Yacht Class n°19 (dec 2019/jan-feb 2020)

Mangusta – Overmarine Group

While having a three-deck architecture, this superb sea racer features stylistic elements of the large, high-performance Open the brand is famous for. With additional comfort and space.

Written by:  Philippe Leblond – Photos: All rights reserved

This dynamic hull with its profiled windshield and wheelhouse roof is not unrelated to the sporty DNA of Overmarine. The Viareggio-based yard has long been a reference for open superyachts and the GranSport 45 bears some of the distinctive features of this identity, transposed on a semi-displacement hull topped by more generous superstructure. This fast 45 metre aluminium yacht is part of a semi-custom program, allowing the commissioner to choose the layout. Actually, the interiors of the GranSport 45 exhibited during the Cannes Yachting Festival and then at the Monaco Yacht Show were styled by the yard’s design department in collaboration with the owner’s wife.

The master suite has its own balcony 

Let’s climb aboard using the hydraulic gangway leading to the large aft cockpit. From there, we overlook the vast swim platform, accessible via two large staircases secured by stainless steel gates. It opens onto an even more spacious beach-club, which offers up to 75 m2 dedicated to relaxation with a breathtaking sea view thanks to its fold-out hull sections. But let’s continue on the main deck, via large sliding glazed doors. The main saloon features generous floor-to-ceiling windows, to favour visual contact with the sea – even from the sofas – and to let in as much natural light as possible. The modern furniture fits perfectly into the geometric structure of this reception, which has no dining area. The owners actually wanted a separation of functions that resulted in a more spacious main saloon and a large square table (in black Kenyan marble) for twelve on the upper deck. The visit then continues in the master suite, which offers 48 m2 of luxury and delight, with a private balcony, a large dressing room (adjacent to the captain’s cabin, which has a direct access to the wheelhouse one deck above), an office, and two bathrooms, spanning the entire width, with Italian shower and thalasso bathtub. Note the original skylights letting light pass through the bottom of the large jacuzzi (seven people) located forward on the upper deck, along with two large sunbeds and a long C-shaped sofa. 

An outdoor dining area on the flydeck

The very same upper deck also houses the wheelhouse, but also the much-talked about dining saloon. The latter opens onto a large sundeck where are fitted a large circular table, a bar/galley, two opposite sofas and four comfortable deckchairs. Let’s now head below decks to discover the space devoted to guests and family. For his relatives, the owner opted for a “children’s” cabin with two bunk beds and their very surprising decorative detail: the stuffed toys headboard! More sober, the other three cabins, for the guests, have two different layout: “VIP”, with a double bed, and “twin”. Each of these cabins is of course en suite and features prominent marble. To attend the 12 passengers, the GranSport 45 accommodates up to seven crew members in four cabins, while the captain’s cabin is on the main deck between the galley and the master suite.

Despite the power, she has a transatlantic range 

Thanks to three powerful MTU (7 800 hp in total) – including a central engine connected to a Kamewa waterjet -, the GranSport 45 can reach 26 knots at full speed and offers a range of 3 500 miles by reducing the speed to 11 knots. This makes her a potentially transatlantic yacht and limits the number of mandatory stops in the busy Mediterranean ports during summer cruises. In addition, the waterjet coupled to the central engine should power her at 8 knots even more quietly (as the other two engines are shut down), with the Humphree electric stabilizers ensuring a perfect lateral balance at these moderate speeds. Plus, in mooring areas, the Mangusta’s reduced draught (only 2.20 m) allows her to anchor close to shore. With her many assets, she joins the 33 and 54 in the GranSport series, Overmarine’s midrange, between the Maxi Open (sport units with planing hull) and Oceano (displacement yachts designed for voyage).