After the traditional breaking of the Champagne bottle across her bows, the yacht slipped smoothly into the Mediterranean from a specially built ramp to the notes of Giuseppe Verdi's “Và Pensiero”. Present at the ceremony were the owner (a well known surgeon from Washington DC) and his family, together with all the Benetti staff involved in the two-year construction and fitting out period.

Benetti Vision 145

The new Vision is the 100th fiberglass yacht built in Viareggio since 1998



Named ‘Checkmate’, this 143-foot, 390-tonne vessel uses a pair of 1,300hp Caterpillar C32 engines to produce a maximum speed of 15 knots - and in tandem with a prodigious fuel capacity of 60,000 litres, this means that a 12-knot cruising speed brings with it an enormous range of 3,500 nautical miles. With styling from Stefano Righini and François Zuretti, the craft carries guest accommodation for 10 and crew berths for nine, plus bow thrusters and stabilisers from VT Naiad Marine.

Vincenzo Poerio, CEO of the Mega-yacht Division of the Azimut/Benetti Group, said: “We are particularly proud of our latest launch, the 100th fiberglass yacht built in Viareggio since 1998. This is a further demonstration of Benetti's ability to listen to the client and interpret his specific needs - and above all, another example of a perfect blend between timeless design, world class construction, safety and an extremely high quality on-board life, both for the owner and his crew”.

 

Written by: Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a journalist, copywriter and magazine editor with a long history in boating and a happy addiction to the water. He’s worked on boats, lived on boats, bought boats, sold boats and – when he’s not actually on board a boat – he can generally be found in his Folkestone office, tapping away at the computer and gazing out to sea.