The All-New Ferretti 1000 Exceeds Expectations

 For more than 50 years, Ferretti Yachts has earned a near-fanatical following around the world on the strength of its high-performance luxury yachts. Like a classic Maserati, Ferretti yachts manage to achieve a delicate balance between cat-like elegance and massive, raw power.

Described as the shipyard’s first 100 per cent wide-body vessel and stretching almost 100 feet in overall length, the Ferretti 1000 is the fruit of a new design partnership between Ferretti Group (led by engineer Piero Ferrari), naval architect Filippo Salvetti, and Ideaeitalia, who created the inviting interior design. The result is an exciting new flagship for the Italian marque.

The Ferretti 1000 also marks some major milestones for the company. Apart from being its largest yacht to date, the 1000 is also the company’s first vessel to feature a full carbon superstructure. Its light weight allows the twin MTU 16V 2000 M86 engines—kicking out 2,200 ponies apiece—to push this big boy to a top speed of 28 knots and maintain a cruising speed of 24 knots. If that’s still not enough get-up-and-go, owners can upgrade the standard power to twin MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines generating 2,638 ponies apiece, taking this ride to nearly 30 knots. That’s awfully quick for a yacht this size.

The flybridge looking forward.

Dressed to Impress

Speedy though it is, the 1000’s primary focus is on comfort.

The indoor spaces are versatile thanks to a modular layout and large floor-to-ceiling windows that emphasize the close connection with the sea while flooding interior spaces with loads of natural light. The extensive use of free-standing furniture contributes further to that sense of lightness and airiness, along with the predominance of wood in all interior spaces. Ferretti uses five varieties of wood, all in a light finish to work with the tasteful fabrics and gleaming marble to bring a greater sense of warmth and hominess than is so often seen in big offshore yachts.

The spacious stern is complete with a superyacht-like beach club. The fully submergible swim platform incorporates three steps on each side that open up as the platform lowers, extending the cockpit stairs and making it much easier to reboard after a dip. Ferretti Group has patented the design, so expect to see it become a standard feature on all the company’s luxury yachts.

Flybridge dining area.

Flybridge helm.

The massive central, aft-facing lounge dominates the stern, with its oversized seats that threaten to lull anyone who sits in them into a delightful, sleepy trance of carefree splendour. On the starboard side of the platform, there’s independent access to the garage, which can accommodate a personal watercraft.

Step up into the spacious cockpit, and a pair of sofas share a central table that does double duty for drinks or full meals. A couple of stairways lead up to the flybridge, while the side walkways lead inside to the salon.

The cockpit lounge.

At the helm.

The flybridge offers its own sun-bathed cockpit. There’s a starboard-side bar, of course, facing a long and supple port-side bench lounger that lets this space function as a wonderful after-hours club with unbeatable views.

Up on the bow is another delightful lounging space which is accessed from the flybridge, with large, forward-facing full-length loungers overlooking two more—complete with their own private tables—nestled farther forward.

Back on the main deck, the sumptuous salon features enormous floor-to-ceiling windows that can open on both sides. Along with the glass door at the entrance, they help break down the visual barriers dividing the inside and outside, making the salon feel more like a seafront terrace than an indoor space.

Salon looking aft.

Salon looking forward.

The far forward end of the salon houses the main dining area, which occupies a space between the main deck living area and the unique multipurpose galley that hides just ahead of the dining area. An electrically actuated wall opening system reveals an adjoining bar, providing a direct connection to the main dining area and the galley itself. A convenient day head sits opposite.

In its standard layout, the Ferretti 1000 features no less than five cabins, with the enormous owner’s suite on the main deck and four large, identical double cabins below.

The owner’s suite.

The luxurious galley.

With its privacy glass windows providing plenty of light and incredible views, the owner’s suite is more like a private apartment than anything else, with a huge full-beam bathroom (fully decked out in marble and wood) and tremendous amounts of wardrobe space.

Lower-deck guest accommodations are equally well appointed and furnished, giving everyone on board the full VIP treatment from the moment they arrive.