On board the spaceship-style Wallywhy200 superyacht from Wally…
Naming your yacht company after a cartoon may seem unusual, but Italian Luca Bassani – who named his first 1989 boat Wallygator (from Hanna Barbera) – has since turned the Wally brand into a major worldwide player for the past 20 years.
Famous for designing 30 foot powerboats to 100+ foot sailing yachts, he has started trending again with his latest, the WHY200. 200 stands for 200 gross tons, the internal volume of the yacht, and the WHY stands for Wally Hybrid Yacht, but it doesn’t refer to electric-diesel propulsion – it’s a hybrid displacement yacht and planing motoryacht.
Officially the world’s largest fibreglass motor yacht, it comes with 30 percent more deck surface than any other yacht in the 100+ foot market. The cabin’s width of 23 feet is similar to the 164 foot Riva 50 Metri – with both being a bloated version of their earlier days.
With motor yacht luxury and powerboat performance, the 200 is powered by four 1,000 horsepower Volvo Penta D-13 IPS 1350 engines that can chase speeds of 21 knots, or 38 km/h. Thanks to the hull, any monster waves ahead are handled with minimum pitching and cornering is achieved as if it were on rails.
Beyond the hull, the stand out among its competitors is the WHY200’s interior, with a 900 square foot main suite in the bow that sits 14 feet off the water, surrounded with 270 degrees of tall windows for killer private views.
Along the skylounge, the huge outdoor area can be accessed, housing sun loungers and a wet bar; although the split garage is probably one of the go-to features – housing a Williams DiesetJet 415 with room for a large jetski, Seabob or other toys.
Among the tech onboard is a 5G wireless connection with automation control throughout the yacht and an advanced Sonance sound system in all outdoor areas.
As it’s the first of its kind, look for rival competitors to copy the design with inferior copies. As Luca knows from his part creations – it wouldn’t be the first time.
By Bill Varetimidis
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