Venice, the Masked Queen of the Adriatic, has a lifelong relationship with boating yet only recently established a yachting event – and it’s not one to miss.
Held in the Arsenale of Venice, the historic centre of the city’s naval industry and just a 15-minute walk from Basilica di San Marco, the 4th Edition of the Venice Boat Show brought together more than 220 exhibitors and 300 vessels docked in the city’s iconic basin.
The show is diverse and the boats on display ranged from small RIBS and chase boats to sub-40-metre motor and sailing yachts. There were also plenty of representatives from leading builders, such as Fincantieri, Ferretti, Wider and Sunseeker, ready to discuss larger projects. But the added appeal of the Venice Boat Show is that it’s a show of firsts – new builders, brands and many debuts. Here is the rundown of some of the hottest new yachts and projects:
36.8m | Ocean King | Vayus | 2023
The Venetian builder Ocean King claimed flagship status, bringing the largest from its brand-new Ducale series. Designed by VYD Studio with naval architecture by InNave, the steel-hulled motor yacht offers 334 GT of interior volume and accommodation for as many as 10 guests and seven crew. She has plenty of alfresco space and features two large Jacuzzis: one aft and the other on her sundeck.
24.06m | Wally | wallywhy150 | 2023
Nestled at the end of the dock was the striking first unit from the wallywhy150 series, the smaller sister to the wallywhy200 which debuted at Cannes last year. There’s been a lot of buzz around the 24.06-metre wallywhy150 – and rightly so. With an interior volume of 150GT and LWL under 24-metres, the wallywhy150 has the living space of a large yacht and the benefits of not being LYC classified. The wallywhy150 offers accommodation in four staterooms, including a stunning forward owner’s suite with 270-degree panoramic views.
18.41m | Omikron Yachts | OT-60 | TBC
Omikron Yachts, a newcomer from Greece, presented a prototype of its 18.41m OT-60. The philosophy behind the OT-60 is the feel of a sailing yacht with motor yacht credentials. The OT-60 is beamy, easy going and informal, yet doesn’t require the technical skills for navigation. It also boasts an impressive 1,000-nautical mile range. An interesting concept and one that will likely grow in popularity.
23.47m | Fabiani Yachts | Fabiani Yacht 77” Hybrid | TBC
Another newcomer is Italy’s Fabiani Yachts, which presented a fleet of concepts in the indoor exhibition area. Fabiani Yachts has created an eco-conscious line of motor yachts that adopts the same philosophy of Silent Yachts and Sunreef yet in a smaller package. Unlike Silent Yachts and Sunreef though, Fabiani Yachts have unique solar panel configurations that can fan out to catch the sun whilst the yacht is at anchor. Its first project, the Fabiani Yacht 77” Hybrid is well into construction, with the keel laid in April 2022.
Other notable yachts presented at the event include the Arcadia Sherpa 80, the Pershing 9X, the Nevatta 75, the Azimut 68 and the Nautor Swan 65.
