International tennis superstar Rafael Nadal had his 24-metre Sunreef power catamaran Great White delivered to him in 2020. In this exclusive interview, BOAT finds out how Nadal uses his boat to enjoy life on the water in between sessions on the court...
He’s a singles tennis star, but when it comes to hulls, Rafael Nadal is now very much a doubles man. His 23.9-metre 80 Sunreef Power catamaran Great White features a flybridge with a bar and barbeque, a stern garage for a jet ski, an elegant interior in cream and coffee tones, and 360 square metres of living space.
His passion for boats began in childhood, zipping around his home island of Mallorca in his father’s Riviera power boat. He began his own yachting career with a Princess V62, followed in 2017 by Monte Carlo Yachts’ MCY 76 – nipping home between gruelling tournaments for short snorkelling trips or a night of peace on board. But chartering a Sunreef 74 sailing catamaran made him realise what two hulls can offer. “I met great crew and visited amazing places in the Bahamas,” he recalls. “Those seven days with my family on board were unforgettable – especially thanks to the huge amount of space and comfort. Those were the main reasons that now I own one of Sunreef’s catamarans.”
For Nadal it was all about space. "I have only owned monohulls and on a catamaran I was captivated by the huge amount of space. Honestly, in my small port [in Mallorca], the 80 Sunreef Power is the biggest boat that can dock there. It’s great for me that I can have it here in Porto Cristo, located in front of my house. The huge amount of space that my catamaran has is unreachable by any monohull up to [30 metres]. That is for me the main reason for switching from monohull to multihull."
Nadal said he intended to use Great White around the coastline of his home island Mallorca as a break from his intense training schedule. “The pressure of competing every single day is high, you can’t hide that,” he said. “When I come back home, I have the chance to go out and spend maybe just one day away from everything without thinking about tennis, just diving and spending the night on board.”
Designed in-house, the fully customised catamaran is intended for long cruises and features “bold, contemporary hull styling,” the yard said. "I wanted to feel like in my own house," said Nadal on the interior concept. "Of course I had some special requests. I didn’t want a Jacuzzi on the flybridge, because I prefer open spaces. I don’t need features like Jacuzzis on board – I have water around the boat to swim in and enjoy."
Key exterior details include stainless steel portlights, high bulwarks and subtle ambient lighting, as well as a superyacht tender garage large enough to hold a tender, Jet Ski and other water toys. Accommodation on board Great White is for a total of eight guests in four cabins, with the owner’s suite sitting in the starboard hull alongside another guest cabin and the crew quarters. Nadal’s master suite features a walk-in dressing room, sofa, flip-down ceiling TV above the double bed and a private fold-down balcony.
“Every time I have the chance, I come back to Mallorca and get on the water. I have always loved the feeling of adventure a boat offers you. You feel free.”
“As someone from an island, as I am, the sea is part of our lives and it’s not a secret that I love the sea. Every time I am at home in Mallorca I try to go out and find that time where I can just enjoy my time on a boat,” he said.