How a US owner found yachting paradise in 67-metre Calex

“I probably wouldn’t have a Benetti if it wasn’t for John Staluppi,” Wilson says. “He and his wife, Jeanette, hosted my wife, Holly, and me on his boat Diamonds Are Forever a couple times, and we were impressed with the quality of that boat and the size of it.”

But it would take a while longer before they decided what to build. At some point, Northrop & Johnson broker Joe Foggia sent the owner documentation on a Benetti project that would become Metis (now Artisan). Wilson, who liked the style, later went to see the finished product. “We were on Metis at the Monaco Yacht Show (in 2019), and that’s when we decided we wanted to build a Benetti,” Wilson says. “We just loved the style; the vertical bow looks very contemporary and modern. And the Italians do a great job of fit and finish.”

And so finally, his intercontinental quest had led him to a pre-engineered platform that has proven successful for the Italian builder. The Benetti Calex, which made its boat show debut in Palm Beach in March, a little less than a year after delivery, is a distant cousin of the 63-metre Benetti Soundwave (ex-11.11) delivered in 2015.

She is also the biggest and most evolved of the bunch to date. The 1,250GT Project Fenestra (as Calex was known) was the first in Livorno to be fitted with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to reduce emissions from the diesel generators. That requirement mandated lengthening the yacht to make a larger engine room because the equipment is bulky. “This was designed from scratch because in terms of space and layout, you should always ensure the right airflow,” says Marco De Cosmo, who managed the project for Benetti. Just aft of the engine room is Calex’s beach club with two opening platforms (aft and port side), a bar and generous seating area. None of this looks like a compromise. 

“We went back and forth around 15 times, given the extra length and bigger exterior decks, with many requests related to the layout of the exterior areas,” Cassetta says. These changes led to tweaks in the design of the superstructure as well, which would escape a casual onlooker but give Calex her distinct personality.

“You may look at Calex and think the superstructure is identical to that of Triumph (another Benetti-Cassetta collaboration based on the same pre-engineering platform), except for some extension of deck. In fact, it’s not like that,” Cassetta says. The superstructure “was remodelled, so there is not a single surface that is completely identical to her sisters, which is quite unusual. From the upper deck up, she has very little in common.”

The owners chose vertical windows on the forward section of the main deck where two comfortable VIP cabins are located. “It may be seen as a bit classic now, but I like it,” Cassetta says. “On this platform, which is quite low on the water, it helps bring out the power of the bow sections. It creates this big, powerful bow, which compensates for the height and flare of the superstructure, so I am quite fond of that.” They also work perfectly well to bring light into the equally sized VIP cabins.  

The mast and hardtop designs differ from Artisan, which has a central structure. “That is quite a big change for the overall perception because up there on the sundeck, you have these views aft and forward and there are a few technical advantages as well,” Cassetta says. For instance, it allows for “the generator exhaust [to be] routed to the sides of that mast. The generator discharges are all routed up there, so you have no fumes at sea level.” All the better to enjoy a swim or fishing off the aft platform. Calex is fitted with a few custom rod holders (and there is a dedicated place to store rods in the beach club) – once a fisherman, always a fisherman.

Another advantage, of course, is that it creates more open floor space that the family uses as an outdoor gym, which gets great natural ventilation and is very private. Forward is a spa pool. Originally a helm station was planned but De Cosmo convinced the build team that on a yacht of Calex’s size, it would not provide much operational advantage. 

All navigation operations are handled from the bridge deck one level below. To facilitate communications and get a closer look at the project as it progressed, Wilson hired project manager Ian Wastell, who has worked with Benetti on several projects, including Seasense. He and Captain Eddie Cooney, who had enjoyed a Telemar bridge on his previous boat, pushed for the attractive Telemar glass bridge – as slick as an iPhone – that graces the pilothouse. The view from up there is terrific but it is also worth noting what you can’t see from up there – and that’s the owner’s deck just below, which the design keeps perfectly private. 

The decor blends leather panels with a few woods, light-hued carpets and fabrics in earthy colours

No doubt that one of the great spaces on board is the owner’s deck. It stretches more than 160 square metres, from the exterior dining area aft to a clean deck forward offering open views to the water beyond. The Wilsons had quite a bit of input into this area as well.

“What [the owners] changed was a great improvement in the master cabin,” De Cosmo says. To maximise views and for a seamless transition outdoors, they asked for an automated central door to replace the heavy side pantograph doors. A large television set drops down from the ceiling instead of coming up from the foot of the bed and interrupting the view. 

“The owner can benefit from an area that starts from frame 23 and will end on frame 51 in one continuous deck,” De Cosmo says. It contains a study, walk-in wardrobe, bedroom with room to relax and a vast bathroom. Right outside the forward door, which opens quietly at the touch of a button, is a seating area ideal as a breakfast nook or for stargazing in the evening.

“They were looking for something that does not follow the inspiration of the moment, but something they can have for a long period”

The main deck galley, accessible via a service corridor connected to the dining room, a large pantry and an exterior door, also has the Wilsons’ touch, with a central island and bar stools. The inspiration comes from their Westport where they enjoyed a guest-friendly galley – bringing a distinctly American feature to this Italian yacht. “We served a lot of meals in the galley, family style. We couldn’t do [an open galley] on this boat, but our crew is kind of like our family. So at any given time, you’ll find my wife or some guests sitting in the galley talking with the chef about many things besides just food,” Wilson says.

Because they have this special relationship with the crew, the owners asked the shipyard to finish their cabins with the same materials as the guest areas. And all of them have televisions in their cabins, as well as access to a spacious crew mess. The captain also used some of the extra space on the mooring deck for a crew gym.

After the Wilsons sold their Westport, Captain Cooney assembled a new crew of 16, and they have been together since the owners got on board in Venice, in June 2022. 

“The choice of few essences and materials helped to generate something contemporary, a neutral box that can be easily customised with the help of loose furniture”

In terms of the interior design, the Wilsons were happy to work with Benetti’s head of interior design, Maria Rosa Remedi. “They were looking for something contemporary – something that does not follow the inspiration of the moment, but something they can have for a long period,” De Cosmo says. “The choice of few essences and materials helped to generate something contemporary, a neutral box that can be easily customised with the help of loose furniture or tables or chairs.”

The decor blends leather panels with a few woods – a closed grain walnut with a gloss is used as an accent, alternating with a light ash – light-hued carpets and fabrics in earthy colours. Most of the marbles are also on the quieter side: luxurious yet subtle stones like Calacatta gold or white Carrara. There are very few of the stainless-steel touches used so liberally today – with the rare exception of accents on the beach club bar. The purchased furniture is from brands such as Holly Hunt or Fendi Casa, which have been custom sized for generous dimensions and comfort.

“It’s decorated like a beach club. It’s very functional for our family and very comfortable as well,” Wilson says of the interior style.

It also will likely appeal to many tastes. Although it wasn’t in the initial plans, the Wilsons decided to offer Calex for occasional charters. Being without a boat for 18 months (between the sale of their Westport and delivery of their Benetti) and the excitement of their first private cruise in the Mediterranean, encouraged them to spend four full months aboard last summer, travelling from Italy to Croatia, Greece, the Balearics and the Riviera, but that is unlikely to repeat.

“We realised we’re not going to be able to spend much more than 90 days on the boat between all the things we have going and the family. And then we learned from our crew that many of them came to us because they were on boats that just sat in a marina,” Wilson says. “We discussed it at length with the crew and [concluded that] it was better for the boat, better for the morale and better for their pay if we did charter the boat.”

They’ll still enjoy it with friends and family and pop in the galley for a chat with the chef. They may talk about the time they caught a wahoo from the back of the boat. So many of the true pleasures of life transcend nationality – and there’s no platform that strips back to those pleasures as effortlessly as a yacht.