Creating tradition

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Benetti's CEO keeps yachting heritage alive.

When it comes to description, you can't beat the Australians for their precision. Unlike the Romantic poets of the UK, German philosophers or Italian Renaissance writers, Australians have an amazing ability to ‘say it like it is'. There's certainly no ambiguity surrounding the area called the Great Sandy Desert, or even the Great Barrier Reef, and in both cases the original author couldn't even be criticised for exaggeration.

Natives of the north of England are also renowned for ‘calling a spade a spade' and having been out on the Benetti Tradition, I immediately scrutinised the management team to try and find an Australian or Northern element, for Benetti's baby semi-custom model does exactly what it says on the tin.

Benetti has a long tradition of building steel and aluminium-hulled custom superyachts and it was the vision of the Azimut-Benetti Group's owner, founder and CEO, Paolo Vitelli, to predict that as the superyacht market grew, potential owners would not want to wait for a new yacht. Signor Vitelli envisaged that buyers would prefer a semi-custom model they could have in a few months, rather than a unique product after a few years.

Drawing on the Group's Azimut building experience, a range of semi-displacement hulls were designed by Stefano Righini, creating the 45-metre Vision, the 35-metre Classic, and the 30-metre Tradition. Such was Paolo Vitelli's enthusiasm for the Tradition, that he commissioned the first model.

By creating an exterior profile, tested naval architecture and a choice of interior layouts and designs that allowed for individuality without significantly altering the yacht's dynamics, each Tradition could be built on a production line without a prior order from the owner. The units only need owner input when it comes to selecting specific interior arrangement, specification, finishing requirements and equipment to be fitted.

Lying under the shadow of the Burj in Jumeirah Beach Hotel's marina, the Tradition was by no means the biggest boat on the block, squeezed in between ART Marine's impressive catalogue of Azimut models getting ready for the Dubai International Boat Show.

While a number of obvious similarities could instantly be seen between the 30-metre yachts on display, it was undeniably the detailing and use of space that set the Tradition apart. She upholds the Benetti design philosophy in not bending to modernity, but maintains a sense of traditional big boat living.

Stepping from the dock, up the electric passerelle, the fact the teak walkway did not even wobble under pressure was a precursor to the quality construction throughout the yacht. She might have lacked LOA compared to her neighbours, but she made up for it in rigidity of structure. Arriving in the aft cockpit, twin side decks prevent any full beam areas on the main deck, but do allow for crew to move quickly and quietly around the yacht without entering communal areas.

With her moulded superstructure ending in graceful curves, solid fittings reinforce the more traditional yachting feel. This continues with polished aft quarter capstans and bollards left uncovered as a style statement, encircling the large teak dining table set for up to eight to dine in a covered alfresco setting.

From the aft cockpit, the port side deck is very much the preserve of the crew, with watertight superstructure doors leading down to the lazarette, engine room and crew quarters, with the starboard offering one entrance for side-to mooring. Faced with the choice of pressing a button for the electric glass doors to slide open to reveal the main saloon, the long stretches of teak stretching to the bow or steep teak steps up a deck, it is a childlike instinct that draws one higher to explore all that the alfresco spaces have to offer.

Making the most of the semi-displacement hull, the full beam is taken complete advantage of on the bridge deck providing a large clear space. A polished cherry and teak table, surrounded by freestanding chairs, is set slightly to starboard offering dining and seating positions.

A small wet bar, with icemaker, serves the large curved banquette set centrally and to port which is attended by two low polished cherry coffee tables.

With all seating set under the shade of the two-metre high deckhead, the extended aft section of the teak deck supported a Opacmare electric davit for launching a PWC or small tender, further extending the watersport capabilities on board catered for by the lazarette.

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