6 of our favourite Benetti superyachts

Set up by Lorenzo Benetti in 1873, Benetti is one of Europe's oldest yacht builders. The volume of yachts in its order book alone is enough to present it as a world leader; but over the years Benetti has also built some particularly notable custom superyachts...

11.11 is a home on the water that has family at its heart – a monochrome masterpiece of poise and comfort. The 63 metre yacht is only the second bluff-bowed boat Benetti has ever built, after Nataly (now Rahil).

The owner bought the yacht halfway through the build and decided to make some changes. Despite the transformation, Benetti was still able to deliver 11.11 in under a year from when the deal was signed.

“If you compare the finished boat with the initial renderings we did for the first client, you would not say they were the same boat,” said Benetti project manager Marco De Cosmo.

Designed specifically for the luxury yacht charter market, 60.95 metre Diamonds are Forever was launched in 2011 and features in John Staluppi’s top seven James Bond Yachts.

Superyacht owner Staluppi has built several speedy superyachts but Diamonds are Forever represented a step away from speed and towards luxury charter. When she was launched he said he was hoping to charter her for ‘three to four months a year’.

Staluppi also owned the 52 metre Benetti Quantum of Solace (now Elysium) and in 2015 he signed a contract with Benetti for a semi-displacement 66 metre, code named FB269.

Illusion V has a unique aesthetic, but thanks to designers Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli she is a relaxed and stylish family home at sea.

The owner said “it’s a superyacht and supposed to be luxury and high-end, but we’re quite young with a young family and don’t want anyone to feel like they can’t go anywhere [on board].”

One of the highlights is the spectacular sundeck, which features a raised pool, all-weather dining space, sunloungers and a bar; all making it incredibly versatile.

Kingdom 5KR was launched by Benetti in 1980 and was one of the world’s largest yachts for many years.  The 85.9 metre yacht was designed by Luigi Sturchio and originally named_Nabila_.

The yacht has not had a quiet life. She featured in the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again and was owned for a time by 2016 candidate for President of the United States, Donald Trump. However she can now usually be found berthed at the International Yacht Club in Antibes.

The owner of Kingdom 5KR, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, announced in 2015 that he will donate all of his $32 billion fortune to charity. It is not yet known whether the yacht will also be sold.

Having owned Amnesia (now Cakewalk), another Benetti, before the owner knew what he wanted when it came to the layout of 65 metre Seanna and no space is wasted. The cosy chic custom Benetti was designed for family life at sea and launched in 2011.

She is the sistership to Lionheart (now Lioness V), and Silver Angel.

Designer Redman Whiteley Dixon used the aft part of the main deck as the cinema, deciding that the space is often made redundant due to a lack of privacy. The blackout curtains, lights, audio and c-shaped sofa are all optimized for the room and its 100-inch screen.

Seanna also has a raised observation deck with a glass-enclosed aerie, making optimal use of the normally unused space under the mast.

The intelligently designed custom 49.8 metre superyacht Vica was launched in 2015 and comes in just under the 500 ton threshold.

Benetti thought like a client when designing Vica, with CEO Vincenzo Poerio asking:  "How do we shorten the time, reduce the cost and customer headaches, yet keep the product custom to each client?”

A pre-made hull was one way to shorten the delivery time. Benetti also built the hull from composite and the superstructure from aluminium, making the yacht lighter, but also providing unlimited styling options. And despite the pre-engineered solutions, Vica's owner still had plenty of say in the design.