Ferretti Yachts is diversifying into the long-range fast-displacement market with the Ferretti Infynito 90. But can its debut model justify the hype? Phil Draper tests it out.
For the past four decades, Ferretti Yachts has maintained its position as a builder of premium-grade planing motor yachts. But at last year’s Cannes Yachting Festival, we got to see a new side to the Italian yard in the shape of its first fast-displacement model, the tri-deck Ferretti Infynito 90, and to hear of plans for bigger and smaller sisters.
Ferretti bills the Feretti Infynito 90 as a long-range motor yacht and is making a lot of its eco-credentials, such as its ethically sourced timbers, bamboo fabrics, regenerated leathers and water-based paints. The design of this new-age explorer is deliberately a little chunkier than its planing cousins, thanks to a bluff bow, forward-raked bridge windows and fashion-plate buttresses on its main and upper decks.
The All-Season Terrace is a major step forward from the usual open bow lounge
It’s an imposing, rather than a particularly pretty, yacht but the design does allow for almost 100m2 of exterior deck space and 140m2 of interior. Ferretti claims this adds up to a total volume around 25% greater than the market average.
The Infynito name, which rather cleverly includes the brand’s ‘FY’ initials, is said to be suggestive of a seamless connection with sea and sky and a ‘visual continuity between interior and exterior’. This certainly rings true for the Infynito 90’s unique selling point – the partially enclosed foredeck area, which Ferretti calls the ‘All-Season Terrace’. The idea is a logical progression of the current trend for foredeck lounges.
‘Views over the foredeck roof are surprisingly good because the bridge is set high and well forward’
Having once just been somewhere to put another sunpad, foredecks have gradually evolved into versatile outdoor lounges with seats, tables, lights and sunshades so it’s not so surprising that some clever soul decided to take that to the next level with a roofed solution. The space beneath is still open to the sides and even delivers a limited view forward through a large stem aperture but it does feel considerably more sheltered and secure than the usual open foredeck. The roof comes with a large UV-filtering glass skylight as standard but this can be upgraded to solar panelling or rotating louvres that allow you to regulate the light and shade below.
At 20 knots, we recorded just 52dB(A) from the bridge
All-season features on the Ferretti Infynito 90
The options list extends to the layout of the terrace too. The standard offering is an L-shaped sofa and table immediately in front of a big picture window that provides a fabulous connection to the interior, especially when opened. However, the first hull had a spa pool with seating around it, while our test boat had a very smart teak-topped and carbon-legged bar with six matching bar stools. Whichever layout you choose, the area at the forepeak is all sunpad, as it helps conceal most of the ground tackle.
The cockpit and upper aft deck provide more outdoor spaces for guests to relax
Further aft, generous overhangs protect the side decks and cockpit and the latter comes with various freestanding furniture options, in the same way as the surprisingly large upper aft deck. IdeaeItalia was responsible for the ‘contemporary’ interior schemes on the first two boats we have seen, but darker ‘classic’ schemes are also available. Regardless of décor choices though, there are various options for what happens on the main deck. Our test boat had parquet flooring throughout, which added to the cool, calm, conservative vibe, fully reflecting the designers’ brief for “softness and sobriety rather than minimalism”.
The galley links the seating area aft with the dining area forward. The latter can also be specced as an owner’s cabin
The first two hulls both came with open-plan main deck saloons, comprising an aft lounge, long galley amidships to port and a formal dining area up front to make the most of the views through that wonderful drop-down foredeck window. There are also doors to both side decks from the main saloon and that certainly helps in terms of guest circulation and connection with the outside world. There’s one amidships, which will be appreciated by crew working in the galley, and another forward, to starboard of that dining area. There’s a convenient walk-in storage space just inside that door too.
Opposite the galley, there’s a day head and up-and-down staircases, connecting to the lower and upper decks. The sky-lounge on the upper deck, which can also be specified as an indoor dining area, is open to the upper helm as standard but can be separated by bulkheads and a sliding door, should owners require more privacy. The upper aft deck is the logical place for al fresco dining, not least because it is protected from weather and prying eyes by sidescreens and a partial roof overhang.
The bow cabin is not the biggest or brightest
However you choose to use it, headroom is generous on both decks, with 6ft 7in (2.02m) in the main saloon and sky-lounge and 7ft 2in in the cockpit. Those choices also extend to cabin layouts. Owners can opt to have either three or four ensuite cabins on the lower deck, in which case the owners’ suite occupies the full beam amidships with a forward-facing superking, an ensuite to port, a walk-in closet to starboard and vast 2ft x 7ft picture windows on either side. However, you can also choose to have a VIP or owners’ cabin forward on the main deck, instead of the dining area, in addition to those three or four cabins below.
The cockpit is arranged with most of the seating facing aft to maximise the views
The double cabin forward on the lower deck has a transverse king with headboard to starboard, mini-sofa to port, and its ensuite tucked up into the bow. It’s not our favourite space on this boat, as it’s rather dark and squashed into the space beneath the foredeck, with just a few small portholes on either side that contribute little in the way of daylight or fresh air. There is, however, a third twin-bed stateroom to port and an optional fourth with either a slim double (with or without a Pullman above it) or crossover bunks. Alternatively, that fourth cabin can be reconfigured as a children’s play space, a mini-gym or laundry room.
Article continues below…
To InFYnito and beyond: How Ferretti’s new InFYnito 90 tri-deck breaks the mould
New Boats at Cannes Boat Show: Ferretti Infynito 80
Commanding views
When we first clapped eyes on this design, we were concerned that visibility from the bridge might be compromised by that tall, semi-enclosed foredeck, but it isn’t. Views underway are surprisingly good, not least because the bridge is set high and well forward. Consequently, bar the chunky A-frame mullions that occasionally need peering round, those wraparound windows deliver quite the panorama. There’s a small blind spot immediately beneath the prow but doors on either side of the bridge provide easy access to the upper side decks when a little extra scrutiny is required, especially for close-quarters stuff. Wing stations and a stern station are on the options sheet too.
‘More range, more space, more efficiency and, above all, more refinement’
As for the engines, there are just two options: the standard offering of twin MAN V12-1550s, which Ferretti tells us should provide a top speed of 20 knots and a 15-knot fast cruise, or some beefier MAN V12-1800s. Our test boat had the latter and, during our fair-weather sea trials, lightly loaded with around 35% fuel and 50% water and 12 people, it topped out at 22.8 knots. At a fast cruise of 17 knots, the working range is around 350nm, but slow things down to 12 knots and that pushes out to 1,200nm, while 9 knots should extend this to 2,000nm or more.
Our test boat was also fitted with the new Watchit anti-grounding and collision system, which sounds alerts and even slows the boat automatically if a collision with charted terrain or another vessel is predicted. Sadly, we didn’t get the chance to put the Watchit system to the test during our Infynito sea trials, but there’s no doubt that helming the Infynito 90 is remarkably easy.
A lavish bathroom on one side of the owner’s bed
The two-seat bridge console is offset to starboard and the fly-by-wire, self-centring steering system is light but responsive. It turns smartly for its size too, given its full displacement of 111 tonnes. The weather was too kind on the day of the sea test to challenge the hull’s seakeeping but even if it had been rougher, our test boat not only had a pair of Seakeepers – a 9 and an 18 – to help stabilise it but also Sleipner Vector Fins and Humphree Interceptors.
Safe to say then that this is a pretty stable boat but it’s also a quiet one – and when we say quiet, we really do mean it. At 20 knots, and with all exterior doors closed, we recorded just 51/52dB(A) on the bridge, 62dB(A) in both the main saloon and VIP stateroom, and only 67dB(A) in the owners’ stateroom,
which is about as close to the machinery space as you get.
The Infynito name is meant to suggest a seamless connection with sea and sky
Silence is golden
A chat with one of the yard’s delivery captains also gave a good insight into how little the generators are needed while cruising. During its maiden voyage from Cattolica on Italy’s Adriatic coast to the south of France for last year’s Cannes show, a four-day passage of around 1,100nm, he relied on just the alternators and solar panelling to run the systems and keep the hefty 120kW lithium-ion battery bank topped up.
The starboard twin has its own ensuite bathroom
These solar panels can easily be incorporated into the foredeck roof (including the optional louvre system), as well as the main coachroof. That will contribute up to 7kW, which Ferretti tells us should enable the ship to run at anchor with the Seakeepers and some of the air conditioning on for up to seven hours at a time without the need to fire up the generators. And that’s as likely to please the crew as anyone, because the crew accommodation is located amidships, between the owners’ cabin and the engineroom.
The three decks are linked by a stairwell amidships
Access is via a door from the aft end of the port side deck. There are two bunk cabins, one on either side, with some mess space between them, as well as a door into the engineroom. There’s also space on the hydraulic platform to fit a tender as large as a Williams DieselJet 415.
Excluding taxes and depending on engine choice, base-spec pricing for the new Ferretti Infynito 90 starts at around €7.82 million. However, you can expect a full specification order to push the total much closer to the €9 million mark.
There’s a walk-in wardrobe on one side of the owner’s bed
If you enjoyed this….
If you enjoyed this….Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.
Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.
Price as reviewed:
£6,516,679.70 Exc. VAT
Verdict
Such was the two-plus-year build-up to this model’s debut that when we finally got to see a brief glimpse of it during last year’s Cannes Boat Show, we were left feeling mildly underwhelmed. However, now that we’ve had a chance to sea trial it properly, without all the fuss and fanfare, we can appreciate what a refreshing proposition it makes for owners who are prepared to sacrifice a little top-end speed for more range, more space, more fuel efficiency and above all, more refinement. Chuck in the novelty of that foredeck terrace and the reassurance that comes with buying from one of Italy’s most respected shipyards and the Ferretti Infynito 90 starts to make a very compelling case for itself.
Details
LOA: 26.97m (88ft 6in)
Hull Length:: 23.95m (78ft 7in)
Beam: 7.33m (24ft 1in)
Draft: Full-Load) 2.00m (6ft 6in)
Fuel Capacity: 11,500 litres (2,530 gal)
Water: 1,800 litres (396 gal
Displacement: 96 tonnes (light)
Displacement: 111 tonnes (full-load)
Max Speed: 22.8 knots
RCD: Category A
Exterior: Filippo Salvetti
Interior: IdeaeItalia
