The sea trial was pubblished on Superyacht 35 – inverno 2013
An intelligent, revolutionary and really elegant small ship. Another Wally Yacht off the drawing board, built to cruise extensively and anywhere.
To quote John Lennon: “ Life is what happens to you when you’re busied in other occupations”, this quote perfectly explains something more about Wally Yacht. While some firms may be focused on inventing something substantially new, or are perhaps seeking to surprise with special effects, and while innovation – real innovation is happening elsewhere.
Well chez Wally it was already happening years ago in their sailing yachts projects. No one can deny, or doubt that with boat handling made easy, clean uncluttered lines and minimalist design, Luca Bassani’s idea has left its mark in all the Superyacht sailing segment for years to come and is still doing just that with a difference.
This time he’s trying the same thing in small ships’ design as well as explorer type vessels, long range ones or blue water ones too, call them as you will. Though the Monaco based brand is late, since this trend has been around for some time now and since many companies in these latitudes have already “invented” as it were. Realistically speaking one cannot just improvise at inventing anything, and once the policy to build small ships (navette) was decided on, Wally’s team came up with something very interesting and very beautiful.
In a nutshell, while the rest of the world was just living Wally’s think tank was already well underway. Wally Ace is a truly intriguing yacht while sporting in essence the lines of a sailing boat’s hull below the waterline .
The project was developed with Allseas and her slim piercing lines from the bows to amidships wherefrom they spread out rapidly to even out flat in the stern. The hull’s designed to reduce friction when underway, to cruise well, extensively and slowly.
And here lies the secret. If the very essence of blue deep water sailing were to underscore a prevailing experience rather than the vessel deployed for the purpose, and the art of sailing over and above standing out of the chorus line for its boastful looks, well it is these things which have to rank first and take the lion’s share while the rest is left behind in the wakes of her spinning propellers.
Wally Ace can cruise at 10 knots across oceans for more than 4,000 nautical miles, with a range of up to 10,000 sea miles at 8 knots without refuelling. Thanks to the hull’s special design the yacht is powered by two 385 HP engines only (which are normally on the small side for a yacht of equal size and displacement) that have been installed amidships and perfectly sound proofed by the engine room.
Small engines translate into lower fuel consumption but also appreciably low noise levels which is another of Wally Ace’s features. All in all noise levels and vibrations are imperceptible anywhere and more so in the stern area.
The cabins in the stern take after a pre-adopted layout solution already deployed in Wally sailing yachts where the stern area is reserved for the owner and guests while crew quarters and galley have been situated in the bow.
The beauty of this astounding solution means that the cabins astern are flush with the beach platform and just a hair’s width away from surrounding waters. A fascinating idea when underway (and don’t even think about speeds of 30 knots, exhaust fumes and noise) and more so when at anchor in a bay.
Being situated so far behind means making the most of a 7.75 metre beam, especially when considering the Wally Ace version which sports a single enormous stern suite rather than two which we visited during the trials of the Wally number 1 version.
A further two cabins are situated amidships for the yacht’s guests. While they can’t match the same breathtaking stern ocean view as the owner’s suite they are nevertheless bright with plenty of natural light thanks to ample cut glass window panelling along each of the sides.
The engine room mentioned earlier has been installed amidships of this 24 metre yacht which also houses a garage along the upper section in which to stow the eight metre long (custom built) tender manufactured by a British firm which is normally launched and recovered through a side opening and a special davit/hoist and a sophisticated liquid ballast system which makes it easy enough to deploy as it counterbalances the weight of the tender during launch and recovery operations.
Still on the subject of on board comfort Wally Ace comes equipped with a Seakeeper gyro stabilizer which is a “must have” due to its special hull shape. A large open plan space hosts a central saloon area which is truly convivial and welcoming. It is furnished with a bar and large counter, followed by a drawing room, and communicating dining area with ocean views since full surround glass panels envelop this entire structure for 360°. Towards the bow a cut glass panel separates the helm/controls station. At night a push button screen can shut off any light coming into the helm/controls station from the saloon and dining areas.
The fly teak lined deck can be furnished and set up at will according to owner requests. The fact this deck is free of steps and of a second helm /controls station make it highly customizable and potentially versatile.
The Number1 version we were on board of sported a truly minimalist approach in that there was nothing more than an equipped centrally placed bar with teak accessories and rare white cloth. The bow hosts the “al fresco” dining area inasmuch as the traditional stern cockpit can double as a sun bathing area with a horseshoe sofa at the centre of which there’s a table which when requested can be lowered to double as a sun pad.
For further information 2 Albert II, 98000 Monaco +37793100093 www.wally.com
Luca Sordelli