The Wider 150 superyacht has been undergoing sea trials to test her innovative diesel-electric power system. This news follows the much-anticipated launch of Wider's first-ever superyacht in October, when the 46 metre was christened and lowered into the water.
The Wider 150 has lithium polymer battery banks that not only supply the entire hotel system but also hold enough power to run the yacht exclusively on her batteries. The yard has spent several days testing this system off the coast of Ancona, Italy.
“The battery tests were a great success” said Tilli Antonelli, Founder and CEO of Wider. “The yacht ran comfortably at 5 knots in ZEM (Zero Emission Mode) consuming no fuel whatsoever… but the most remarkable and memorable aspect was that she ran in total silence!”
Before this ground-breaking superyacht headed for sea trials, Antonelli stressed the importance of the testing process: “we have the important task of checking that everything is working to the same high standards that we have set ourselves in every other aspect of the construction process. We believe that this can be done in eight to ten weeks, but will not rush anything if it means compromising on the quality of the finished yacht.”
During the launch Wider reported that 90 per cent of the 150’s interior is already completed. “Some work is required around the beach club area, but the main focus is around testing to ensure that the power management system behaves in the way it has been designed in all types of extreme circumstances,” says Jeremy Roche, sales and marketing director of Wider Yachts. “This aside, [the commissioning will focus] around the detailing of the interior.”
The aluminium motor yacht features interior and exterior design by Fulvio De Simoni, as well as design input from Wider president Tilli Antonelli and his team of designers and engineers.
The Wider 150’s main and upper deck lounges have floor to ceiling windows, letting the light flow in. A sliding door on the upper deck skylounge and dining area creates an indoor/outdoor living space, while the main deck comprises a main saloon and a separate formal dining area. The elegant interior décor includes leather by Poltrona Frau.
Another wow-worthy space on board the Wider 150 is the 75 square metre full-beam owner’s cabin. This is separated by sliding doors to an office and study. The suite has a walk-in closet, bathroom with bespoke wooden bathtub and a 5.6 square metre sea terrace.
Four further guest cabins provide accommodation for up to 10 guests, while four crew cabins and a captain’s cabin will sleep nine crew members.
The beach club on the newly launched Wider 150 is notable, hosting a seven metre seawater filled swimming pool. The stern area can also convert to a garage that stows the Wider 32 tender, one of the world's fastest superyacht tenders.
Other intriguing outdoor spaces on the new yacht include the concealed foredeck lounge – a watertight hatch raises to reveal a hidden lounge area with a table for al fresco dining and even a TV, making this an amazing outdoor superyacht cinema. The sun deck is also primed for entertaining with a barbecue, bar and spa tub. The Wider 150 has a unique engine room layout with her technical spaces divided into two areas. There is a power generator room in the bow and a technical room in the stern, which hosts the lithium polymer battery pack. This layout is designed to leave more space in the midsection of the yacht for guest accommodations.
The Wider 150 will use a hybrid diesel/electric propulsion system, allowing the owner to significantly reduce fuel consumption at low speeds. The Wider 150 can cruise in zero emission mode using only the battery packs, or with the four inline generators, making her one of the yachts proving that silence is the ultimate luxury.
The launch of the Wider 150 is a huge milestone for the yard as she is the first superyacht to be launched, but as Jeremy Roche says, it’s just the beginning for Wider. “We have the 165 moving in to the main shed tomorrow. The 150 is the best marketing tool that we have and will be the standard by which we are judged in the future. To date we have shown renders of the finished boat and images of the yacht in construction, being able to show potential clients a yacht floating and to be able to take them for a sea trial is transformational for us – it is no longer theory, we have a yacht in the water.”