On board MCP Yachts' high-volume 41-metre yacht Hygge

The engine room has a clean layout around its Caterpillar C32 engines and Kohler generators. “The [Cat32s] fit our concept perfectly. They are always working on low charge. You have the perfect balance between weight and power, and they will last forever,” he says. “The day tank is very high to give gravity pressure on the engine inlets.” He goes on to explain the decisions behind each system. Equipped with a filtration device to ensure the fuel’s purity, the yacht carries 12,205 gallons of marine diesel.

With this set-up, the all-aluminium yacht reached 22.2 knots in sea trials in the Bay of Santos with her owner at the helm. The yard was aiming to reach the contractual speed of 20 knots on the semi-displacement hull and so naturally the extra knots put smiles on their faces. She also has a transatlantic range, with around 3,700 nautical miles of autonomy at 11 knots.

The idea behind this yacht specifically was to combine the most volume with the lowest possible fuel consumption

In a way, Hygge (previously known as Project Seaview) is related to the 133ft Queen Tati delivered in 2023 and began as a concept with that knowledgeable owner in mind. Both Queen Tati and Hygge, which were docked at the yard together when I visited last summer, were developed with MCP’s collaborator, the Dutch naval architecture and design firm Vripack. There are similarities. Both are high-volume yachts for their length and, of course, like all the yachts that MCP builds, they are both made of aluminium.

On the upper deck, there is more lounging space, including a private terrace in front of the owner’s cabin, with the clincher, an open sundeck with a panoramic glass-sided Jacuzzi, surrounded by sunpads naturally, aft of the enclosed split-level wheelhouse. From this high vantage point, the captain has excellent views forward, despite a few mullions. For assistance maneuvering, other than the usual lookout, the captain uses an Astel Marine wireless controller.

The set-up is clean on a functional bridge console with two pairs of crisp Garmin screens framing a central Llebroc helm chair. Two desks on the sides offer more room to work out the routes or scroll through all the data. Overlooking the space is a guest bench, in case anyone wants to join the fun or stare at the horizon in sour sea conditions (although Naiad fin stabilisers help the rolling motion). The owner himself enjoyed taking a turn during sea trials.

“I have had boats for the past 21 years,” Hygge’s owner says. “Hygge is the second yacht I built.” To be able to host a good number of people was important for his next boat. “MCP Yachts has a reputation for excellence here in Brazil, which made me want to have one of their motor yachts (MCP Yachts also has quite a bit of success with its sailing yachts). In the case of my boat project, it was the fantastic internal volume and unique design [that attracted me],” he says.

She is voluminous and, at 376 gross tons, Hygge is the largest private aluminium yacht by volume built in South America. The largest aluminium motor yacht is Raffaella II, a 144ft yacht MCP Yachts built in 2013.

The yard isn’t after records per se, but it is quietly ambitious. Down the road are even larger yachts, although that is not the yard’s exclusive pursuit; they are doing well with a new line of 68ft motorsailers, which are eco-friendly with unique performance and autonomy, plus steady refit work.

Hygge also has the largest crew (10) for a private yacht in Brazil, under the command of an experienced Brazilian-born captain who spent his formative years in Europe aboard larger European-built yachts. Hygge will split her time between Brazil, island- and beach-hopping in the popular Angra dos Reis Bay, and Europe, the US and the Caribbean.

Both the ambitious cruising plans and the number of guests explain the crew size. “I like the company of family and friends on my motor yacht,” the owner says, “so I asked to have seven suites. Another important thing was that all the spaces could be used by all the guests at the same time, so we set up all the tables and spaces for 14 people.”

It was up to Vripack to find the right balance between guests and crew. The unusual layout works quite well and was developed with input from the owner. It results from what Vripack’s co-creative director Bart Bouwhuis calls “an energetic co-creation process,” that led to the “innovative and unconventional layout, which proved to be perfectly sensible and functional.”

The main deck is entirely dedicated to guests, with a salon splitting the interior space with four of the seven guest cabins. Two further guest cabins are below while an owner’s suite occupies the forward area of the upper deck, which could be called an owner’s deck.

The well-equipped galley and adjacent pantry are on the lower deck, accessible through a dedicated staircase. The crew area is forward on the lower deck, as is common. “We split the lower deck into two areas. Both sections have separate access and stairways allowing service to continue unimpeded across all decks,” Bouwhuis says. “It also means the main deck is given over entirely to guest use.”

On a final sea trial that was also the occasion to shoot some video, Hygge cruised to a favorite cove a few nautical miles from Guarujá where MCP Yachts is located. I was allowed to join and watched the captain as he carefully navigated the channel and gained speed as depth increased.

While there were 30 people on board, it never seemed that way. The yacht offers numerous nooks and crannies, with one of my favorites a bench/daybed on each side of the wheelhouse, protected by a glass railing and the superstructure overhang. The owner says he does not have a favourite space. “This is the highlight of Hygge, I use practically all the spaces every day and I love them all individually because the project created scenes for each moment of use during the day and night,” he says.

“The word “hygge” refers to a time to seek comfort and closeness through simple pleasures”

Project Seaview drew its name from the large amount and size of the windows. They are ubiquitous and help define the modern and graphic exterior design. They have been pushed outward a bit on the bridge deck to expand the volume of the sky lounge, which serves as the indoor dining space.

The name Hygge comes from Danish and Norwegian — from the same root some speculate gave us the word “hug”. It refers to a time to seek comfort and closeness through simple pleasures.

Inside, the decor could be that of a recent yacht from an Italian yard — it has that modern vibe with a neutral veneer on the walls that has been cut so that there aren’t sharp corners but rather attractive curves and diagonals. Circles on the ceilings integrate indirect lighting and add interest and shine to round mirrors. Above the dining table is a series of stalactite-like features that merge function (light) and sculpture.

The design is the work of a new name in yacht design, Leonardo Rotsen Arquitetura, a firm well-known in Brazil for its extensive residential portfolio. Using many loose pieces from Brazilian furniture designer Jader Almeida, the decor is approachable, comfortable and fun.

With room to build two to three yachts of this size each year, MCP Yachts certainly will not compete with the big Italian yards, but with comparable fit and finish on its yachts, its renown is bound to grow beyond the national borders. It already has.

First published in the January 2025 issue of BOAT International US Edition. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.