After Wally previewed a small taste of its new motor model during the 2021 Cannes Yachting Festival, there is much to be desired about the wallypower58. Now, eight months later, the Italian builder has officially debuted the 17.66-metre open sports cruiser.
Under the Ferretti Group, the wallypower58 is the first boat to take its cue from the renowned predecessor, the 36-metre wallypower118. The origami shape, high-speed functionality and futuristic lines of the wallypower118 are as iconic now as they were almost twenty years ago on the boat’s launch day. “The shape of the wallypower58 certainly makes her a close relative of the 118,” says Luca Bassani, Founder and Chief Designer of Wally. But what makes the wallypower58 so special is not just the way she looks, but the way the concept was born to facilitate how owners and yachties like to enjoy their time on the water.
Flexible and functional
The wallypower58 is a yacht that gives owners what they want. “This is the first boat that we researched with existing clients,” explains Stefano de Vivo, Wally’s Managing Director. “We asked them how they used their current boat, and what they wanted to have in their next boat.” The research took two years, and the results showed that owners shared a desire for one thing: flexibility.
The wallypower58’s flexible lower deck can be arranged in three different ways to accommodate up to four overnight guests. For the owner who would like more of their own space, the full-beam ‘double saloon’ option offers an open-plan area in which the owner has a separate cabin and bathroom. Whereas the ‘flexi-guest’ layout provides either an additional guest cabin or a temporary crew cabin with en-suite facilities.
“She is a real game-changer, and this flexible design hasn’t been seen before,” says Bassani. “The owners we spoke to also requested the ability to house and launch another tender.” To comply, the wallypower58’s designers created a hydraulic aft platform for toy storage and easy access to the water. “This additional tender can be as big as 2.9 metres and its launch is made easy thanks to this platform,” adds Bassani.
Easy to operate
Ensuring that the boat is easy to handle was high on the agenda. The wallypower58 is the optimal size for those owners wanting to single-handedly captain their boat. “The idea behind the wallypower58 is that she bridges the gap between the brand’s smaller Tender and larger Power range,” says de Vivo. “The result is a boat that can be driven by the owner alone, or by a small crew.”
Another contributor to the wallypower58’s easy handling is the selection of high-tech equipment in the navigation station. What can be found is a Volvo IPS propulsion system with proprietary joystick manoeuvring, dynamic positioning and Assisted Docking software. This kit has control over the yacht’s engine power that can deliver speeds of up to 38 knots with a range of 310 nautical miles. Whatever the weather, she will remain stable thanks to the triple configuration of her shallow draft along with that ever-distinguishable ultra deep-V Wally hull.
The Wally DNA
Wally is no stranger to daring design choices, and with its pillarless curved glass, broad side decks and clear-cut lines, the wallypower58 displays typical Wally DNA, particularly in her superstructure. With double chines in the boat’s hull and air intakes, her lines are as geometric and sleek as those of her forerunner.
With no shortage of natural light entering the boat from overhead, there was no need for her designers to include the traditional openings usually found to port or starboard. Inspired by Wally’s of the past, the cockpit is natural with a lot of light pouring in from the skylight above. Down below, the interior saloon is windowless, to ensure the yacht maintains its sharp, futuristic profile. However, there is a pair of cameras fitted to either side of the hull that can be live-streamed into screens in the saloon, allowing the outside world in.
Practical design
Spacious enough for up to 16 people, the wallypower58’s cockpit is entirely protected from the sun, wind and water. “We wanted to create a boat with more usability and protection compared to other open tenders,” says Bassani. As a result, the cockpit can be adjusted to suit any climate thanks to the automatic windows. On warmer days, four of these guests can opt to lounge on the adjustable sun pad on the aft deck and make use of Wally’s customary hydraulic passerelle, which is included as standard.
Her design also includes a full-height shower integrated into the side of the platform and folding bulwark ‘wings’ that add an extra 25 square metres of entertaining space when extended. Beyond this, her practicality comes from her top-level sea keeping abilities, high-performance system and efficient hull, making her an ideal option for those wanting a chase boat. “In each of the design and engineering choices, it is clear that the Wally philosophy shines through in the new wallypower58,” adds de Vivo.
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