." On the inside, what is immediately striking about 4H is the lack of any formal dining area. The only full-size table is on the open sun deck.
"I think the idea of having twelve dining chairs on the main deck would have ruined the sense of space," says the owner. "And you just don’t need it, as when you’re cruising in the Mediterranean, you dine outside." The upper-deck lounge, trimmed in green and black leather,
is set up for casual dining. Instead, the main salon is furnished as a casual ShowBoats international conversation area with a series of black lacquered games and coffee tables by Cantù Contract, and Nieri freestanding leather sofas and armchairs. Two shades of walnut are used throughout the yacht for walls and flooring, while the bathroom countertops and shower stalls are of oatmeal-hued limestone. So as to bounce light around the interior volumes, the ceilings have a white, high-gloss finish. The flat-screen TV in the main salon is disguised behind a rose red panel that adds a modernist touch of color to the neutral tones of the décor. The owner dislikes incandescent spotlights, so he opted for more-subtle LEDs for ceiling illumination and ambient lighting. In contrast to the main deck, the skylounge on the sun deck is lined in black and sage green leather. Instead of appearing dark or gloomy, the space is even more light-filled than the main salon due to side windows that open by sliding down into the superstructure and open-style glass doors to the aft deck. An adjustable granitetopped table and C-shape sofa provide for casual dining under cover in case of bad weather, while a dumbwaiter to the galley makes life easier for the crew, who also enjoy particularly comfortable quarters with the same walnut finish as the guest areas. A suave touch is the dedicated sink in the bar area for storing ice or keeping fresh seafood alive.The master suite is situated forward of the galley on the main
deck and has its own private gym and study area with room for two workstations. A sliding mirrored panel in the gym communicates with the bathroom and means the view out over the terrace can also be enjoyed (somewhat bizarrely) by anyone who happens to be in the bathtub. The owner of the second hull under construction has chosen to do away with the gym and opted for a full-beam cabin. The lower-deck guest accommodations consist of a forward VIP cabin, two twin singles and a double cabin that feels strangely larger than the VIP cabin despite the fact that one side of the bed abuts the sidewall. TV screens are hidden behind wall mirrors and the choice of materials, fixtures and fittings are identical to the master cabin. My only criticism is that the VIP cabin, though provided with adequate storage space, lacks a proper wardrobe.
Coming hot on the heels of the SD92 reviewed in ShowBoats International’s February issue, 4H represents another chapter in the challenge laid down by Massimo Perotti two years ago in April 2005 when he took over what he likes to call the Sanlorenzo atelier, or literally, "artist’s studio." As the first alloy hull in a bold new series, the execution is not always faultless, but the basic concept is sound, and the finished product will only improve as the company fine-tunes its production process. Sanlorenzo certainly is not lacking in confidence, and the word is,
construction has already started on a 44-meter steel hull.
Yacht Specs
Yacht Name: 4H
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Builder: Sanlorenzo
Interior Design: Francesco Paszkowski
Draft: 9' 4" (2.84m)
LOA (Actual length): 126' 4" (38.51m)
Displacement: 170 tons
Max Speed: 28 kts
Cruise Speed: 25 kts
Range: 800 nm @ 23 kts
Beam: 24' 11" (7.59m)
Architecture: Sanlorenzo
Hull Material: Aluminum
Superstructure Material: Aluminum
Exterior Design: Francesco Paszkowski
ShowBoats International
Fuel Capacity: 8,000g (30,283.29L)
Water Capacity: 1,600g (6,056.66L)
Engines: 2x MTU 12V4000 M90
Generators: 2x 55 kW/50 Hz
Air conditioning: Condaria, 344,000 Btu
Watermarker: 1x 1,849 U.S. gal (7,000 L) per day
Bow thruster: Tunnel thrusters, 80 hp
Stabilizers: 2x 1.7 m2
Paint: Boero, DuPont
Deck Windlass: Maxwell VWC 6000, 1.4 tn
Tenders: 1x 16' (5 m) Novurania EQ 500 LP
Radar: 1x Furuno M1964C-BB, 1x Furuno M1934C-BB
Autopilot: C.Plath NaviPilot 4000
GPS: 2x Furuno GP-320B
SatCom: OmniAccess VSAT w/Sea Tel 4006 antenna
Depth Sounder: Furuno FCV-600L

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