Miami-based designer Luiz de Basto has revealed further details about his new superyacht project, the Amer 41 Steel. First revealed during the Monaco Yacht Show 2022, the new yacht is under construction at Permare Shipyard with delivery slated for 2025.
The yacht was commissioned at the beginning of 2022 for a repeat client of Luiz de Basto, who previously owned the 47 metre Inace yacht Far Far Away.
“The owner and his family travelled extensively with Far Far Away and after selling the boat, in 2018 we started sketching ideas for the new larger and improved version,” explained de Basto.
The new project was not given the "go ahead" until 2022 and by this stage the owner had decided that 50 metres was too large. "We started this new phase from the bottom up, looking at Far Far Away and checking what and where improvements were needed. Carefully we got from 38 to 41 meters, with all the necessary items, the layout and the profile rounded perfectly," de Basto added.
Tender storage was central to the client’s brief, with space for two eight metre models plus Waverunners. These are stored in a foredeck well, which uses cranes integrated into the superstructure in order to launch and retrieve tenders quickly and safely. A helipad was also required, in order to facilitate adventures in remote locations.
Elsewhere, the client opted to forego the traditional beach club on the lower deck as it was “never used” by the family. Instead, the flybridge area was extended as much as possible to create a spacious alfresco setting for the client to enjoy. Measuring 17 metres, the area is “not so conspicuous when appreciating the exterior, [but] it represents more than 40 percent of the LOA,” pointed out de Basto.
The yacht has a distinctive explorer-style exterior, but de Basto has been careful to ensure it maintains its superyacht appeal. “Just glancing at her profile, no one would realize that [they are] looking at a fully capable explorer,” added de Basto.
“My understanding of yacht design aims to incorporate the demands of the experienced owners with their lifestyle,” said de Basto. “In the Amer 41 Explorer, it means that not only the mere functional purposes of the explorer yachts are resolved but also where the pleasure of superior aesthetics and experiences are an intrinsic part of the yacht ownership."
He continued: "My design process involves going back and forth between form, function and experience until they are one.”
Naval architecture and engineering have been headed up by Italian company Optima Design and the yard has said the model will have an “innovative” hull form and “advanced new propulsion systems” that will “significantly reduce consumption and emissions while guaranteeing silence and comfort on board”.
Accommodation is for ten guests in five cabins with additional quarters for a complement of eight crew. According to de Basto, the interior will embody a "clean and elegant" theme employing light shades and contrasting textures.
The Amer 41 Steel will have a beam of 9.7 metres and a draft of 2.2 metres. Volvo Penta D 13 IMO III engines will give it a top speed of 15 knots and a range of 4,500 nautical miles at 11 knots.