A 24.5-metre Falcon 80 yacht from 1996 has been given a new lease of life as a demo boat for yacht technology and supply company The Quick Group. Named Project Maverick, the yacht is currently in the final stages of its transformation into a "floating showroom" designed to demonstrate a number of The Quick Group's R&D solutions in a real-life setting.
Architect Aldo Parisotto has helmed the yacht's redesign, saying he was "attracted by the idea of upcycling a motor yacht from the ‘90s".
Most of the solutions from the Quick Group's portfolio of brands harness the latest technology to offer improved efficiency and eco-benefits. Examples include an aluminium stern platform with a fail-safe locking system and a sophisticated silent stabiliser system with fins that have been specifically designed for retrofitting. An XR6 windlass and BTAC 300S thruster propellers have also been installed on Project Maverick, alongside an energy-efficient lighting system designed to offer aesthetic and functional advantages.
Elsewhere, The Quick Group has also installed its own Quick chain counter, remote controls, inverter, battery charger, water heaters, synthetic teak and QNN, a type of Quick-designed device that integrates all of a yacht's systems into one easy-to-control solution.
A representative from The Quick Group said that "the biggest challenge during the eight-month refit was the plug-and-play integration of all the different Quick Group systems" combined with adding the "technology from the other brand partners".
Michele Marzucco, CEO of the Group, said, “We set out on this adventure to create a test bed to develop the integration software so that everything works perfectly together, not only our own products but also with the autopilot, navigation electronics, comms and remote diagnostic and so on. The hardware is one thing, but the software development is going on continuously behind the scenes and never stops."
Project Maverick will have a dual use as both a family cruiser and as a demo boat designed to accommodate large numbers of guests, clients and members of the media. She will debut at the Genoa Boat Show.