Wally expands to powerboats

Wally Yachts, the Italian boat builder who constructs the very large cruising yachts that are the vessel of choice of the Med's playboy set, is moving into big, comfortable powerboats.

The new line, Wallyship, is aimed at the increasing number of well-heeled yachtsmen who want the advantages and lower running costs of a displacement hull.

Wally Yachts have always been defined by their almost flush decks and inventive sail handling. Even a 120 foot Wally yacht can be sailed by one person, using the system of captive winches and joystick controls developed by the company's president and founder Luca Bassani.

While there is no shortage of accommodation below decks in a Wally yacht, Bassani has seen the increasing number of baby-boomer yachtsmen who opting for displacement hulled power boats, with their low running costs and massive interior spaces and vast entertainment decks.

Bassani is producing two new Wallyships, a 26 metre model and a 36 metre model -- both of which have hulls more than 10 per cent wider that equivalent power boats. Combined with a high freeboard, the designs give safety at sea and exceptional interior volume.

The full-width owners suite in the aft of the boats open directly onto the "terrace on the sea" feature that gives direct access to the water and which has proved so popular with the owners of Wally yachts.

So the owner and his/her guests on a Wallyship will not be disturbed, the crew quarters and service areas are accessible from a separate hull opening amidships.

The tender garage (for a 6 metre RIB in the 26m boat and an 8m RIB in the 36m boat) is also located amidships.

Bassani describes the hull shape as innovative and aggressive but still reflecting the unmistakable Wally style.

The engines will be designed to run at low RPM and give excellent economy while never producing more than 50dB of apparent noise on deck. Gyroscopic stablisers will keep the boats from rolling in a seaway.

The price of the three-deck Wallyship 26 has been set at 4.5 million Euros and the delivery time is 16 months. The first of the new boats should be delivered in May next year.

Check out the Wally website for more details.