Presented at the Monaco Yacht Show this year, the 58 meter four decked steel and aluminium motor yacht Illusion V was built at the Benetti Livorno shipyard and launched earlier this year. She boasts designs by Green & Mingarelli and has been sold to a European owner. Designed for commercial charter use, the owner will also use her privately. We stepped on board in Monaco.
Inside, the main deck cockpit is the first area to be found when coming aboard Illusion V, and is notably spacious. A large c-shaped sofa with twin coffee table and comfortable lounge chairs accompanies the corner bar.
Further on, the main salon is dominated by the the sophisticated dinner table next to the entryway and is able to accommodate up to ten guests for luxurious dining.
The whole of the main salon is dedicated to entertainment, with the large bar overlooking the area. Thanks to the aft location of the air vents, the area is spacious, bright and welcoming and, in addition, the walls are fully in glass, working to fill the room with an abundance of natural light.
Furthermore, on deck the gunwales in front of the windows have been lowered to view the sea from inside and inundate the salon with light.
She accommodates up to 12 guests over several luxurious staterooms. Located amidships on the lower deck is the VIP cabin, which takes advantage of almost 11 metres of beam.
The remaining luxurious cabins consist of three twins, one of which includes a Pullman berth, as well as one double suite. All of the guest accommodation comes with opulent en-suite facilities. A crew of up to 12 is also accommodated for over four single crew cabins and a double for the chief engineer, each with its own bathroom. There is separate access to all decks from the crew quarters, guaranteeing maximum privacy for the guests and increasing the crews efficiency in service.
The full beam owner’s suite is preceded by a relax lounge area with large lateral windows and a beautiful sofa to one side. The owners bathroom, just like the bathroom found in the VIP suite, is entirely finished with an onyx décor, with both sinks in carved marble.
Extremely spacious, with two entryways and his and her dressing rooms, it includes an enormous central shower, a bathtub and twin toilets. A fantastic characteristic of this area is the lack of noise. Noise and vibration reduction throughout the yacht was a specific request made by the owner, and the Benetti technicians, together with a Danish company specialised in noise reduction,granted this request.
Elsewhere located on the lower deck is a spacious beach area with an ample bar zone. The beach area is distinctly separate from the garage, which opens laterally for launching and recovering the tender and the two jet skis. There is also generous room in the garage for wetsuits and diving gear to ensure that guests are able to explore the surroundings of the yacht.
The owners interior designer, in collaboration with the Benetti design office, personally chose the style of furnishings and décor, with a dominant theme of Rose, while the choice and combination of the materials used includes travertine, wood, and several kinds of marble alternate with other more unusual materials: ray-skin, coco or slivers of mother of pearl. In the guest area all the walls are covered with black walnut panels, with a special design: to augment contrast and movement, the walnut panels are alternated with parchment covered panels. The Lalique crystal insets add yet another touch of elegance, and reflect the natural lighting. The ivory leather ceilings complete the effect of space and light.
Outside on the open upper deck a beautiful 14 place dinner table and mobile bar is found, while inside there is another small salon with sofas, entertainment area, and a corner bar.
Fun and relaxation are the central themes that determine the upper deck layout, where we also find a small movie theater (which if needs be, can be converted into an extra cabin), a wine cellar and a cold-box for cigars.
From the stern, the sun deck is found. A mosaic Jacuzzi is surrounded by sunbathing recliners, mobile bar, barbecue grill and dinette.
The whole area can be sheltered from the wind thanks to a double sliding-doored veranda, but the six window skylight always leaves a view of the starry heavens. All the external furnishings are in dark painted teak while the marble is rustic travertine.
Performance wise, Illusion V has a 15 knot fast cruising speed. At the 12 knot normal cruising speed, she has a 5,000 nautical mile range. Propulsion is provided by twin CAT 3512C motors, developing 1,380 kw each. Generators are twin CAT C9 Gensets for 200 kw each, plus a third CAT C4.4 generator for 82 kw.
llusion V is available for charter with Camper & Nicholsons International, who also managed the construction of the yacht.