Benetti's launched the highly anticipated 69-metre custom motor yacht Spectre in Livorno this week. The yacht was commissioned by experienced yacht owners, Jeanette and John Staluppi, the pair known for naming their vessels after Ian Fleming's famous spy novels. Photo: Benetti

Spectre, or hull FB269 as she was known, is a full custom 69-meter motor yacht, with a steel hull and an aluminium superstructure arranged on five decks, featuring a swimming pool and a ‘touch and go’ helipad. Accommodating 12 guests in unparalleled comfort, the layout features two owner’s cabins (one has a private terrace, a sun lounging area and a hydromassage tub), two VIP cabins on the main deck and two guest cabins on the lower deck.

Spectre is fitted with Ride Control technology by Naiad Dynamics, a system that significantly increases stability during navigation and improves comfort on board with the help of four stabilising fins and three vertically-adjustable blades.

The lines of the High Speed Cruising Hull, designed by Dutch firm Mulder Design, deliver maximum navigation efficiency, with a range of 6,500 nautical miles at 12 knots and a top speed of 21.2 knots, 30% more than a traditional displacement hull.

The exteriors are by Giorgio M. Cassetta, who says that he has fallen in love with the project and is proud to have contributed to the creation of such a technologically advanced yacht: “I’m very fond of Spectre. It’s the perfect example of a virtuous confluence between the ideas of the owner and the shipyard. John and Jeanette Staluppi, with their immense experience and energy, have spurred us on to imagine a yacht complete with everything that could be desired on a boat this size. Benetti accepted the challenge of building it to the highest standards and with a wealth of innovative technology. The splendid result is a satisfaction that my firm will treasure in the years to come”.

The style of the interiors, created by Benetti’s Interior Style Department, recalls the mood of certain French hotels and boutiques, standing out from Staluppi’s previous boats in a more classical and modern way. The floor in the main lounge, for example, draws inspiration from the Liberty style flooring in a Paris resort, featuring symmetrical forms and clean-cut geometrical patterns, enriched here with modern touches provided by the choice of Armani fabrics. Other references to French taste are the windows, a reminiscent of Paris’ typical Liberty style shops