When former T850 powerboat racing champion calls to tell you he’s prepared a brief that will test the limits of your design capabilities, you’re all ears. Guido Bonandrini’s racing days may be over, but he continues to set the bar high in everything that he does and for everyone with whom he works. His wish list for the Gamma line would reveal this occasion to be no exception.
The yachts were to distinguish themselves on multiple levels. First and foremost they would need to be beautifully crafted throughout. They would need to offer at least 15% more usable interior floor space than the nearest competitor, and Bonandrini wanted clients to be able to order their steel-hulled, semi-custom-built yacht at the autumn boat show and merrily set sail on it the following summer. The speed king was effectively requesting a 25% compression in build time.
‘Cosiness, warm materials, low noise levels and my piano. These were my primary needs and they’ve been fully met. But what I love is the way Vripack arranged the space on my boat so that our large extended family can get together’.
OWNER OF LIBERTAS
In one methodical and decisive brainstorming session, a designer asked his colleague, a naval architect, if the space typically allowed between the engines was for technical purpose. On hearing that it wasn’t, the team realised they had found their springboard. In creating an interior walkway between the engines, the space behind them would now be accessible, and a full-beam aft owner’s stateroom could be accommodated, resulting in the requested real estate gain.
This novel solution also meant more freedom of movement for occupants, with the elements that normally break up a room, such as the stairs, becoming integral parts of the décor, which the team would finish in the same rich hardwoods and calf leathers as the custom-built cabinets and doors. For the lady’s haute couture dress, the Vripack’s designers omitted all non-essential lines, giving the yacht visual clarity and distinction.
Bonandrini’s understandable yet outrageous build-time request was perfectly timed, as Vripack’s engineers had just prototyped Smart Kit®, their radical new build method. By adopting cutting-edge technology from the fields of robotics, laser cutting and virtual prototyping, they managed to build the Gamma yacht in nine months, setting yet another benchmark.
One could be forgiven for assuming that such disruptive changes must come at a price, probably in the form of restriction, but a moon-shot can’t be considered a success unless it results in free added benefits. For instance, given that one client might love all fresco dining on the aft deck while another appreciates a diving board, each Gamma comes with a unique flying bridge. And as one client might need an extra bedroom while another would love an on-board laundry or sauna, the same goes for the entire layout.
‘We decided to omit all non-essential lines, giving the yacht her visual clarity and distinction’.
PIM DIJKSMAN – DESIGNER
| Current name | Gamma 20 |
| Design number | 6191 |
| Year of built | 2014 |
| Length | 22.10 M |
| Beam | 5.85 M |
| Draft | 1.45 M |
| Designer | Vripack |
| Naval Architect | Vripack |
| Engineering | Vripack |
| Interior Design | Vripack |
| Interior Engineering | Vripack |
| Type of vessel | Motoryacht |
| Hull type | Semi-planing |
| Material | Steel |
| Classification | CE A Rina Green Plus |
| Engine | Yanmar 6SY-650 X2 |
| Speed (cruising/max) | 14 / 16 knots |
| Fuel capacity | 5,500 liters |
| Freshwater capacity | 2,000 liters |
| Grey / black water capacity | 800 liters |
| Owner & Guest | 6 persons |
| Crew | 2 persons |
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