The largest carbon fibre built sloop BETTER PLACE is a beautiful Bugatti blue coloured 50-metre vessel and the first RINA Green Star sailing yacht in the world. Constructed at WallyEurope facility, utilising cutting-edge technology, superyacht Better Place was launched in May, 2012 and yachting enthusiast had a chance to admire her at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show. This sophisticated craft features exterior by Tripp Design and spectacular interior by Wetzels Brown Partners.
Wally50m Better Place superyacht photo Gilles Martin-Raget
As described by Wally Founder and President Luca Bassani Antivari, Better Place is an “environmentally friendly and breakthrough Wally 50m with aggressive and sleek lines of a true performance sailing yacht, rather than the motor sailer look typical of this class of yachts.”
“Better Place introduces innovative concepts in the round-the-world mega yacht cruisers“ continues Bassani “such as big volumes associated with ultra light displacement, latest diesel electric propulsion system, staysail simplified system, deckhouse with full height windows, uniquely large open-air living areas, raised bulwark, aft owner’s suite with portholes and hatches on four sides and direct access to the Terrace-on-the-sea. “
Wally50m luxury yacht Better Place - Photo Rolex-Carlo Borlenghi
She is also the first sailing yacht ever created to comply with the environmental requirements of the RINA Green Star Design additional class notation, reserved to the ships designed, built and operated in such way as to ensure maximum respect for the environment.
Wally 50m superyacht Better Place - Photo credit Gilles Martin-Raget.jpg
The measured displacement of this mega sailer perfectly matches the theoretical data: only 250 tons, of which 88 of the ballast (fin and bulb keel) and 11.5 of the full rigging (mast, boom, PBO rigging). The Wally 50m resulted also in perfect trim.
“This result reflects WallyEurope’s excellent building quality carried out throughout all the construction, using the latest advanced composite technology” confirms Luca Bassani.
Better Place yacht’s displacement and sail area ratio provides for and excellent performance also in light airs, under 10 knots of wind. Her Wally lifting keel, increasing the draft from 4.6 to 6.5 metres, further improves her performance, that are associated with the proven Wally easy-sailing system to produce a true Fast and Easy mega yacht.
Wally50m luxury yacht Better Place - Photo by Gilles Martin-Raget
Along with the in-furling boom, self-tacking jib, Magic Trim for the main sheet, captive winch for the jib sheet , and push button controls, the Wally easy-sailing features of the Wally 50m include the new staysail system, specifically developed by the R&D for this mega yacht: the furling staysail with no-torsion luff cable is always ready to be easily and quickly hoisted from its 8.6-m long dedicated locker in the forward deck.
Wally50m luxury yacht Better Place - Sundeck forward social area - Photo by Gilles Martin-Raget
The fast and simplified mega yacht uniquely combines performance with all the world cruiser characteristics offering plenty of storage and large living areas exceeding 300 sqm inside and 400 sqm outside.
Wally50m Better Place yacht - dining area in sundeck - Photo Toni Meneguzzo
The unique environmental characteristics of Better Place go even further than those required by the RINA Green Star Classification: she is the first sailing yacht equipped with the latest diesel electric propulsion technology, to increase power efficiency and reduce consumption, noise and vibration, as well as the ordinary maintenance of the propulsion system.
Wally50m Better Place - forward cockpit - Photo Toni Meneguzzo
The 705kW power is produced by three generators, offering the opportunity to convert some hydraulic services into electrical ones thanks to the very powerful energy source, such as the inner stay furler, and the sheet tensioning devices.
Wally50m superyacht Better Place - Aft deck social area at night Photo Gilles Martin-Raget
Developed on the lines of Tripp Design with the interiors by Wetzels Brown Partners, the overall design, interior and exterior, is astonishing and innovative compared to any other similar yacht.
Wally50m Better Place yacht - Glass deck house starboard side looking forward - Photo Gilles Martin-Raget
The exterior and interiors are developed following the Wally concept of inside-outside living areas, whereas the interiors open onto the exteriors and vice versa. Introduced in yacht design by Wally in 1998 with the sailing cruiser Tiketitan, this concept has been constantly developed by the Monegasque brand pioneering also the glass deckhouses and the deck skylights.
Wally50m Luxury sloop Better Place - main salon looking aft - Photo Toni Meneguzzo
The deckhouse encloses the 86-sqm open space with navigation, dining and lounge areas, and is characterised by full height windows giving the open-air feeling, a sort of sheltered cockpit enhancing the inside-outside living.
Wally 50m Better Place - dining area looking aft - Photo Toni Meneguzzo
The genuinely Wally raised bulwark, firstly featured by Esense in 2006, offers unique protection and replaces the less safe and aesthetically appealing rail and stanchions, while leaving the hull lines pure.
Wally 50m Better Place sloop - dining area and navigation area - Photo Toni Meneguzzo
The 62-sqm owners’ suite is aft with extraordinary visibility and brightness. The natural light floods in from four sides of the vast stateroom: through the portholes on both sides, and the mirrored glass aft and above. The owners’ private area has direct access to the 30-sqm Terrace-on-the-sea, that is another distinctive feature of the Wally inside-outside concept.
Wally50m Better Place yacht main staircase accessing sun deck above and guest night area below - Photo Toni Meneguzzo
The main deck is open and free of unnecessary interruptions, the saloon, dining room and wheelhouse forming one continuous, 86 sqm open space under the deckhouse.
Wally50m Better Place - Owner's suite - Photo Toni Meneguzzo
The saloon with panoramic views seats 20 people as lounge opening onto the aft deck with further lounge space. There is an option for the central coffee table to be converted into an additional dining for eight people.
50m Wally sailing yacht Better Place - Owner's suite port side with lounge and TV area - Photo Toni Meneguzzo
The dining area forward seats 10 people in dining layout and can be converted into an additional lounge area with XL sofa seating six comfortably .
Luxury yacht Wally 50m Better Place - Owner's suite starboard side with queen size bed -PhotoToni Meneguzzo
The forward social cockpit, directly accessible from the interior dining and lounge areas, features table seats and sun beds for up to 20-people. Beyond this, the forward deck features a Spa Pool, finished in black, which is positioned beneath deck level and is therefore invisible when not in use, an hidden winch “cockpit” for the halyards, two large tender garages, stay-sail locker, sail lockers, and the Wally submarine anchor locker.
Wally50m Better Place - Owners' en-suite with shower room to the left and head to the right- Photo Toni Meneguzzo
The 100-sqm sundeck is accessed both by an outside staircase and by an inside open staircase, leading to steering and navigation, lounge, dining, sunbathing and barbeque areas.
Wally50m Better Place luxury yacht - Double guest cabin with glossy black colour theme - Photo Toni Meneguzzo
A particularly innovative service feature is the open food lift connecting galley, interior dining area and sundeck– a ‘suitcase’ suspended in free space, connected by a single vertical track, to lift . The sundeck dining can be converted into a huge sunbed with the addition of an inflatable mattress, providing further comfort without stretching available storage capacity.
Wally50m Better Place - Twin guest cabin with metallic green colour theme - Photo by Toni Meneguzzo
A hull side door is located amidships to starboard: when open, it converts into a swimming and tender boarding platform.
Maximising space and minimising storage requirements, a newly designed seating module has been developed for the deck in carbon and mesh with low profile cushions, for easy stowage, by the interior designers Wetzels Brown Partners, who designed all the deck furnishing.
Wally50m yacht Better Place - Galley - Photo Toni Meneguzzo.
The lower deck features the night and service areas accommodating the owners in the aft suite and up to ten guests in four double staterooms, and ten crew in five double cabins. All cabins have en-suites.
The crew and service quarter is forward with galley, laundry and crew mess.
The two engine rooms are amidships.
Wally50m luxury sailing yacht Better Place - One of the two tender garages in the forward deck - Photo Gilles Martin-Raget
The interior design combines carbon look both gloss and satin, satin white lacquered oak, grey leather and colour matched upholstery to create a relaxed feeling. Colour-changing LED lights are used throughout the yacht and can be adjusted in order to change the atmosphere, reflecting the interior design concept to have soft and neutral tones that are coloured by the lights. The cabins are linked by a light installation, running along the spine of the yacht.
