Owned by experienced mariner and committed James Bond fan, John Staluppi, the boat is called ‘Diamonds are Forever’ - and it certainly wouldn’t look out of place in a Daniel Craig action movie. Designed to be the beginning of a fresh heritage for the famous Italian boatyard, the 61m is a blend of traditional design and modern stylistic flair. The layout is all about space, services and comfort and while that might appear a fairly simple task on a vessel of this scale, Benetti has supplemented the cabin and wheelhouse arrangement with an additional top deck above the flybridge to create a private panoramic deck a full 12 metres above sea level.

Benetti in Cannes

Inside, there are two master suites and four guest staterooms, plus a guest elevator to all decks, a full-beam sky lounge and a vast open deck space. There is also a top deck above the sun deck, plus a section on the aft end of the sun deck tailored to enable the easy deployment of a helicopter.

With accommodation for up to 12 guests in six cabins, plus a fitness room on the main deck and a relaxation and beauty parlour, the interior design and furnishings, courtesy of a London-based interior design specialist, are extraordinarily sumptuous. Fine Italian marble is complemented by onyx, Madrona burl wood, gold leaf, mother of pearl and Marieux crystal. With 12-knot performance, it’s more about luxury than sport but if that’s for you, then Italy’s oldest superyacht shipyard looks well able to satisfy your needs. See Benetti Yachts for details.

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.
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