Maritimo’s All-New M75 Flybridge Raises the Bar on Luxury Motor Yacht Design
Thunder from down under.
It’s been a good year for Maritimo. The Australian motor yacht builder drew rave reviews upon launching its new S75 sedan at the 2023 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May, and it has raised the bar again with the official unveiling of its newest M75 flybridge motor yacht.
It’s been 20 years since Maritimo launched its first enclosed flybridge model, and in that time, in collaboration with owners around the world, the company has steadily refined and improved the original design. The fruit of that effort can be seen in today’s M75.
Like the first flybridge model, the M75 cuts a distinguished figure on the water. Its variable deadrise hull form is optimized for long-range cruising, with a deep keel, sharp bow entry, and flattened progression aft. The result is a graceful yet spacious hull form, with its 1,150-horsepower Scania Di16 engines positioned near perfectly amidships for maximum stability and comfort when underway. The engine placement low in the hull also provides a low delivery angle to the propellers, reducing draft to just four feet 11 inches and allowing the M75 to easily access more remote and intriguing ports of call than are available to other yachts in this size class. Even upgrading the engines to a pair of 1,625 horsepower Rolls-Royce MTU diesels and filling the 10,000-litre fuel tanks to capacity maintains the M75’s remarkable shallow water performance, so kudos to Maritimo for that neat bit of engineering gee-whiz.
The thoughtful engineering below its skin allows the M75 to make the most of its footprint and deliver a surprising amount of on-board space, giving the distinct impression that this yacht is larger than its 75-foot-eight-inch overall length and 19-foot-eight-inch beam suggest. This becomes apparent the moment you step aboard.
Where many yacht builders refer to the stern swim platform area as a beach club, Maritimo refers to the space on the M75 as its Adventure Deck. There’s more to the space than just a spot to work on a tan, so it’s an apt description. The space makes a versatile hub for lounging, cooking, adventuring, or storage, with plenty of room to spare. Front and centre is a wet bar module with sink, top-loading refrigeration, and electric grill, while to the sides are large top-loading storage lockers for water toys.
Three steps up is the gigantic upper cockpit. There is a range of lounging options, including seating for eight people to dine alfresco. Electric roller blinds can encase the entire cockpit in seconds for privacy or to protect from inclement weather.
Deep walk-through decks on both sides connect the cockpit to the forward deck, with its seating and sunning areas.
Inside, an expansive aft galley serves guests indoors in the salon, outside in the cockpit, or up front on the bow with equal ease. An island bench breakfast bar serves as the galley centrepiece, with plenty of storage space throughout.
The spacious salon sits forward of the galley on the main deck, with its own dining space and an inviting forward lounge with a 65-inch HDTV on an electric lift. Two adjoining staircases lead below to the lower-deck overnight accommodation and up to the enclosed flybridge.
Building upon the foundation laid by the original Maritimo flybridge cruiser 20 years ago, the M75 presents an enclosed flybridge skylounge with full climate control to allow all-weather comfort up top. A forward cruising lounge and aft TV lounge served by a full bar can convert to additional sleeping berths if required. There is also the option to add a flybridge head.
Outdoor seating on the flybridge deck is designed in modules, so owners can choose between forward-facing or transverse-facing seating on its U-shaped loungers. Overhead, a flybridge hardtop with two electric sunroofs fully protects the deck, with hidden roll-down blinds similar to those on the cockpit able to encase the area from the elements.
The M75’s overnight accommodations are designed around a four-stateroom layout served by three ensuite heads. The forward VIP guest stateroom includes an offset queen berth with adjoining ensuite. There is also a twin guest stateroom with ensuite access to the adjoining day head to starboard and another spacious bunk guest stateroom to port.
The full beam owner’s suite sits amidships, centred upon a centerline king bed with a cavernous rear ensuite and walk-through closet. Maritimo’s largest panoramic hull windows to date provide exceptional vistas, enabling owners to feel connected to the environment while still enjoying privacy.
What about a crew? It’s possible to convert the standard storage room to crew accommodation with its own ensuite, but most owners of yachts in this size range will self-crew, and the storage room is tough space to give up for the serious long-distance cruisers who will be the primary buyers of the M75.
With apologies to the AC/DC lads, Maritimo’s delightful new M75 gets the nod as this year’s top Thunder From Down Under. More than two decades in the making, the Aussie builder’s new flagship takes everything that was wonderful about the company’s original flybridge motor yacht and makes it that much better.
