Wally 130, 40-metre LOA

NEWS	PHOTOGALLERY

The new Wally 130 absolutely oozes character and personality, exceeding even the Monaco yard’s usual high standards of originality and ingenuity. Thanks for this must go to designer Javier Soto Acebal who himself says he’s owes a great debt of gratitude to the team with whom he worked on this one of the newest arrivals from “Casa Luca Bassani.” “Only I know how hard we worked on this project,” the Argentinean designer told us, adding: “It really was an honour to collaborate with Wally again. The concept behind the 130 is typical of Wally: simple, easy to use, fast, modern. The yacht’s aesthetic needed to be innovative yet its geometries had to be quite balanced and easy on the eye.” And we have to say that having seen the new yacht in person, so to speak, it’s impossible to deny that it the “mission accomplished” stamp of approval.

The imposing nature of the new Wally’s 40-metre LOA, 7.9-metre beam and 53.5-metre mast is softened somewhat by a decidedly athletic profile more reminiscent of an America’s Cupper than a cruising yacht. Despite being classified, with a certain amount of understatement, as a fast-cruiser, this sloop has a surprising amount of thoroughbred racer in it. A fact confirmed by Wally CEO Luca Bassani who knows a thing or two about that himself: “In barely eight knots of air, we were zipping along upwind but we were very stable too: you don’t have to use ballast under 10 knots of real wind on the 130!”

Sporting a rather combative light grey metallic livery, offset to some extent by a fiery red waterline and PBO rig, the Wally 130 has no guardrail and a deck plan that is even more clean and uncluttered than ever with the stern open to the swim platform leading up to the deck. Here as usual is where Wally’s flawless technology melds with the avant-garde glamour it has treated us to again and again. The two helm stations and the console at the centre of the cockpit act as the perfect backdrop to a convivial living area with a clean, pure colour scheme. The white of the squarish sofas emerges from natural teak while the black of the carbon-fibre rigging is barely noticeable, just gleaming delicately off the steel flying box at foot of the mast. It is thanks to the latter patented object that the enormous loads of the halyards are borne not by the deck but the mast itself, in fact. Lastly we should mention that in there is a huge amount of free space aboard giving it a wonderfully airy atmosphere.

“Only the very best materials money could buy were used in the construction,” explains Javier Soto Acebal, “and that meant high-strength modulus carbon-fibre pre-preg and Nomex® honeycomb cores. The hull lines are very clean with a high volume towards the extremity to increase potential at peak speeds. The boat has a lifting keel (4.5 to 6.2 metres) with trim tab and water ballast: the 11 tonnes of water make the boat more stable which improves cruising speed and comfort.” The designer continues: “The 130 is the only Wally with a reverse sheer line (the line of the upper deck curves down towards the bow rather than upwards, ed.’s note). The aim of this was to reduce forward windage (surface exposed to the wind and thus subject to drag, ed.’s note), but I feel that it actually gives the boat a lower, more elegant profile. It also has the advantage of making it more resistant to longitudinal flexion.”

The Wally 130’s construction means that it has a displacement of barely 84 tonnes which is compensated for by its ballast. An absolutely meticulous design and construction process have coaxed blistering performance from what is essentially a megasailer that imposes modern aesthetic parameters on the whole luxury concept.

The 130’s high-tech styling is very nicely reflected in its chic lower deck where simplicity rules supreme throughout: living areas, owner’s suite, the two guest staterooms and family cabin. All the furnishings are made from aeronautical Nomex too. The cabins exude a sense of a warm, modern functionality and have beautifully elegant contours. There is an Up & Down TV in the owner’s suite while the guest cabins have Pullman berths. The twin beds can, if required, convert to doubles. The Wally 130 can accommodate a total of eight passengers as well as five crew who have their own quarters. The furnishings are contemporary in style with strong lines and mimic the exterior colours. The aft saloon offers a “terrace on the sea”, the yard’s signature since the launch of Tiketitan in 1998. This brings the outside inside and vice versa, adding a new dimension to life aboard. The crew dining area is forward, and again tones and lines are used to create the same stylistic precision as elsewhere. The dining area seats can convert to a large sofa when necessary. Just opposite is the galley where the appliances are by Miele and the fridges by Electrolux Professional. The Kaleidescape system guarantees top class audio and visuals throughout the yacht too.

Beautiful finishing touches, pale fabrics and ostrich skin by Dream Deck, i-LèD lights inset into the floors – every detail is part of the craft’s unique personality. As is the red and grey pairing and the Alcantara used in the super car-style ceiling liner which both hint at something of the fun car enthusiast. “The owner wanted both the interiors and exteriors to be inspired by the world of Formula 1, particularly McLaren, without depriving himself of any of the luxury of a modern megayacht,” explains Cristiano Mariani, head of furnishing, Wally Europe. “So I tried to underscore the architectural side of the individual components. Every element highlights its own structure and function. The furnishings are made from natural grey bay oak, the bulkheads pale grey painted oak and the floors are wengé. The F1-inspired features are the stairs, which have carbon-fibre steps that recall the rear wings of the single-seaters, and the red leather used in the saloon which picks up on the exterior detailing and the lighting. We chose a relaxing pale pastel purple for the cabins. The LED lighting can also be used to create different atmospheres to suit different needs.”

Every step of the 130’s design process and build took place in-house, allowing Mariani to lavish attention on every detail, working in tandem with the craftsmen. The resulting formal elegance and avant-garde technologies mean that Wally has once again produced a yacht that will deliver not only a benchmark performance but plenty of sheer delight too.

Andrea B. Nardi