Superyacht Latitude was delivered to her owners in June 2010. The semi-displacement 43.5 m motoryacht Latitude built by Acico Yachts was a project initiated in 2007 with a concept design by Dutch designer Cor de Rover and naval architecture by Van Oossanen and Associates.
Superyacht Latitude by Acico Yachts
Luxury Yacht Latitude features an interior designed by renowned Dutch interior designer Piet Boon was brought in to fashion a modern loft-style interior. After a tender procedure with several yards, Acico Yachts (formerly Dutch Yacht Builders) in The Netherlands was commissioned for the construction who contracted the bureau of Olivier F. van Meer for the engineering and detail design. The owners appointed Innomare as the owner’s representative to review the drawings and monitor the building process throughout the entire construction period and beyond.
Motor yacht Latitude’s hullform was designed by Van Oossanen and Associates and features a roundbilge hull with a pronounced spray rail in the forward half. Trim wedges in M/Y Latitude’s propeller tunnels keep the nose down, enabling the yacht to cruise almost without dynamic trim throughout its full speed range. Motor yacht Latitude’s bulbous bow reduces wave-making resistance and her hull form allows her to reach speeds well into the semi-displacement range of 20 knots without encountering a hump speed. That is, the yacht is equally at ease at her top speed or her cruising speed of 10 – 15 knots, in comparison to a hardchine planning hull form, which is only efficient near its designed top speed and throws a big wake at displacement speeds.
Motor yacht Latitude has a general arrangement and exterior styling designed by Cor de Rover with input from the owners. Luxury yacht Latitude’s striking exterior with a white hull and superstructure features a distinct play of shadow lines on both convex and concave surfaces.
Superyacht Latitude by Acico Yachts
The master cabin of luxury charter yacht Latitude is located forward on the main deck and has a double entrance through sliding doors to the bathroom forward. The full-beam master ensuite features a toilet and a bidet, a double sink, a trendy oval bathtub and a spacious walk-in rain shower.
Luxury yacht Latitude features two full-beam VIP cabins located on the lower deck which is a unique feature in this size range. Triple large portholes in the VIP cabins allow plenty of natural light and offer an excellent view. The bathrooms in the VIP cabins are clad with distinctive Italian marble and can be closed off from the cabins with sliding doors, which are invisible when opened. There is an abundance of closet space in the guest areas which is a marked improvement in comparison to many similar sized motor yachts. There are also two twin guest cabins on the lower deck with ‘open’ bathrooms created a feeling of wide and uncluttered spaces. The beautiful egg-shaped bath tubs from Agape provide a pleasant contrast to the strict linearity in the cabin.
On the rare occasion that a charter party of more than 10 guests needs to be accommodated on charter yacht Latitude, the gym room on the bridge deck can be effortlessly converted into an extra cabin. A fold-out bed is invisibly stowed inside the forward bulkhead. The gym boasts a treadmill, an exercise bike and a dumbbell rack from Technogym.
The salon of superyacht Latitude on the main deck features an unconventional arrangement, with the lounging area located forward and the dining area located aft near the sliding doors.
The much sought-after indoor-outdoor living is achieved through the use of fully opening four-bladed sliding doors, both on the main deck and bridge deck where there is another dining table. It is also possible to dine al fresco on the bridged deck aft which boasts better views when moored stern-to in the chic Mediterranean ports. A dumbwaiter connects the main deck with the bridge deck and the sundeck for easy distribution of food and drinks by professional crew.
M/Y latitudes aft deck on the main deck is elegant with minimalist exterior furniture from Paola Lenti that provides a nice contrast to the organic forms of the woven Canasta chairs from B&B Italia.
The sundeck on superyacht Latitude is the ultimate party spot with an audio connection to the entertainment system and a removable DJ pedestal at hand. The sundeck is also ideal for relaxing with a variety of lounging options is available. The centrally located Spa Pool, offers a 360-degree view around the superyacht. There are plenty of shaded places to relax as well as a glass wrap-around window that enhances the sleek design, and provides that little bit of extra shelter from the wind.
A quiet place to read a book or enjoy a morning coffee is provided on the foredeck, just in front of the wheelhouse, where two high-back comfortable chairs face the foredeck sunpad.
Motor yacht Latitude has an economic fuel consumption of 94 litre of diesel per hour (or 7.8 litre/nautical mile at 12 knots. In combination with a generator running, that brings the range of MY Latitude to around 4.000 nautical miles.
The total fuel capacity is 42.560 litre. At 16 knots, fuel consumption increases to 14 litre per nautical mile. At 20 knots, each nautical mile requires 37 litres of diesel. The main engines are the 16V2000 M93 type from MTU. At 1790 kW (@ 2450 rpm), these engines have a very high rating for being such a small package. As they feature common-rail fuel injection, they maintain a very high efficiency also when lightly loaded, which makes the M/Y Latitude so fuel efficient.
Another principal goal in the design brief was to make the yacht as quiet and comfortable as possible. A noise and vibration study was carried out by JVS Industrietechniek, resulting in an entirely floating interior, damping treatment on large areas of the hull and tanks, a flexible coupling between main engines and gearboxes, and the use of proper insulation and bulkhead materials. While cruising at 75 % MCR, which corresponds with a speed of about 18.5 knots, the noise level recorded in the master cabin was a mere 55 dB(A). Even on the exterior decks, the motor yacht Latitude is a very quiet vessel, as the main engines are equipped with enormous dry dampers from Marquip (Alblasserdam).
Yacht Latitude’s stern door – hinged on the upper side – gives access to the lazarette. Watersports enthusiasts will not be disappointed with the fit-out, which includes two top-of-the line Seadoo PWC’s, two mountain bikes, two scooters, a windsurfer, wakeboards, waterskis and a full set of diving gear, including a compressor to refill the bottles. The tender is a 17-foot Castoldi, which can be launched with an overhead sliding davit. On the foredeck, a smaller MOB boat is stowed for use in emergency situations
Bruno Bouckaert from Innomare Marine notes, “Although they have been flying under the radar in the yachting media, Dutch Yacht Builders has produced excellent quality for a reasonable price. The yard was recently taken over by one of their clients and is now called Acico Yachts. As M/Y Latitude was their first superyacht built under class and MCA, considerable involvement from our side was needed, but the cooperation went very well, and the yard is rightfully proud of the end result.” After three years of project management covering the entire build period, Innomare was also contracted as technical superintendent by the yacht’s managers. Bruno Bouckaert of Innomare will be at the METS and is available for meetings to discuss M/Y Latitude in more detail.
Acico Yachts
Dutch Yacht Builders, located in Enkhuizen, was established in 2003 and gradually evolved from building 22- metre sailing yachts in the Zaca range, designed by Olivier van Meer, to a superyacht builder. The stepping stone was a complete refit of the 38 metre motorsailer Marflow. During the last stages of the construction of luxury yacht Latitude, the shipyard was taken over by a client with a 49 m yacht under construction at the yard and was renamed Acico Yachts. However, the core strengths of the yard remained, namely its qualified and motivated workforce, short communication lines and a hands on mentality. Although the yard uses the latest techniques, such as 3D-design and pre-cut steel packages, it is also very much a traditional yacht builder, as it has most disciplines covered in-house. For example, the aluminium hull and stainless steel exterior fittings were constructed locally and all onboard systems were installed by the yard, including the pipe work in the engine room.
Work is currently ongoing on a 47 m motor yacht, designed by Cor de Rover, and on a 49 m motor yacht, a 41.5 m sailing yacht and a 22.5 m motoryacht, which were all designed by Olivier F. van Meer.
