The story behind the fastest yacht in the world

Forget everything you thought you knew about superyacht performance: Bolide 80 isn’t just fast, she's dubbed “the fastest superyacht in the world", with top speeds of 73 knots. Following the news of her recent price drop, Emily Dawkins takes a closer look at how this record-breaking yacht for sale  was built and the surprising features that set her apart..

With a name that means "fireball" in Italian and "racing car" in French, Bolide 80 certainly lives up to its name. A fusion of pioneering engineering and lean Italian design, packed into a 24.9-metre hull, this "fireball" of a motor yacht was created from a desire to redefine what is possible at sea.

"The idea for Bolide 80 came from an experienced owner who was fed up with the small 'toy' boats which can reach high speeds but ultimately lack comfort," explained Victory Marine founder, Brunello Acampora, who, alongside the Victory Design team, was the brains behind Bolide 80's design, engineering and build. "He wanted something safe and comfortable, as well as something efficient in terms of fuel consumption. And so that's exactly what we did."

"We've been designing and following the construction of fast power boats for over 35 years: we come from the racing world", continued Acampora, whose company has been long been at the forefront of yacht design and marine engineering. "We've recently completed all of the naval architecture, engineering and production for the Seabird E1 electric racer - so we're firm believers of blending style with technology."

Bolide 80 is described as a "hyper muscle yacht" – a title never seen before in the yachting industry – called as such for her aerodynamic low profile and lightweight build, which was completed entirely in carbon fibre.

A multi-stepped planing hull also adds to her prowess – a feature specifically designed to reduce drag and increase speed and fuel efficiency – with her hardtop also specifically tailored to reduce wind resistance.

"From the first sketches, we knew that she was going to have the world's largest stepped hull. But because of this, it meant that Bolide 80 couldn't be powered by water jets - although they'd never be able to beat surface propulsion in terms of efficiency anyway." While they could have designed a more efficient boat with twin diesel engines, the design team instead worked around "a modern diesel package with the best power-to-weight ratio" to give her her speed.

Bolide 80 has a tried and tested 73-knot maximum speed. However, when launched in 2023, the designer revealed that she actually reached speeds above this. "To put the record right, Bolide 80 hit a consistent 76-knot top speed on her sea trials" - a speed which on land amounts to more than 84mph. "We wanted to set a record [for her top speed], but mostly we wanted to make such an exercise meaningful from a scientific viewpoint and set the standards of speed in yachting a little higher for the industry."

Triple 2,000hp 12V MAN diesel engines give the motor yacht her power, boasting a total of 6,000hp to get her to that maximum speed. Even her cruising speed alone is 55 knots, with a "relatively low fuel consumption", and at a 45-knot speed she offers a 600-nautical-mile range.

However, despite her superyacht size and speed, her listing broker, Adam Sutton of Ocean Independence, noted that she still demonstrates exceptional fuel efficiency, hitting the nail on the head in terms of the original owner's brief. “She uses about 30% of what a similarly sized boat would use for the same distance. Impressively, she’s able to go further in the same amount of time while using less fuel doing so”.

It's not just the number of knots she can reach which wins people's attention. Judges at last year's Design & Innovation Awards praised Bolide 80's cohesive all-carbon structure, its subtle nods to iconic car design and the strong continuity between her trim exterior and striking interior. Despite being the smallest entrant to the category, amongst other innovative and accomplished designs, Bolide 80 delivered the most powerful impression to the panel and, as a result, took home the award for "Outstanding Exterior Design - Motor Yachts, 24m to 39.9m".

"We designed the entire project to be oriented towards minimalism, but it's also more to do with futurism," explained Acampora. "The idea was to restore faith in technology and the human capability of shaping its own future. We strongly believe that we can steer our future through technology, and Bolide 80 – in an era of displacement boats and shy performance yachts – is one of the yachts which does so."

Out front, a sunpad sweeps the elongated foredeck for undisturbed sunbathing when at anchor. To aft is another sunpad, in prime position behind fitted sofas and the triple-seated helm station, which looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. 

"One thing that people forget about - you look at all the photos and you almost kind of lose a sense of scale of how big Bolide 80 really is", added Sutton. "She looks like a 40ft boat, but in reality she’s 24.9 metres and the sheer size of her is impressive!"

To match Bolide 80's bold top speeds, an equally as statement interior was required. Renowned Italian designer Stefano Faggioni, in collaboration with Victory Design, used punchy orange ceilings and matching hand-stitched leather seating to bring the inside of Bolide 80 to life. Even the leather itself, Acampora shared, "comes from the same guys doing the Ferrari interiors" - channelling her race car DNA further. Other plush materials used on board include rich marbles and silk, in addition to fabrics by Loro Piana.

Despite futurism at its core, the yacht is still backed by classical features (albeit with a modern twist), with Faggioni well versed in traditional wooden boat design. "You might have noticed the exposed structural carbon fibre frames in the main saloon. The idea came from the original J Class boats with their wooden beams and exposed internal structure. We wanted her owner to enjoy the beautiful carbon construction from inside, while performance-wise, reducing Bolide's structural weight."

And that's not the only classical inspiration; small seed bags for glassware shock absorption, often found in the racing sailing yachts of previous centuries, have been swapped for modern foam, stored within custom shock-absorbing compartments.

Although just above the superyacht territory (in terms of length), Bolide 80 is surprisingly spacious within. Accommodation-wise, she can cater for up to four guests across a flexible cabin layout. A double owner's cabin located forward is accessed via a "vestibule" that also doubles as the wardrobe. Aft, there is a "children's cabin" to starboard, which can be used for crew or guests (called the "secret" cabin by Acampora), and a dedicated crew cabin to port. 

Other interior highlights at the request of the owner include full air-conditioning to allow him to work contentedly below deck, alongside a large kitchen and open-plan saloon. There is space on board for a crew of two (or three if required), but according to Acampora, "she's the type of boat that you can take out on your own if you really want" - adhering to strict handling rules, thanks to her length at the waterline lying just below 24 metres.

So who is best suited to be Bolide 80's next owner? “Ultimately, I see the Bolide 80 appealing to an owner who has an interest in speed and engineering, namely because of all of the onboard technology and the engines: you’re going to have a petrol head!" said Sutton. 

"She is also great for someone who is time-poor", he adds. "You don’t get the slow and relaxing sailing time; instead, she’ll get you from Ibiza to Palma [de Mallorca] within a couple of hours, rather than half a day.”

Bolide 80 is now asking €6,950,000.