The first of the new Gentleman’s Range from Picchiotti

“With this brand, it was important for us to design something very different to all the other offers on the market,” says Dini. “Owners told us they wanted to have something smaller, but also wanted people on bigger yachts to turn their heads when they came into the marina. We mixed all these requests and approaches and we drew this yacht, based on the golden age of yachting in the 1950s and 1960s, when boats were made in wood and there was particular attention to detail.”

True enough, the overwhelming first impression is of gleaming mahogany. Rich, warm wood covers the fold-down transom of the yacht and forms the gloriously thick bulwark rail that runs around the whole boat. From the aft deck table for eight to the window mullions, the wood contrasts effectively with the blue hull and accented upholstery.

Dini declares with no hesitation that this is his favourite spot on board. “A 24-metre having that kind of beach club is absolutely stunning,” he says simply. In fact, it is considerably more than just a beach club, as the space has been set up as a convertible fourth cabin, with a comfortable sofa bed, retractable TV and a bathroom that also serves as a dayhead.

When the platform is raised, the cabin is accessible via stairs down from the cockpit, which are revealed by a large hatch. That means it would work very well for teenagers returning from a night out after everyone else is tucked up in bed. It could equally double as a television or console room, or even as storage for water toys, although the elegant interior finish weighs against this.

The sheer height of the deckheads - which reach 2.3 metres in places - is a rarity even on much larger yachts

It remains separate to the rest of the interior and the three other cabins – a typically maverick setup in this rather unconventional yacht. Heading indoors, the wheelhouse lies amidships, sandwiched between a cosy little galley and a dedicated dining room. Picchiotti has played with levels to make this possible. The navigator’s seat is raised for a clear view ahead over the coachroof of the sunken dining area which sits right forward.

In this way, the yard has chosen to separate the accommodation in classical fashion, rather than opting for an open-plan space. On one hand this creates some rather small spaces, but in mitigation it has an intriguing effect, which Costantino sums up pithily. “Inside feels like a house,” he says. More of an apartment than a villa, for sure, but there’s a limit to what you can squeeze into 24 metres.

There’s barely a yacht brand out there that doesn’t try to evoke the sense of a home on the sea, but the Picchiotti is positively architectural. I pinpoint the impression to two features. First up, the open stairs leading below immediately give the feeling of a modern duplex apartment, with the corridor above like a landing. What’s more, the sheer height of the deckheads – which reach 2.3 metres in places – is a rarity even on much larger yachts.

But it’s also down to the way that Dini has styled the space. Freestanding furniture from Minotti and Cassina, clean, square walls with minimal built-in cabinetry all enhance the effect. And then his insistence on boiserie and moulded architraves lends each space a solidity usually reserved for real estate.

“We wanted to capture the legacy of Italian yachting, which meant an exterior of stainless steel and mahogany”

It is particularly evident in the cabins (I could almost use the term bedroom), where the owner and a VIP each benefit from a large double bed and plenty of hanging space, while clever indirect lighting picks out the ceiling mouldings. The overall effect is classical, but not fussy.

Anticipating that some owners might feel overwhelmed by such a combination of interior and exterior tradition, Picchiotti asked Dini to develop two other alternative styles, including a Manhattan line inspired by New York and a third Modern line.

“These are custom yachts, so we did a few tests with contemporary style, but for the first model, the intention was to create something classical, elegant and chic in boiserie, dark wood and glossy,” says Dini. “The idea was, if you arrive on board blind, and I show you the interior, you immediately understand that you are on a boat.”

Confirming that this yacht is more than a mistyeyed foray into the past, Costantino says that there has been plenty of interest from younger buyers. And for all its nods to a gentler age of yachting, there is something resolutely modern about the gleaming white overhangs of the superstructure, whose forward section serves as a large sunbed for chilling at anchor.

This is part of a series of outside spaces that round out this Gentleman’s Yacht. Up at the bow is a cosy little seat built into the forward end of the superstructure. You could set a couple of chairs and a breakfast table here for a private collation à deux. You would be hidden from the world by the deep mahogany bulwarks, which are also a wind break.

Rather than opting for an open-plan space, the yard has chosen to separate the accommodation in classical fashion

For greater numbers, you’d want to be in the cockpit, where a deep U-shaped sofa allows up to eight to eat at the sumptuously varnished mahogany folding table. A sink, ice maker and teppanyaki grill are hidden in the heavy port bulwark. Further aft, the empty deck yawns. At anchor, you could use this space for loungers, extra sofas or any arrangement of loose furniture you chose. In port or under way, the space is likely to be occupied, however, by the custom built five-metre tender.

“It’s a little jewel, believe me!” says Dini of this carefully crafted workhorse. “Again, using the blue hull, the glossy wood, it is something a bit like a Riva – a very small tender but also very elegant with an inboard engine.” Resembling the mothership in miniature, the boat is handled by a dedicated crane that retracts invisibly into a cavity below the deck.

Now, if the idea of a classically styled yacht carries connotations of leisurely performance, you’d be spot on. Picchiotti has followed the maxim that a gentleman will walk but never run by installing twin MAN D2862 V8 engines that give a top speed of 18 knots and a cruising speed of 16 knots.

With 10,000 litres of fuel aboard, there’s a decent range of 1,800 nautical miles at nine knots – more than enough to buzz over to Porto Cervo or even to explore the Greek islands. “It is absolutely conceived for offshore passages,” adds Costantino. “The vessel is extremely robust, built entirely in aluminium with no GRP components.”

No hint of hybrid or anything as nouveau as a solar panel here, there are twin 35kW generators to cover hotel requirements, including hefty air conditioning. It’s a tried and tested set-up – conservative but successful.

It won’t suit everyone, but there is a beguiling quality to this yacht. Individual, consciously set apart from the crowd, the Picchiotti 24 is something elusive that’s made material. It is the spirit of fair play and fine tailoring afloat.

First published in the January 2026 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.