Implausible though it might seem, the yard that brought us the extraordinary Sherpa motor yacht at January’s Dusseldorf Boat Show, is already back in the news, with a special edition model of its 85-footer.

Like the Sherpa, the Arcadia 85S boasts some very distinctive looks, an extremely generous beam and a versatile three-deck layout, but unlike the Sherpa, it uses striking linearity of design. That is evident not just in the near-vertical bow, but also in the superstructure, where vertical sides and a proliferation of right angles help increase internal space, which is optimised with floor-to-ceiling windows and freestanding furniture from renowned Italian brands like Poltrone Frau, Cassina and B&B.

Arcadia 85S – distinctive design

The 85S is the latest highly distinctive design from Italian yard Arcadia Yachts.



 

The 85S also shares the Sherpa’s clever flybridge solution. It employs a complete, 360-degree arc of windows that can be raised to meet the hard top, entirely enclosing the ‘sky lounge’ for climate-controlled comfort, whatever the conditions. It also features a secondary helm, alongside sofas and coffee tables, as well as a wet-bar and sundeck.

On the main level, in addition to an eight-man saloon, the four-cabin 85S offers an 8.5-metre open aft-deck lounge, with a well-protected cockpit, optimised for dining and sunbathing. There is also a tender garage with sufficient room for a four-metre tender and a two-seater personal watercraft.

With its semi-planing hull and lightweight aluminium superstructure, the 85S is also designed to be a very efficient runner. It comes with either twin MAN R6-730 diesels or optional 1000hp units, enabling a top end of 18 knots, a fast cruise of 16 knots and a maximum range of around 850 nautical miles at 12 knots. And as you might expect, this beamy long-distance motor yacht also pays more than a passing nod to sustainability.

The 85S features “latest generation” solar cells, fitted between the double-glazing layers on top of the largest part of the superstructure. These can reportedly supply up to 3.5kw of energy, which means that, assuming you don’t use the energy-sapping air conditioning, you can avoid the noise, vibrations, emissions and expense of running your diesel generators every time you anchor up.

For more "on-trend" new yacht designs, see: Boating trends for 2016 and Christian Grande launches superyacht.

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.