Simply Abu Dhabi XXXVI

2 0 3 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Apointofdifference b y J u l i a Z a l t z m a n A t first glance, the steel hull and aluminium superstructure of Benetti’s latest launch – 63m Metis – seem to be little more than a beautiful example of the kind of workmanship that the Italian yard has become renowned for. But on closer inspection, this five-deck boat (based on the same platform as Spectre) is actually a shining example of how a yacht that began life on spec turned out to be an owner’s dream custom build. Stepping into the project just two years prior to delivery, the hull and superstructure already existed, the engines had been put on board, as had the generators, and most of the pipeline was in place. “It was a well-advanced spec boat”, explains Stefan Zucker of Zucker + Partners who served as owner’s technical representative, “at least one third was complete.” While that may have meant that the duration of the project was reduced from the owner’s point of view, it did also introduce some complications, says Zucker: “The owner came in early on with the idea of adding underwater lights – but rather than wanting just a few, he was set on adding 48 lights in total. This on a completed hull, which means every second metre, 24 underwater lights needed to be fitted on each side underneath the vessel. That was quite a challenge for the shipyard to find suitable places to access, as there is pipework and tanks that need to be accommodated. But that was the beauty of working with Benetti who are so used to custom projects and are really flexible. It took a while, but we prevailed.”