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Wally founder Luca Bassani: The man at the cutting edge of yacht design

• October 1, 2020

Luca Bassani, the visionary founder of Wally Yachts, created an iconic brand and shaped the trend for clean aesthetics in yachting. Mark Chisnell interviews Luca Bassani

Photo: Guillaume Plisson

Try a game of word association with any superyacht industry professional and I’d be surprised if the word innovation didn’t bring the response Wally. Since 1994, Wally Yachts has – initially in sail and then in power – brought to the market a series of game changing initiatives. It’s often true that innovative companies (think Apple or Dyson) are driven by a singular mind, a powerful creative force and vision. In the case of Wally, Luca Bassani is that man.

“I had the freedom and the possibility, the financial possibility to realise my ideas,” he told me. “When you just have the ideas, but you never have the chance to realise the ideas because you have to find the finance to do the prototype and then the product… it becomes very difficult. I had this big, big chance to be able to finance my ideas, my innovations. That freedom was extremely important, because it put us at a completely different level from any competitor.”

Luca Bassani was born to a successful Milanese business family, and his early career followed a conventional roadmap. He was educated in Milan, attending Bocconi University where he earned a PhD in Economics. He then went to London for a year, to work at the St James’s office of McKinsey & Company before returning to Italy to join the family firm, BTicino, a manufacturer of residential and industry electrical equipment, where Bassani was CFO.

The latest Wally, a 45m/148ft Frers design, is currently in build

The family sold up in 1989, and Bassani could then give more attention to his life’s real passion – and his path started to diverge from the expected. “Sailing has been my passion since I was very, very young because we were spending a lot of time in Portofino during the summer, where we had a house… I learnt everything about the sea. How to fish, how to sail, how to paddle, everything.”

Sailing roots

“My family always had a power boat and a sail boat, and when I was 12, the captain of the sail boat told me, ‘Hey, why don’t we spend more time aboard, because we are only using the boat during the weekend when your father is here?’

“I said, ‘Okay, let’s go.’ We sailed 5,000 miles during that summer and the big passion started – from there I’ve been sailing, sailing, sailing.”

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The boat was an S&S 37-footer skippered by Tito Prato, and they would sail her from early in the morning to late in the evening. Soon the attention turned to racing . There were several of the top Italian boats in Portofino at the time and in 1971, when Bassani was 15, the S&S 37 was changed for a Swan 43.

“We started to race – I’m going to say seriously – but seriously for that time. Nothing to compare to what seriously means today. So, we started to build up a crew and were doing all the races in Italy, between Italy and France.”

They won the Two Ton Cup in 1972, and an Ericson 46 followed in 1973 and then in 1975 a C&C 66 called Phantom . “At that time, it was considered the first maxi,” said Bassani. “We raced two or three years with that boat. Then we went to the International 6-metre class and we had a long career and five different boats.” Bassani raced for almost 15 years in 6-metres, winning two European Championships (1986 and 1990) and placing third at the 1983 World Championships.

During this time Bassani also raced a Laser, introduced the J/24 to Italy, and then moved into the Mumm 30 when it arrived on the scene in the mid-nineties. He won the world championships at Hilton Head in 1998 and was 2nd at the Europeans the same year. It’s a long racing pedigree and, unsurprisingly, when he came to build a cruising boat for his family, he looked for speed and efficiency.

The first Wally emerges

It was the tail end of the 1980s and the International Offshore Rule (IOR) still held sway over the world’s racing fleets. “Racing boats were absolutely uncomfortable. Also, [they were] not very fast, because the handicap system was producing slow boats. At the same time, cruising boats were just following this formula. They were racing boats just transformed into cruising boats and they were again, not so comfortable… and slow.

“I knew that… there were already technologies and materials that could have made the boats much faster, much easier. That’s why I decided to choose a naval architect to design and build the boat that I had in my mind. It was the first Wallygator [named after the cartoon character], the 83-footer, designed with Luca Brenta and built by Sangermani… That was the mother of all the Wally’s, actually.

“I built that boat only for myself and my family. I didn’t have the idea of starting a company, but I really wanted a boat that could be fast and comfortable, and easy to manage. Once I launched the boat in 1991, I used it for a couple of years and I was very, very happy with it; everything was beyond my expectations, in terms of reliability, in terms of performances and easiness to use.

“I said, ‘Oh, why is nobody trying to copy this boat?’ Something that I wouldn’t say today… at that point we had sold the family company, so I had more time, more finances available, and I said, ‘OK, why not start a small business around this idea?’”

The first Wallygator was sold in 1993 to an Italian owner, becoming Mr Gecko. Luca Bassani then built another two boats to his own specification to get things moving. Wallygator II (now Nariida ) a 105ft ketch that was launched in 1994 and was sold in 1997 to a Norwegian owner. It was this boat that introduced the hydraulics-led push-button handling that enable the sweeping, open and uncluttered decks that have become synonymous with Wally design.

Bassani describes the 32m Wallygator II (now Nariida ) as “the first big sailing yacht with a modern racing hull, changing the look with a plumb bow, a very beamy hull and stern, a very flush deck and carbon fibre construction and sails”. Photo: Guy Gurney

In 1995 the ketch was followed by Genie of the Lamp , a 79-footer also sold in 1997, this time to a Swiss owner. “Between these two boats,” said Bassani, “I finally convinced the market that that was the way to go.”

The proof of that was really the first person to commission a Wally: former Chairman and CEO of L’Oreal, Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones. He saw a photo of Genie of the Lamp and knew almost instantly that it was what he wanted.

Bassani explained how Owen-Jones asked if he could test the yacht and how he then lent it to him for a week’s cruising. “He came back saying he wanted to buy the boat. I convinced him to build a sister ship, which was the first Magic Carpet .” Owen-Jones is now on his third Wally, Magic Carpet3 .

“The first new generation yacht, [ Magic Carpet 3 ] brings very high performances, but also a lot of comfort for cruising,” says Bassani. Photo: Nico Martinez

It’s an ambition that has always found its expression in the boats, through the wide range of designers and shipyards that have been involved in the Wally yachts.

“I think, let me say, sorry, but we influenced them,” said Bassani, of the designers he has worked with – a list that includes Luca Brenta, German Frers , Bill Tripp and Reichel Pugh.

Bassani in his office in Monaco in January 2019. Photo: Toni Meneguzzo

Function before form

“What is today recognised as Wally design style was a result of the systems that I wanted to build for our boats… always to be faster, to be more comfortable, to be easier to manoeuvre, easier to maintain, and the aesthetic was a result, it was not a target.

“It’s what they call the fault of function… I just applied my personal style when I was deciding that I liked that line or the other line, this kind of finish or a different finish… but it was not a target for me to do something stylish. I wanted beauty – for my eyes – but mainly very functional.”

Luca Bassani can identify three core features of the boats that have driven much of the design. The first is the sail plan. In the dying days of the IOR when the first Wallygator was designed, a big overlapping headsail and a small mainsail was the norm. “We abandoned the big, overlapping genoa because we wanted to have self-tacking and we wanted the boat to be fast.”

The serious racing side of Wally – a big fleet start at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2017. Photo: Carlo Borlenghi

That concept at that size required a carbon fibre mast. It was the only way to make a mast that would stay up without runners and an inner forestay. “If you have an inner stay, you cannot have a self-tacking [headsail],” said Bassani. The carbon fibre mast was inspired by the Kiwi big boat [KZ-1] that was built for the 1988 America’s Cup . Laurent Esquier sailed with Bassani in the 6-metre, was with the Kiwi Cup team and told him about the impressive new material.

The second and third features were the hull, and the appendages. “We wanted the boat to be wider, to be much faster reaching, but with the right appendages to have good performance… so they surf easily, but they are still very, very fast upwind. This was made possible by all the new materials, the composites, carbon fibre and titanium.” And it’s really the materials that have enabled the innovation in all these three areas and driven the journey that Wally has been on for the last 25 years.

“Innovation is based mainly on the new materials. The computer, cars, aeroplanes; it’s just the materials that have allowed the big steps forward. I come from an industry where technology and engineering are fundamental; the electrical industry, and also from the entrepreneurial philosophy of my father, who always said that the product is the company… I mean, you cannot make a product by a brand, but you can make a brand by a product. The product, in this case, is based on engineering and materials.”

The clean lines of the Wally 110 Barong D . Photo: Kurt Arrigo

An innovative future

Twenty-five years ago Bassani had to rely on himself and his team to find the materials that could drive the next innovation. “Today, there is a huge movement of people that are inventing, that are proposing new ideas and new materials. We have a position, an image in the world, and everybody looks at us as real innovators. So, we receive, practically every week, some new ideas and, at the end, we find some that are very, very interesting. So, not only do we have our own team, but we have the world helping us.

“Today, there are so many new ideas in naval architecture… they will allow it to be more sustainable, to be more comfortable, but you have to be brave enough to follow this path, otherwise you remain as everybody is now… There are innovations that will be applied both on the big displacement yachts, or in the medium semi-displacement, and in the planing yachts. In sailing, you see from the America’s Cup that there are extremely interesting new ideas about the sail plan. In a few years we will see yachts that are very, very different from today.”

I talked to Luca Bassani during the Düsseldorf boat show , not long after the announcement of the sale of Wally to Ferretti. Bassani was clear about his motives.

Photo: Toni Meneguzzo

“I realised that I didn’t have any more of the energy, the finances that the size of the market today needs, and I realised that was the moment to have a big partner. Alone, I was no longer strong enough to go on with the development of the company.

“I found, in the Ferretti group, the right mentality. A very young group of managers, very motivated, who were loving what we did. They love Wally, and they are very confident that together we could do a lot of things. So, I think this is the next step that Wally deserved to go on.

“I will be doing what I love to do. Inventing and designing, and promoting the development, promoting the innovation.”

And, let’s hope, doing it for another 25 years.

Luca Bassani on his milestone designs

“The sailing yacht would be Genie of the Lamp . On the power boat I would take the 118 Wallypower. They both looked very crazy when they were launched but, after many years, you can recognise they radically changed the industry.”

1995 – Genie of the Lamp [24m/80ft] “In terms of deck layout [this boat] changed the market. Today, practically 95% of the yachts up to a 100ft are a copy.” Photo: Guido Grugnola.

1998 – Tiketitan [27m/89ft] “ Tiketitan was the first boat with the ‘terrace on the sea’ — today, you see all of the boats, mainly the motor yachts, need to have the famous beach on the stern. There were also the metallic colours, a fully battened mainsail, and a canting keel.” Photo: Guy Gurney

2001 – Wallytender [14m/46ft] “The Wallytender opened a huge market that didn’t exist 15 years ago.” Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

2003 – 118 Wallypower [36m] “This was commercially a flop… but in reality, everybody else in power boats then changed following the Wallypower. Both in the hull, with the vertical bow, in the superstructure and with all the glass.” Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

2006 – Esense [44m/143ft] “It was kind of a traditional boat with the high bulwarks, and inside the bulwarks the boat is absolutely flush. So, I created a kind of open space cockpit, instead of having the usual little cockpit on the traditional big yachts.” Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Photo: Pedro Martinez

Luca Bassani Biography

Born: 24th November 1956

Nationality: Italian

Education:  1980, graduated in business/economics from Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; 2004, honorary degree in industrial design from the University of Architecture, Genoa, Italy.

Honours:  Two-time winner of the Compasso d’Oro (in 2004 and in 2008) – the leading industrial design award.

Inspirations: “He [Tito Prato, skipper of the family’s yacht] was my teacher. He was really the person that, more than anybody else, introduced me to the sea and to sailing, yes… and then, also, to racing.”

Career highlights and lowlights

“On the sports side, OK, I can say the things that I won; the world championships or the European championships. From the business side, it’s difficult to say because it’s a high when you are able to sell a new boat, not just because it’s new but because it’s different, it’s innovative.

“When you find a client who accepts your new idea, this is a fantastic moment, this is a real high in your career. And it’s a low when you don’t find a client accepting or understanding your new ideas. So, you cannot sell it. I mean, ideas are the base of everything for an entrepreneur, and if you’re able to sell your idea, that’s a high. If you’re not able to sell it, that’s a low.”

First published in the April 2019 issue of SuperSail World.

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WHY200: New interior images of Wally's spaceship superyacht model

Ferretti Group has released new interior shots of the first 27 metre WHY 200 superyacht, which made its debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival earlier this year.

The WHY200 was designed by Wally founder Luca Bassani in collaboration with the Ferretti Group ’s in-house engineering department. The first hull was delivered in 2021 and finished in an eye-catching 'Wally Silver'.

"With its widebody design, this 200 GT yacht offers far larger volumes compared to traditional motorboats, plus a living space and stability that are definitely greater than any competitor’s,"  says Stefano de Vivo, managing director of Wally. "It essentially provides all the advantages of a catamaran but has none of the limitations, namely the lack of volume linked to the main central hull and mooring problems."

Naval architecture meanwhile was penned by Laurent Giles NA while A. Vallicelli & C Studio designed the interior.

Maximising space is at the forefront of the design, which boasts up to 50% more living space than other yachts this size, Ferretti said. This can be seen in the 37 square metre master suite houses within a 4.7 metre-high glazed bow offering owners 270-degree views from the comfort of a central bed.

Speaking about the owner’s suite, Bassani previously said: “Imagine the feeling of waking up to uninterrupted views through vast windows in the bow, as if you are floating above the water. It is a genuine marvel to behold, we are especially proud of what has been achieved with this revolutionary layout.”

This particular unit features a four-cabin layout with the master cabin positioned forward on the main deck and a VIP and two guest cabins on the lower deck. The galley and crew accommodation also sits on the lower deck and includes three crew cabins for a staff of five.

More than 200 square metres of living space is found throughout the design, including a 22 square metre upper deck interior and 100 square metres main deck interior. The main saloon itself absorbs 61 square metres of the main deck and is home to a lounge and dining area, a show kitchen and a carbon, glass-wrapped staircase that takes centre stage, connecting all three decks.

The aft portion of the main deck features sunpads to either side with folding bulwarks to create a beach club, or "terrace over the water." Concealed below the sun pads is storage for a four metre jet tender, wave runner, SeaBob, paddleboard and all manner of water toys.

The first WHY200 is powered by four Volvo Penta D-13 IPS 1350 engines delivering a top speed of 23 knots complemented by fin stabilisers that can be used both at anchor and under power.

"Like all Wallys, which for 25 years have been ahead of their time and the setters of new standards in yachting design, the new compact superyacht WHY200 carries the 'wow' factor engraved in its DNA," said Bassani.

Speaking about the model, de Vivo previously said: “Through the WHY200, we are challenging preconceived notions of what a yacht should be and how it can be used. It is a platform that can be enjoyed by the whole family or groups of friends without compromise.”

At the 2021 Monaco Yacht Show, Ferretti Group revealed that the WHY200 was set to become a " fully-fledged series " in the near future.

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Ever since its first groundbreaking models, Wally has stood as a bridge from the present to the future of yacht design and boating. With the all-new wallypower50, the Wally and Ferretti Group teams have embraced that concept, skillfully building a bridge between two key ranges within the Wally powerboat lineup.Spanning the arc between the stylishly practical wallytender range and the practically stylish wallypower58, the new wallypower50 is so flexible and adaptable that it can serve as anything from chaseboat to tender to day-cruiser to luxury weekender to high-octane thrill-ride – proof indeed that whatever life you want to lead, the wallypower50 is the bridge that can take you there.

“We’re thrilled to introduce our latest masterpiece, the wallypower50, at Boot Düsseldorf this January. It’s a proud moment for us to showcase this stunning model to the world,” says Stefano de Vivo, Wally’s Managing Director. “The wallypower50 is an extraordinary blend of design, engineering, and construction, seamlessly incorporating elements from Wally models into a sublime design. It’s a true stroke of genius, embodying the best of both boat styles based on customer preferences. She’s unequivocally a Wally in every sense.”

Multiple profiles with model looks

The wallypower50 combines the more open design of the wallytenders with the more spacious areas of the wallypower58, with an extensive options list that mean you can define your wallypower50 to meet your operational wishes. Love the vertical stem and inimitably striking lines of the wallypowers? The new wallypower50 carries that design DNA in her profile and her hull, matching flair with finesse. But if you want an element of wallytender practicality, no problem – you can spec a wraparound fender like those found on the wallytenders to give you more rugged workhorse capability.

“At Wally, design has always been at the forefront of what we do, and what we do has always been at the forefront of the yachting industry,” says Luca Bassani, Founder and Chief Designer of Wally. “The wallypower50 is another perfect example of form and function coming together, where stylish lines do not come at the expense of dynamic performance but complement it. And the further you drill down into the details, the more of Wally you find, from our distinctive angular windshield design up top to the option of our Magic Portholes below.”

Deck divine and interior iconic

Central to the onboard experience is the beautifully drawn balance between rugged practicality and sublime functionality, and it is here that the shared genes between the wallytenders and the wallypowers is truly evident.

The wallypower50 boasts all the open space of her smaller cousins, which lends herself perfectly to working tender operational parameters, but adds touches that speak to her standalone capabilities too. There are two sunbeds aft instead of one, with a generous walkway between them offering easy boarding and disembarkation; moreover, drop-down aft bulwarks extend the aft deck space by six square metres, creating a luxurious area for enjoying the sea or enjoying a sundowner or two with family and friends.

Forward of the sunbeds, nestling under the protection of the angular cockpit structure yet still delivering an alfresco feel, is the cockpit saloon. A dining table with banquettes and further bench seating comfortably accommodates eight guests, with space for more on forward-facing bench seats plus the helm chairs. Of course, there is also a foredeck sunpad with adjustable headrests, ideal for soaking up some rays at anchor or away from prying eyes when moored stern-to; there is also easy access to the hidden anchoring system, which itself is not only a neat design trick but also means even the foredeck is clutter free.

The helm itself is elegant and modern, offering all controls to hand and with two large MFDs providing access to all operating and systems data as well as a comprehensive navcomms suite. The helm is ideally located for all-round visibility – particularly pertinent when riding the wallypower50 to her higher performance limits.

Below, the wallypower50 reveals her power roots, with not only a full head and shower but a welcoming space that can offer everything you need for weekending, or even longer cruising. A large forward double berth, cosy saloon area and kitchenette galley, all finished to the highest standards, mean the wallypower50 can just as easily be your pied-a-terre wherever you wish to go – a luxurious and inviting studio apartment that’s perfect for couples.

“On deck and below deck, the wallypower50 really shows her true colours in terms of being able to meet the demands of any boater and any operating profile,” says De Vivo. “From tender to weekender, she can do it all.”

Life, accelerated

The wallypower50 doesn’t just encompass flexibility, she also offers a bridge into the rarefied world of true performance boating – because if a thrilling, responsive, exhilarating dream-ride is what you’re after, of course there’s a version for you.

The standard model offers propulsion via twin Volvo Penta IPS650s that offer a 30-knot cruise and a top speed of 36 knots, all the while combining performance with easy handling thanks to a perfect hull, and joystick control with optional DPS for close-quarters situations.

For those who revel in real performance, there’s the wallypower50X. Offered in two variants, each with quad Mercury outboards, the wallypower50X multiplies the Wally factor and takes you for a serious blast. With the quad 400hp options, you’re looking at a 48-knot max with a range of 240 nautical miles. Step up to the quad 500hp option and watch the wallypower50X power to more than 50 knots.

It’s not just about grunt, of course. The wallypower50 and wallypower50X draw on a deep-V hull to offer stability at speed and the ability to cruise faster even in bigger seas, meaning more scope to enjoy everything the wallypower50 offers in more conditions.

“It’s no accident the original wallypower118 has become so iconic, thanks to her revolutionary looks and revelatory performance,” says Bassani. “And it’s no accident that the new wallypower50 shares that groundbreaking spirit and performance DNA, showing how we are able to capture the essence of that original model and distil it into a new milestone model for the modern boater.”

Main technical specifications

2 x VOLVO PENTA IPS650 power 480 mhp / 353 kW at 3700 rpm

Speed (knots)

VOLVO IPS 650 Maximum speed knots 36 Cruising speed knots 30

Range (nautical miles)

VOLVO IPS 650 Maximum speed n.m. 250 Cruising speed n.m. 280

Loa = overall length (standard ISO 8666) 14,6 m. 47 ft. 11 in. Lh = hull length (standard ISO 8666) 14,6 m. 47 ft. 11 in. Lwl = waterline length (boat fully laden) 13,4 m. 44 ft. 0 in. Maximum beam 4,3 m. 14 ft. 1 in. Depth under propellers (boat fully laden) 1,3 m. 4 ft. 1 in. Displacement unladen 12,9 ton./lb. 28440 Displacement laden 16,6 ton./lb. 36597 Maximum number of persons on board 12 16 Design category Directive 2013/53/EU B C Certification modules B + F RINA S.p.A.

Technical data

Hull type: warped hull with spray rails and aft deadrise 18 ° H = overall height 5,3 m. 17 ft. 3 in. P = pulpit + transom 0,0 m. 0 ft. 0 in. Fuel tank capacity 1400 lt./US gals. 370 Water tanks capacity 240 lt./US gals. 63

Performance specifications

The performance is estimated at the following conditions:

Standard version displacement of the yacht: at 1/3 of load, clean hull, 25°C air temperature, good weather conditions, 4 persons on board 13,8 ton./lb. 30362 Overloading the yacht by 0,5 ton./lb. 1102 Top speed decreases of 1 knot

• Wallypower 50

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Boat of the Week: The Wally WHY200 Is a Rule-Breaking 89-Footer With the Space of a Superyacht

Wally's why200 isn't 200 feet long. it's 89. but thanks to its wide beam and high profile, it has the interior space of a 165-foot superyacht., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories.

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It’s pretty clear that someone who names their yacht company after a 1960’s cartoon is going to have an unusual view of design. Luca Bassani, who called the 1989 boat he built for himself Wallygator (after the Hanna Barbera cartoon), has since turned the Wally brand into yachting’s favorite cult. The angular hulls and minimalist topsides have been recognizable worldwide for more than 20 years. Bassani is the only designer whose unique looks extends from 100-foot-plus sailing yachts to 30-foot powerboats—and he introduced them years before many other builders started copying his designs.

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The Italian designer has launched a new trend with the new WHY200—200 standing for 200 gross tons, which is not weight, but the internal volume of the yacht. It equals 20,000 cubic feet.

The WHY stands for Wally Hybrid Yacht, but it doesn’t mean electric-diesel propulsion. “It’s a hybrid between a planing motoryacht and displacement boat,” Bassani told Robb Report at the Monaco Yacht Show. “We were constrained by length but not by width, so we created an extreme, wide-body yacht. We wanted to offer much more than competitors by not following the rules of the game.”

The 25-foot beam is put to good use in the stern and flybridge of the new Wally.  Courtesy Wally Yachts

Actually, the rules of the game are what prompted the design. European maritime regulations state that any hull length of 24 meters and below (78.7 feet) are boats. Over that, they are classified as ships, with different rules and significantly higher operating costs. The trend now is to package as much interior space as possible into smaller hull lengths, and different European brands, including Princess, Ferretti Yachts , Azimut and Benetti, have done that with relative degrees of success.

But the WHY200 is another animal. It has an overall length of 88’8″, but its hull length at the waterline is 78’8″, so it works under the 24-meter rule. But then the real measurements begin. “The beam of the main salon is 24 feet, the same size as a 160-foot superyacht,” says Stefano de Vivo, Wally’s managing director, who admits that the unusual profile will “get a positive or negative ‘wow.’” But when they come inside, he adds, “they’ll see why it’s designed like that.”

Looking at the first images, I was firmly in the negative-wow camp. The vessel looked like a tall, somewhat bloated wedge—a midlife-crisis version of the svelte, strait-edged Wallys of earlier days. As a longtime fan of the brand, it seemed like Wally had gone soft.

The one-of-a-kind main salon in the bow has a 270-degree view of the water.  Courtesy Wally Yachts

But as soon as I stepped aboard, I couldn’t help muttering a positive wow under my breath. The boat is wide, with a beam of 24’10”, and the stern uses every bit of that, with wide open space and stunning teak-work. The side panels open out to make the boat feel even wider, giving it more volume along the exterior. There’s no other word but commanding— while still being elegant and simple—for that stern. It’s a very hard impression to pull off.

Anyone can design a lot of space into a yacht, but it has to be able to run safely in seas. Bassani has been obsessed with seaworthiness in both his sailing and power yachts, so it was clear he wouldn’t just settle for a big box on the water. Wally worked with naval architect Laurent Giles to create a running surface that offers strong fuel efficiency and range in displacement mode, but can plane to a speed of 21 knots, or 24.1 mph, with its four Volvo Penta IPS engines.

“The bow doesn’t lift out of the water more than a degree when it goes on plane,” says Bassani. “And you don’t feel the ride like other motoryachts. We had the boat in six-foot seas and it was very steady—no pitching or pounding.”

The yacht’s openness is emphasized outside, but also throughout the interior.  Courtesy Wally Yachts

Beyond the hull, the big differentiator among its competitors is the WHY200’s interior, with a 900-square-foot main suite in the bow that has 270 degrees of tall windows around the island bed, and sits about 14 feet off the water for exceptional, private views at anchor or running. The design is another first.

The main salon is below-decks, down a wide glassed-in, carbon-fiber stairway that’s an architectural feature, but also lends structural stability to the yacht’s center section. The design also separates the two large spaces in the salon. Items like a “show” kitchen, just near the yacht’s rear entrance,  four staterooms on the lower deck, and the distinctive minimalist woodwork and black-lacquer trim provide a distinctive signature. There’s a sense of openness across the yacht, with no clutter.

The flybridge provides an inside-outside living area, with an edgy, angular carbon-fiber top covering about half of it. The bow comes to an extreme point, with minimal foredeck, rising about 15 feet over the water, making it a dry boat.

An angular, carbon-fiber hardtop has been a Wally signature for more than 20 years.  Courtesy Wally Yachts

I asked Bassani about the unique look. “It’s the first of its kind, just like the Porsche Cayenne,” he says. “Nobody did a sporty SUV, but a few years later, they’re everywhere.”

He added: “You can’t really compare this boat to others of the same length—length is only one of three dimensions of any design. In the end, you have to compare by comfort.”

These days, where gross tonnage is king, comfort has become the key design feature for many builders. Wally says it will make a smaller version of the WHY200, but didn’t release details.

The modern helm is tucked away on the upper deck, but offers excellent visibility.  Courtesy Wally Yachts

Check out more images.

Courtesy Wally Yachts

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First Details Revealed: wallywhy100

• By Yachting Staff
• January 4, 2023

Wally has revealed the first details about its 69-foot wallywhy100, which is joining the wallywhy200 and wallywhy150 in the builder’s lineup.

Exteriors on the wallywhy100 are by the Wally-Ferretti Group engineering team, with Studio A. Vallicelli & C. responsible for the interior design. The yacht is being marketed as a crossover between a coupé boat and a cruiser with significant volume.

“Whilst beautiful and sleek, traditional coupés do not offer the comfort and livability that today’s owners expect from their boats,” Stefano de Vivo, Wally’s managing director, stated in a press release. “In the same way, larger and more voluminous boats generally don’t offer speed or usage flexibility. This leaves owners with a tough choice: Do they want to compromise on comfort or performance?”

The philosophy of the wallywhy lineup is to eliminate that choice and provide both. For instance, on the wallywhy100, the cockpit is pushed far forward to create more space for indoor-outdoor living areas, but there’s also a slightly reversed bow to help with performance in most weather conditions.

Wally says the wallywhy100 could be used on its own as a weekender yacht or as a support vessel for a larger yacht, thanks to its crew quarters and toy-stowage capacity.

Electrically regulated glass: The en suite head in the master stateroom has glass that can be transparent or opaque, depending on whether owners want the master overall to feel larger or if they want their privacy.

Take the next step: go to wally.com

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wallywhy200  

"Our 'spaceship' line redefines the volumes, exterior areas and features available in yachts of this size, drawing from a palette of elements such as wrap-around glazing, forward owner’s suite and high bow."

Wally shifted the dial on yacht design with the wallywhy200. Innovative in so many ways, its bold aesthetic is only matched by the incredible range of features that can be offered by its 200-gross tonne volume. With its full-wide body, the signature of this futuristic space ship is the vast owner’s suite in the bow, which seems to hang over the water below. Wally has expertly engineered a strip of tall glass running all the way round the main deck, providing the cabin with a 270-degree panoramic views and astonishing natural light. And yet, this high 4.7m bow is part of a hull form has been studied in minute detail to provide stability, eliminate slamming and still deliver semi-displacement performance. Renowned designer Laurent Giles developed the naval architecture specifically for this yacht, which was exhaustively tank-tested in Southampton. Combined with the Volvo IPS pod propulsion system, the wallywhy200 can cruise at 20 knots and hit 23 knots flat out with the optional enhanced power package. The design is breathtaking, with elegant teak decking and steps that cascade down to the beach club aft, which extends with wings at the side and a hydraulic bathing platform that doubles as a passerelle. A 4.15m tender and other toys are garaged invisibly behind the wings. An enormous upper deck is presided over by Wally’s signature glass and carbon dome. And on the lower deck, there are a luxurious VIP suite and two dazzling guest cabins. An eye-catching carbon fibre staircase connects all the decks – laminated in a single piece to give structural support and eliminate bulkheads. This creates open entertaining spaces that blend seamlessly into the exterior.

The Wow Bow.

Wunderkammer welcome.

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Technical Sheet

27.03 [m] 88 ft 8 in

23.98 [m] 78 ft 8 in

23.92 [m] 78 ft 6 in

7.66 [m] 25 ft 2 in

2.1 [m] 6 ft 11 in

Unladen displacement

109000 [kg] 240,304 [lbs]

Laden displacement

126000 [kg] 277,782 [lbs]

12000 [l] 3,170 [US gal]

2200 [l] 581 [US gal]

People on board

VOLVO PENTA D13 IPS1200

VOLVO PENTA D13 IPS1350 (optional)

1000 (optional)

Transmission

23 [kn] (optional)

Cruise speed

20 [kn] (optional)

Range at cruising speed

370 [nm] (optional)

Crew cabins

Bathrooms in crew quarter, classification.

Main Deck owner's suite option

Main Deck show kitchen option

Main Deck entertainment option

Lower Deck 4 cabins

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