Following the recent delivery of 65 metre Resilience, Palumbo is continuing its revamping of the ISA brand with a new 80 metre motor yacht. The yacht is currently approaching the final stages of construction at ISA's facilities.
Like Resilience, ISA has once again teamed up with the designer Enrico Gobbi of Team for Design. With no owner locked in yet, the team based the naval architecture on a previous Palumbo 80 metre motor yacht. When it came to developing the layout, the team carried out an extensive market survey in order to appeal to a broad range of prospective clients.
As Gobbi explained, “we have collaborated with the Palumbo team to collect information from crew, captains, and of course, owners of various sized yachts both larger and smaller, synthesizing the results in a unique layout, highlighting the strengths and improving on critical parts.”
The result is a steel and aluminium yacht with well-balanced volumes and sleek lines. Its external design is highlighted by floor-to-ceiling squared windows for incredible views from all the main indoor areas. Gobbi said: “The large glass openings of the saloon, especially along the sides of the yacht, create a distinctive and functional element to allow more light in. When you open the aft doors too, you are offered a 180-degree fully panoramic view, creating a real inside-outside living feel.”
Other onboard highlights include the balconies positioned in the centre of the superyacht. In particular, the one on the upper deck looks like a balcony you would find on land and enables light to flood into the living area. Allowing maximum natural light to penetrate the interior is another key design element for this vessel.
Speaking about the balconies, Gobbi said: “This very architectural detail is detached from the other external and sinuous lines of the boat, creating outside areas with large windows, and identifying themselves in the side elevation thanks also to their vertical alignment between the various decks.”
Other strategic areas are just as brightly lit as the balconies, such as the gym in the skylounge and the lounge areas on the upper and main decks. Another emblematic feature of this yacht is the stern infinity pool. Its rectangular shape spans the full width of the deck and stands out for its aft wall formed by two glass sheets with water cascading between them.
With this arrangement, the swimming pool leaves ample room for large sun pads and lounging, transforming this section of the main deck into an extension of the actual beach club area on the deck below, which is connected by a flight of stairs. The beach club of the Continental 80 is spacious and light, with side doors in addition to the transom door, and a full set of semi-submerged stairs allowing easy access in and out of the ocean.
The upper deck is a proper owner’s deck with lounge and living areas towards the aft, and the master suite forward. Forward of the master suite is a touch-and-go helipad on the rear.
The interiors have been designed by Luca Dini Design & Architecture and will include seven cabins accommodating up to 12 guests, assisted by 19 crew members housed in 10 cabins. The yacht is equipped with two MTU 16V4000M63L engines to reach a 17-knot maximum speed and a 12-knot cruising speed with a range of 6200 nautical miles, allowing for some serious ocean passages.
Francesco Carbone, general manager for Palumbo Superyachts said: “Because of the growing number of orders secured over the last 18 months, we have decided to slow down the production of this 80-metre project. So far, 75 per cent of the hull has been built. A buyer can take delivery in three years.”
Carbone believes this particular vessel could suit a wide range of clients. “Certainly an adventurous owner who wants to explore the world in the ultimate comfort and luxury," he said. "It could also suit a buyer seeking to offer charters - charter is doing extremely well at the moment and yachts of this size are chartering for more than €1 million per week!"
The yard recently sold another 80 metre project designed by Espen Øino, and according to BOATPro, it currently has a 45 metre ISA Grant Turismo 45M under construction.