Cerri 102 and 86: Experience Makes the Difference

By Maria Roberta Morso

June 20, 2013

Two yachts from Italy spring from the creative well of yacht owner and builder, Carlo Cerri.

Story Maria Roberta Morso Photos Cerri and Marc Paris

At the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show last year, the Rodriguez Group showcased a yacht never seen on this side of the Atlantic, the Cerri 102. The 102 was also in Cannes, alongside smaller sistership Cerri 86. These attractive yachts hail from an Italian boutique shipyard founded by Carlo Cerri in Milan in 1997. Cerri is now part of the Gavio Group, a major player in transportation, energy and logistics that is responsible for nearly 20 percent of Italy’s main highways. It also owns Baglietto. Cerri’s worldwide sales and marketing representative is the Rodriguez Group.

Cerri 102

Buying a new luxury yacht can be a daunting task for even the most experienced client, but purchasing a yacht designed by a yacht owner can offer a certain measure of peace of mind. Carlo Cerri is a yacht owner and his first-hand experience, plus a great deal of creativity, is evident in the yachts he has designed for Cerri Cantieri Navali. The Cerri 102, the shipyard’s current flagship, combines the comfort of a flybridge yacht with the sportiness and speed of a large open yacht. The Cerri 102 belongs to the so-called “Flying Sport” series Cerri introduced in 2004 with the first 86.

The 102 is a semi-custom model, which, of course, allows owners to choose finishes and layouts within the molded composite hull’s fixed structures and bulkheads. The yacht’s 300-square-foot flybridge also can be configured in various ways. In this case, it hosts a second helm station with foldable console, an extendable dining table served by a bar with barbecue, and a sunbathing area. In addition to a large flybridge, the yacht also features well-organized outdoor areas from its aft deck’s large sunpad to a spectacular lounging area at the bow, set with a big circular sofa that can sit up to 20 people. Contact with the ocean is pivotal to the yacht’s concept, so naturally the outdoor areas have received considerable attention.

Despite its sporty nature, this model offers a high level of livability on the main and lower decks where a full-beam master stateroom is located abaft a small lobby. Fitting everything tightly like pieces of a puzzle, designers used every inch of space on the lower deck. A service area, which includes both galley and captain’s cabin, helps insulate the owner’s quarters from any engine-room noise. A central corridor leads to a VIP cabin in the bow, as well as two guest cabins on port and starboard side. A second crew cabin for three crewmembers with separate head and independent access from the main deck is at the extreme bow.

The main deck’s layout is more conventional, offering a roomy and bright open space with sofas for lounging and a central dining area. The table seats up to 10 people and allows them to enjoy their dinner under the stars when the moonroof above is opened. A centrally located helm station is visually connected to the salon, and the windshield contributes its fair share of natural light.

Good naval architecture, twin MTU 16V 2000 M94 engines with 2,600 horsepower and ZF Searex 160S drives allow the yacht to reach a maximum speed of 37 knots and a cruising speed of 32, according to the builder.

LOA: 102ft. (31.1m)
Beam: 23ft. 9in. (7.25m)
Draft: 5ft. 11in. (1.8m)
Displacement (dry): 82 tons
Construction: composite
Engines: 2 x 2,600-hp MTU 16V 2000 M94s
Speed (max.): 37 knots
Speed (cruising): 32 knots
Range (at cruising speed): 450 nm
Generators: 2 x Onan 40 kW
Fuel: 2,642 gal. (10,000L)
Freshwater: 528 gal. (2,000L)
Naval architecture: Cerri Cantieri Navali SpA
Design: Cerri Cantieri Navali SpA
Classification: RINA

Cerri 86

The Cerri 86 prototype was designed in 2004. Hull number 12, Pachamama, was launched last summer, yet the model is innovative. At the time it was introduced, the Cerri 86 represented a significant step forward in yacht design and introduced a trend that many other shipyards adopted: an open yacht with the addition of a flybridge, a combination creator Carlo Cerri dubbed “FlyingSport.”

Another innovative feature on this 86-footer is the split-level salon, with a large dining area on the main deck enjoying panoramic views and fresh air when the hardtop window is open, and a large and airy lounging area on the lower deck, an arrangement almost akin to a sailing yacht. This layout provides an enhanced sense of space and defines the social and private areas on board. The main salon, linked to the upper level through a central staircase, is also a transition to the sleeping quarters.

Pachamama’s lower salon is furnished with a C-shape sofa to port and an office/dining area to starboard, but owners are free to choose the layout that best suits their needs. A spacious, full-beam master stateroom and two twin cabins with Pullman beds are in the fore section while a fourth ensuite cabin is located aft. In this case, Pachamama’s owner’s decided the fourth cabin should be a private lounge equipped for comfortable TV viewing. To starboard is the galley, which includes a cozy crew mess.

Just as it is on the 102, Pachamama has great outdoor areas, from the aft main-deck dining area to a versatile lounge forward, which handily transforms into a sunbathing area. Two sets of stairs lead from the salon or the main deck aft to a small yet functional flybridge, equipped with a second helm station.

The Cerri 86 is a comfortable and roomy yacht, suitable for long cruises with a party of friends but it also has a sporty soul. With two MTU 12V 2000 M94 engines coupled to ZF Searex surface drives, it reaches a maximum speed of 40 knots and can smoothly navigate at a cruising speed of 35 knots, which gives it a range of 420 nautical miles.

The Cerri 86 perfectly demonstrates how comfort and performance can go arm in arm. The 13th unit of this series is currently under construction at the Italian shipyard.

LOA: 86ft. 3in. (26.3m)
Beam: 20ft. 10in. (6.35m)
Draft: 4ft. 2in. (1.28m)
Displacement (dry): 52 tons
Construction: composite
Engines: 2 x 1,945-hp MTU 12V 2000 M94s
Speed (max.): 40 knots
Speed (cruising): 35 knots
Range (at cruising speed): 420 nm
Generators: 1 x Onan 27 kW + 1 x Onan 19 kW
Fuel: 1,849 gal. (7,000L)
Freshwater: 396 gal. (1,500L)
Naval architecture: Cerri Cantieri Navali SpA
Design: Cerri Cantieri Navali SpA
Classification: RINA