After five months undergoing work at the Lusben shipyard in Italy, the 48-metre sailing yacht Morning Glory has completed her 10-year refit.
Previously owned by Australian-American media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Morning Glory was first delivered by Perini Navi in 1993. She has now been restored to her former glory according to the wishes of her new Italian owner, who now plans to cruise her in the Mediterranean.
Constructed in steel and aluminium, Morning Glory is classified as a motorsailor with 990 square metres of easily handled sail area as well as twin 850hp MAN diesel engines that give her a top speed of 14.5 knots and a trans-oceanic range of 4,900nm at 10 knots. She can also accommodate up to 10 guests and eight crew in her classic-style interiors.
The refurbishment project involved as many as 50 workers who managed to ensure that her re-launch stayed on schedule despite limitations imposed by the pandemic. Work undertaken by the team included a repaint of the navy blue and gold-striped hull, the living areas and the aft cockpit, as well as replacements of the generators.
A large portion of Morning Glory’s teak deck was also refitted by specialists, with more than 40% of the teak replaced with slats ranging in length from four to six meters. This was a notoriously complex operation, as standard slats are typically much shorter at just three meters long, but the team at Lusben was able to successfully undertake the work with the care and precision required.
Morning Glory is the first of six superyachts currently undergoing work at the shipyard and scheduled to be re-launched by Lusben this season, with delivery to their owners expected within the next few weeks. Despite current conditions, The Viareggio site has seen a peak of 23 boats visiting its work stations, ranging in length from 28 to 50 metres.