Yacht Class n°40 (March-April-May 2025)

Wally – Ferretti Group

Iconic, the Wally brand never rests on its laurels and, under the impetus of the ever-passionate Luca Bassani, it presented in Monaco its first unit designed under the era of the Ferretti Group to which she belongs. And this wallywind110 is exceptional in many respects.

Written : Christophe Varène – Photos : Toni Meneguzzo et Gilles Martin-Raget

Few brands can claim to have revolutionized the world of sailboats, and this is one of them. From the very first boats launched, Wally has aroused curiosity and admiration, and even a little jealousy from the competition. Behind this success, Luca Bassani, who brought his avant-garde vision to this somewhat traditionalist world, in terms of both aesthetics and technology. Over the years, the units developed have become larger, and the latest, the wallywind110, exceeds 33 m in length, not including the bowsprit. A fitting way to celebrate the brand’s 30th anniversary, this model is part of a new range that will eventually include a wallywind130 and a wallywind150, and is the first to be launched since Wally joined the Ferretti Group. The presentation of this exceptional yacht took place in the prestigious setting of the Monaco Yacht Show, with the best possible guide, Luca Bassani himself.

Bringing back the real sailors

If a Wally rarely goes unnoticed, this wallywind110 moored in front of the Yacht Club de Monaco must have caused quite a few torticollis among all the visitors to the show, who could not take their eyes off this sleek, elegant yacht. This attraction is the result of a collaboration between the naval architecture firm judel/vrolijk & co, the Santa Maria Magnolfi design agency and Wally’s in-house team. The result is breathtaking in its fluidity, refinement, technical sophistication and – not least – seafaring flair. As a matter of fact, Luca Bassani did not hold back his pleasure at the visit, underlining his satisfaction at “getting real sailors back on a sailboat” with this project and this new family. For him, in fact, only sailing can boast of being “eco-responsible and sustainable.”

A remarkable stern

As soon as he stepped aboard, he praised the stern layout, where “everyone will find their place, young and old alike”. Indeed, the stern is remarkable in many respects: a first deck offers the opportunity to make the most of the nautical pleasures, with easy access to the water and the presence of sofas and sun loungers, then, by climbing four steps, one can discover the area reserved for navigation. Under the floor, a huge locker serves as a garage for a 4.80 m tender, the boom being used as a launching crane. The helm stations, as if suspended from columns on the bulwarks, are located on each side between two powerful electric winches. Just forward, removable meridian seats allow safe manoeuvring, while the passenger area near the companionway features multiple seats and two tables to ensure comfort and tranquillity even when sailing. The intelligence of this layout is apparent… from the outside, as no element, apart from a very slight elevation of the deckhouse, breaks the clean lines. Superb. The entire forward section is stripped of all attributes, simply battened in teak and fitted with flushdeck portholes.

Promising performance

Luca Bassani’s talk of sailing under sail is inexhaustible, and the performance figures are very impressive: after 3,600 miles covered in 6 weeks from launch, the wallywind110 glides at 9 knots in 6 knots of wind, accelerates to 15 knots in equivalent wind, and reaches 23 knots when the breeze picks up to 25 knots. This velocity is due to the ratio between the 72 t of this “all-carbon” yacht and the 1,296 m2 of downwind sail area (50 m air draft), all combined with a telescopic keel (4.50 to 6.80 m draft). The hull is able to heel to a maximum of 15 degrees, before “settling” on its broad, flat shape at the stern, and slender at the bow. The mould used is that of a 101-foot Wally lengthened at the stern for greater stability and performance. Her qualities are also evident in the engine, with Luca Bassani announcing a fuel consumption of 1 litre per mile at a cruising speed of 10 knots.

A shower of light in the saloon

A man of the sea, Luca Bassani also appreciates sailing on a comfortable boat, and smiles broadly as he takes the companionway to show off the layout. The saloon has been designed as a raised saloon, above the technical compartments, and as such benefits from an appreciable view of the outside world through the hull and deckhouse portholes. Light falls from the glazed ceiling that spans much of this space, offering the opportunity to take a look at the sails while underway. To starboard, a table accommodates eight guests, opposite a large U-shaped bench seat with coffee table. The interior design, conceived by the Santa Maria Magnolfi agency, makes generous use of natural materials (wood, leather, natural fabrics, canework…), combined with high-tech elements such as carbon flooring. Moving forward, a small lobby with bar serves a double cabin to port and the owner’s cabin forward. Luca Bassani assumes this positioning and, while he concedes that the volume is a little smaller than at the stern, he praises its quietness, with no noise above, no lapping of the waves under the aft canopy, and its better ventilation. A walk-in wardrobe, a long side desk and a state-of-the-art bathroom provide just the right level of comfort for long cruises on the high seas or along the coast. The aft section of this wallywind110 features two twin cabins for guests, each with its own bathroom, and the spacious, functional crew quarters with a mess, navigation station, fully equipped galley – a chef is in charge of on-board gastronomy – and three cabins with en-suite bathrooms. Other layouts are of course available, and we cannot wait to discover the second example of this model that is being built not in Forli, but in Ravenna in new facilities dedicated to wallywind. Because they are worth it