On board the Extra X99 Fast yacht that lives up to its name

“It adds up to 75 square meters aft, with the cockpit, aft deck and two drop-down balconies,” Palumbo Group CEO Giuseppe Palumbo says. “The boat combines modernity, large volumes and comfort in the name of fun and sociability.”

Extra describes its boats as a new concept in “crossover” yachting, melding exclusive design with the possibility of heavy customisation to suit the client.

But the real crossover here is the combination of a huge area for flexible outdoor living on three levels — from the flybridge, foredeck, to the beach club — with a Luca Dini interior that remains comfortable for up to 11 guests. That and the 44-knot top speed (with the top-end engines) hinted at in the model name; we’ll come to that later.

To reach the saloon, you must head forward up another step or two (the whole boat is arranged on a flight of slightly different levels), which makes it feel as if you are entering a loft apartment. On this boat, Mini K2, an L-shaped sofa fills the starboard side, while armchairs and a marble-topped counter are positioned forward providing a bar area. In the second hull, there is also an eight-seater dining table in here.

Underscoring the boat’s open character, a bulkhead only partially separates the bridge from the salon. This means the room receives light through the windscreen plus a vigorous sense of that top speed.

It also allows owners to take the helm without isolating themselves completely from guests. A mess and cabins for up to five crew (a customisation on Mini K2, standard layout is for four crew) is reached down a well-hidden forward companionway that branches directly off the bridge.

The interior styling is by Luca Dini Design. Founder Luca Dini, a discreet and hugely experienced designer based in Florence, has done the interiors of many yachts in the 40 to 50-metre range from builders such as ISA (a sister brand of Extra), Rossinavi, Tankoa and Heesen, and he says that the interior of the Extra X99 Fast punches well above its weight in size terms.

“This boat may be smaller compared to others but it maintains a perfect harmony in terms of shapes and dimensions,” Dini says. “The meticulous attention to detail has elevated this small vessel to a level comparable to significantly larger ones.”

The owner of Mini K2 (a repeat customer) selected Dini, who went on to design the interior of the second hull as well. Using natural materials and neutral colours, the interior decor steers a course between blandness and excessive ornamentation to develop a calm, relaxing interior style.

“Frequently, my choice of soft colours, in addition to their elegance, aims to evoke feelings of calm, relaxation and tranquillity. I have a personal fondness for such palettes,” he explains. “I draw inspiration from the world around me, including colours, shapes and more.”

The designer’s preference here translates into limed oak flooring providing a gentle contrast with rich natural oak joinery and panelling. On the cabin walls and the lower-deck corridor, the oak panelling is ribbed for a pleasing texture and this allows light and shade to play a role in the design.

Natural tones of leather on the headboards and some panels overhead create highlights that draw the eye. Dark grey in the wheelhouse has a more operational feel. Stainless steel detailing everywhere gives a slightly masculine edge to the living areas.

Most strikingly, Dini has selected a series of beautiful “spider” marbles for the guest bathrooms — a stone delicately laced with fine golden-orange veins. It’s all artfully laid as a lightweight laminate that contrasts beautifully with the wooden drawer fronts below, stainless steel inlay work and the otherwise very neutral finish.

“I relished creating a cohesive ambiance,” Dini says. “The colors of this marble harmonised perfectly with the wood and exhibited a robust character consistent with the boat’s style.”

But Dini’s greatest passion is reserved for the boat’s exterior, where tables and seating by Minotti are very much in evidence. “My preferred spaces are undoubtedly the outdoor ones, including the aft cockpit with a dining table, a living area with a sofa and coffee table and a spacious sundeck,” he says.

“The freedom to relish the outdoors is the boat’s greatest asset. Conviviality forms the foundation of every project and of life itself. Sharing enhances our enjoyment to the fullest extent.”

Extra yachts range from 27 metres to 40 metres LOA, putting this recent model toward the smaller end of the spectrum but a popular size for private docks. It is the last of the Extra yachts with an exterior by Francesco Guida.

Later models such as the 90 Fast, which Palumbo Superyachts launched with fanfare at the Cannes Yachting Festival last year, called on Hot Lab for a design with noticeably more glass. “Guida is the progenitor of the Extra concept,” Palumbo says. “But we intend to revitalise the brand through innovative models, achieved through various designer proposals.”

Naturally enough then, Guida’s exterior fits closely with the previous members of the Extra family, all of which he designed. There is the same interplay of white hull and black windows. The falling line from the high rounded bow and low stern platform help to minimise the bulk of the superstructure, and a low glass windscreen on the flybridge reinforces the sense of streamlined sleekness.

Palumbo, which builds the ISA and Extra brands at its Ancona yard on Italy’s Adriatic Coast, says that the new X99 Fast has been designed to appeal to the US market. What it means by that is contained in the word “Fast.”

“An impressive [top] speed of 37 knots is attained through a V-shaped, planing hull featuring a spray rail, which is complemented by two 2,600-horsepower MTU engines and a twin waterjet propulsion system,” Andrea Greco, a naval architect with Palumbo, says.

“The waterjets ensure exceptional manoeuvrability and minimise vibrations, ensuring overall stability even at high speeds. The hull development process incorporated a CFD study to optimise the hull deadrise, achieving a balance between speed and comfort, particularly in challenging sea conditions.”

At full throttle, the first two hulls of the Extra X99 Fast will have a range of 335 nautical miles — more than enough to get you from Fort Lauderdale across the Gulf Stream to Chub Cay in the Bahamas or down to Key West at a good clip. At a more sedate cruising speed of 11.5 knots, the owner can manage 850 nautical miles between bunkering trips.

However, boaters’ expectations in the US (where the Extra brand is now represented by brokers Denison Yachting) are for more power and greater speed, so subsequent hulls will pack three MAN V12 2000 workhorses that pump out a combined 6,000 horsepower at full throttle.

That gives a heady top speed of 44 knots, and at this point, you’re burning through 378 gallons of fuel per hour, giving you a range of around 320 nautical miles with the standard tankage of 2,774 gallons.

Punch in the engine room is one strategy to achieve high speeds, but it requires equally fierce discipline across the build process to keep weight down and a well-designed planing hull.

“One of the challenges was constructing the entire boat using composite materials (glass-carbon) and employing the latest infusion technologies. Additionally, we utilised lightweight materials during the interior construction phase,” Greco explains. It brings the fully loaded displacement to around 100 tonnes — not bad for a boat with a volume of 168GT.

I think you must distance yourself a bit from the sustainability rhetoric when you’re talking about a boat with this sort of speed and range. So, let’s make no bones about it: the Extra 99 Fast is all about jaw-dropping performance on passage and an appealing, relaxed lifestyle once you reach your destination. You get there quickly meaning you can spend more time chilling, jet skiing, grilling and dining. With options like this, it’s little wonder the first boat has gone Bahamian.

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