On board Ferretti Yachts’ Infynito 90

The motivation for this yacht’s defining characteristic was the market in which the Italian builder expects it to flourish: Asia.

“Owners in Asian markets want a solution that ensures total privacy and extensive protection from the elements and direct sunlight,” Ferretti’s chief commercial officer Stefano de Vivo says.

“The Infynito 90 is the perfect fit for these needs and, in fact, the first unit is for a Chinese owner. The owner fell immediately in love with the model because it perfectly embodied his desires and idea of a boat. It was just what he had been looking for.”

Privacy and protection from the elements, however, translate well to other markets, as would the layout flexibility. Three versions are available for this area — a full bar setup, a Jacuzzi or an al fresco dining room.

“A sophisticated lounge from which to gaze, in company or in solitary meditation, into the infinity that surrounds us”

Notably, the dining room option is only on the table if the owners decide they want their stateroom to be on the main deck (on the forward end). Otherwise, an interior dining room occupies the forward portion of the main deck and the owner’s stateroom goes to the lower deck.

Filippo Salvetti, the Infynito’s exterior designer, offers a high-minded description of the bow deck that illustrates the lofty ambition behind this project.

“Personalisation is becoming more necessary than ever,” he says. “So we wanted to give the customer the choice to install a Jacuzzi, a private bar for enjoying convivial moments, or a sophisticated lounge from which to gaze, in company or in solitary meditation, into the infinity that surrounds us. The decision [to put all these options] in the bow was dictated by the very raison d’être of the boat: navigation.”

Got all of that?

The sole here, as it is throughout the boat, is made with teak lamella, as opposed to more traditional planks. Besides the eco-friendliness of using recycled wood, Ferretti says the lamella, more flexible than planks of teak, makes for more elegant corners on the boat and it allows for more design flexibility.

The teak alternative is part of Ferretti Group’s FSEA (Ferretti Sustainable Enhanced Architecture) initiative, which offers a package of environmentally sensitive options. The FSEA program also includes photovoltaic panels installed on the Infynito’s superstructure — feeding solar energy to a 120kW lithium battery pack for eight hours of diesel-free energy at anchor — sustainable bamboo fabrics, regenerated leathers and eco-friendly water-based paints.

Besides the bow deck, another departure for Ferretti Yachts on this boat is the fully enclosed forward portion of the flybridge, a first for the builder. The helm here has two Poltrona Frau seats facing three Simrad screens.

The reason for the enclosed helm is that Ferretti envisages this model as a long-range cruiser, ready to take on lengthy voyages and just about anything Mother Nature throws her way. An extended journey undertaken at an open helm is the surest way to make a 40-year-old captain look prematurely 60.

Behind the helm is an enclosed sky lounge with a pleasing view. The after portion of the flybridge is exposed to the elements and has a chic al fresco dining table and modular sun loungers sitting pretty on that teak lamella.

One challenge the enclosed flybridge presented to this yacht’s design was the boat’s aesthetics. So many boats with enclosed upper decks in this size range wrestle with a look reminiscent of a Yeti cooler – although some, frankly, seem to embrace it. Not so with the Infynito.

“Given that this is a product with huge spaces, the challenge was to find the right equation between volumes and forms,” Salvetti says. “The all-season terrace is the focus of the design and required detailed proportional studies to integrate it harmoniously in the structure as a whole.”

Salvetti displayed deft touches, alternating glass panels and open spaces to soften and slim down the yacht’s profile. A slight camber in the flybridge hardtop and the deck line play nicely with the open space at the bow and juxtapose gentle, feminine lines with the reverse-rake windshield’s inherent workboat-like masculinity. Irregular-shaped hull-side windows with a slightly curved bottom also help to soften and lengthen the Infynito’s lines.

As for the interior, Ferretti tapped Alessio Battistini and Davide Bernardini of IdeaeITALIA to bring the design to life. The duo explain their directives for the model. “We wanted to give the new line a clear and recognisable identity while remaining true to the founding principles that mark out the Ferretti Yachts brand,“ they say.

Think symmetry, simpler lines and lots of freestanding furniture. They developed two interior schemes, one contemporary and the other dubbed classic, which features slightly darker, earthy tones.

The Infynito’s salon is open-concept and has a very breezy overall feel. Large near sole-to-ceiling windows heighten the ambiance in this regard.

One thing I was rather surprised to see on the boat in Cannes was a country kitchen, which would likely work well in the US. This open kitchen is an option; a more formal version is also available with a private service passageway.

In the saloon the Infynito’s considerable 7-metre beam is indispensable for creating the overall sense of space, and the beam carries forward to the dining table for eight. Here, a large forward-facing window opens out on to the bow deck.

Glancing back, I notice a straight line of sight to the sea through the yacht’s glass doors and the large cockpit beyond them, no doubt an inspiration for the Infynito’s name. It wouldn’t be the same effect with an on-deck owner’s suite.

Below and amidships in this layout, the owner’s stateroom takes full advantage of the beam. A highlight here is the radiant marble, dark and deliciously swirled with grey veins. The VIP is in the forepeak, where the king-size berth is athwartships in an unusual layout.

Ferretti envisages this model as a long-range cruiser, ready to take on lengthy voyages and just about anything Mother Nature
throws her way

More orthodox is the Infynito’s engine room, where twin 1,550-horsepower MAN V12s reside. With those engines, the yacht is reported to hit a top speed of 20 knots and have a 15-knot cruise. A more powerful option is available with twin 1,800-horsepower MAN V12s that deliver a maximum speed of 22 knots and a cruise of 17 knots.

At the economic speed of 10 knots, the range is 1,400 nautical miles, enough to get the Infynito from Miami to St Maarten on a single fill-up.

Service points on the 90 I saw were readily workable and I was impressed by the amount of space in this area, for an Italian-built boat anyway. The custom-designed and RINA-certified fire system was another bonus that captains will no doubt appreciate.

It’s rare to see such a burly and long-range focused offering from a builder that typically places aesthetics top of the list. But with its pioneering design, I don’t think the Infynito 90 is in danger of looking prehistoric any time soon.

First published in the June 2024 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.