Southern Wind's 30 metre RP-Nauta 100 custom sailing yacht Morgana has arrived in the Mediterranean following a 7,000 nautical mile maiden voyage from its shipyard in South Africa.
Morgana will be handed over to her owner and spend her maiden season cruising the Mediterranean.
Commissioned by an experienced yachtsman, the all-carbon racer-cruiser is designed inside and out by Nauta Design with naval architecture by Reichel Pugh Yacht Design. The two previously collaborated on Southern Wind's first custom sailing yacht Allsmoke, delivered in March 2017.
The initial brief called for a fast and competitive bluewater cruiser with a profile that exudes pace and performance. “The owner was particularly keen on three aspects of the project,” explained Nauta Design's Mario Pedol. “Functionality for safe and comfortable navigation, performance to enjoy racing in the most famous superyacht regattas, and a sexy, appealing design to give the yacht a modern, aggressive and sporty look."
Highlights include a lifting keel, flush deck and large sail area for maximum performance. Below deck, the interior is described as "fresh and contemporary yet understated", achieved through the use of light soft furnishings with warm, textured wood panelling. Accommodation is for six guests in three guest cabins including the owner's suite, which is set forward. The main saloon features a dining area to port, lounge and coffee table to starboard and a forward nook for watching television. The crew area is positioned aft and comprises two crew cabins, a control station, galley and crew mess.
"We developed a low and very streamlined coachroof that is nonetheless proportionate to the height of the freeboard," said Massimo Gino, co-founder of Nauta Design. "On a lightweight boat like Morgana that has shallower underbody than comparable yachts, that meant we were playing with millimetres to get the right headroom and proportions.”
Speaking about the yacht, Southern Wind commercial director Andrea Micheli said: "We like to believe that with Morgana we did more than build a custom yacht, we built an efficient custom yacht.
"The construction and the design of this yacht benefitted from a very efficient cooperation between the designers, the project manager and the yard aimed towards finding the best balance between innovation and well-proven, reliable technologies."