State of Grace: the first of Perini Navi's 40m Fast Cruising line

16 January 2015 • Written by Maria Roberta Morso

The 39.4 metre sailing superyacht State of Grace is one eye-catching and seaworthy yacht. The first in the new 40 metre Fast Cruising line developed by Italian yacht builder Perini Navi in collaboration with superyacht designer Ron Holland, she combines the yard’s strong tradition and pedigree with its commitment to developing cutting-edge sailing technology. On board State of Grace, elegance and performances go hand in hand providing her owner with the epitome of a contemporary sloop built to the highest standard. Despite being available for charter with Y.CO, she remains a very personal yacht and it is evident the layout, features and cosy decoration are shaped according to her owner’s lifestyle.

Wow factors

The peculiar layout of the owner’s suite is a highlight of an otherwise quite classical interior configuration and clearly exemplify the owner’s preferences. A large, private gym is accessed through the owner’s bathroom and a vibrating bed for shiatsu massage is concealed into the closet.

Superyacht State of Grace‘s master stateroom

Inspiration

‘I believe very passionately in the importance of sailing,’ says Fabio Perini, founder of Perini Navi. ‘It is because I sailed that I decided to create a boat that would fit my ideal specification. I like to think I am doing my best to make that special time better for those who can afford it.’ He made it possible for minimal crew to handle large yachts thanks to sophisticated automated sail-handling systems. Also a passionate sailor, State of Grace‘s experienced owner followed the construction of his yacht through the various stages towards completion and contributed both technical and stylistic features.

Perini Navi’s sailing superyacht State of Grace underway

Construction

The yacht was entirely built and outfitted at the Perini Navi Yildiz shipyard in Turkey. Hull and superstructure are in aluminium, which allows the yacht a displacement of approximately 220 tonnes. The state-of-the-art EC6+ carbon fibre rigging combined with the Southern Spars carbon Hybrid Modulus mast and boom provide significant savings in weight. An updated generation of Perini Navi’s captive reel winches can hold 12 tonnes and rewind 35 metres of sheets per minute. The automatic furling system for all foresails are by Bamar and positioned under the deck to optimize deck space.

Superyacht State of Grace‘s main saloon as seen from outside

Exterior styling

State of Grace‘s fetching lines are slimmer than other Perinis of similar size. A 51.8 metre mast by Southern Spars towers over her sleek yet powerful silhouette enhanced by the dark coloured hull and rather modest white superstructure. Astern, the reversed transom hides a wide teak-laid staircase offering access on board via a large swim platform.

State of Grace‘s transom folds down to reveal a large aft swim platform

Interior design

Perini Navi’s designers have visually borrowed volume and length wherever it was possible to do it, creating the feeling of a much larger yacht. The interior, built by Metrica to Perini’s design, features walnut wood with light maple inlays on the floors, and cabinet frames are clad in pickled oak. Non-reflective ceilings help enhance the sense of spaciousness. The overall feeling is of great functionality and refinement, with no frills or needless embellishments. Exquisite paintings and sculptures from the owner’s personal collection add a touch of luxury to the simple and elegant setting.

The lower saloon on Perini Navi’s superyacht State of Grace has an incredible amount of headroom

The lower saloon (pictured above) has incredible headroom thanks to the split-level design, creating two social areas on the main and lower deck. The dining room, on the lower level, has direct access to the galley, a stainless-steel affair with professional cooking block, which provides a nice environment for the chef to fulfil the owner’s wishes. In addition to the aft master suite, family members and guests are hosted in two VIP cabins and one roomy twin cabin.

Outdoor living

Outdoor living spaces are set up so that the owner and his guests fully enjoy the sailing experience without sacrificing comfort. Thanks to the yacht’s length and a rather small superstructure, there’s plenty of available deck space, and to go from stern to bow is quite a walk. The coamings sweeping around the outdoor living spaces encompass a large cockpit protected by a steel framed awning.

Superyacht State of Grace‘s large cockpit

Engineering and performance

A well-balanced length-to-width ratio, a 39.40 metre LOA and a maximum beam of 9.40 metres help makes for a faster yacht. Fine forward waterline angles minimise sailing resistance, while firm amidship sections leading to low-resistance stern lines and a wide transom insure improved off-the-wind speed. The hull shape and a high aspect ratio centreboard maximises windward performance and stability. The tapering and deep semi-compensated rudder, the lead-ballasted keel and the extended waterline all contribute to performance. The lifting keel design gives its important contribution to the yacht’s manoeuvrability, thanks to a position that makes it more efficient and quick to lift. As a result of the keel’s easy lifting system the yacht’s draft quickly goes from 9 metres to just 3.50 metres. The yacht displays a full inventory of Doyle’s high-tech laminated sails for a total surface area of 1,194 square metres. Sail trimming carried out by captive winches and proprietary sail-handling control system were developed by Perini Navi.

Perini Navi’s first Fast Cruising line sailing yacht, State of Grace is built for performance