Baglietto has lifted the lid on its newest semi-custom 49.9-metre explorer model, designed by long-time Florentine collaborator Francesco Paszowski. The new line, XO, was revealed at the Italian shipyard's 170th-anniversary celebration hosted in Milan on 8 February, at the same time it introduced the Fast50 model. The first model in the series will be the X50 and discussions are already being held with a potential owner.
The XO line centres around the tagline “Explore, Experience, Observe”. It aims to make long-range crossings while providing an “extraordinary panoramic point”, made possible by the yacht’s distinguishing features: an observation lounge, drone and extensive use of glass. The yacht, approximately 500GT, borrows elements from "other universes" like the automotive world, which are reflected in the muscular profile, volume, and shape.
During the conference, Paszowski described the X50 as "completely disruptive" by creating a separate space from the wheelhouse to cruise and "give the owner the possibility to live from the front".
The concept is inspired by the famous ETR 300 'Settebello' train from the 1950s, which had a driving station located above the passenger area and a first-class panoramic lounge below it. Instead, the yacht reverses this layout by keeping the pilot bridge on the upper deck and reserving the exclusive area above it for guests.
Located above the wheelhouse, the observation lounge offers all-encompassing views of the surrounding landscape through large flush-fitting windows. The “visual room” has been conceived as somewhere “to retreat even on the coldest days” and is fitted with comfortable cushions and sofas.
Six large independent monitors have been installed, which can be used for a range of entertainment facilities, including watching films and playing videogames, discovering the chosen itinerary on digital charts, or for business purposes. Guests will also be able to experience first-hand navigation thanks to the bird's eye view of a drone, which is located forward of the observation deck when not in use and allows exploration to go beyond the yacht's parameters.
Speaking to BOAT International, Paszowski said: “The explorer boat already exists, but I wanted to create a product that could fit the American market and the European market.” He added: “All the connections to the internet, the web, the drones, the connectedness – these are things that we took from American culture. We tried to transpose this element for the European market.”
The designer also said the observation lounge could be used as a business desk as he "had customers asking to be connected to the American stock exchange for example, so you can have the monitors and be connected in real-time with the stock exchange".
Guests also have the option to sunbathe in a space above the observation deck. At the touch of a button, a sunpad moves to reveal the observation lounge through a window below, simultaneously creating a central skylight in the observation lounge.
Up top, the flybridge benefits from a minimal layout with no walls and flush-fitted glazed surfaces. A honeycomb-like solar panel is fitted on the roof of the flybridge, which can be used to recharge the numerous on-board water toys. Meanwhile, the upper deck borrows the three-side veranda opening seen on the T52.
On the lower aft deck and accessible through a large transformer, a central glazed hatch opens onto a multipurpose space, comprising a gym with space for up to two 10-metre tenders.
Baglietto's CEO, Diego Michele Deprati, added that, while many of the yacht's features draw on the experience of its previously successful lines like the T52, the hull has been conceived purely for this project and is ice-class for transatlantic crossings. The bow in particular is sturdier and sharper to ensure an easier management of ropes and faster crew manoeuvres even in extreme weather conditions.
Baglietto's sales manager, Fabio Ermetto, said: "World-class cruising, reliability and performance in the widest sense of the word have always been universally acknowledged strengths of our brand – and this specific model, conceived to travel even the roughest seas, is the epitome of them all."
This new line comes in a wide range of possible configurations and in a rich palette, which can be customised according to the owner's desires. Power will come from a pair of CAT C32 engines, delivering a maximum speed of 16 knots.
Read More/Baglietto introduces Francesco Paszkowski-designed Fast50 model