On the one hand, Baglietto’s 131-foot (39.8-meter) motoryacht Panam pays homage to the shipyard’s heritage of building high-performance aluminum yachts designed by Francesco Paszkowski.
On the other hand, this yacht looks forward to a new and dynamic design language. Her automotive-inspired, wedge-shaped profile with a vertical bow and geometric window shapes is a far cry from the Italian brand’s sleeker and more feminine forms. Add a darkly brooding paint job, and the yacht looks like a crouching panther, ready to pounce.
“Beauty and dynamism, performance and comfort are the key characteristics of the design,” says Diego Michele Deprati, Baglietto CEO. “The young owner’s brief called for a sporty yacht with a dynamic profile that would instantly convey a sense of speed, but also provide maximum contact with the sea.”
To meet the performance specifications, Baglietto borrowed know-how from its experience building fast patrol boats. It installed three 2,600-horsepower MTU engines coupled to two lateral KaMeWa water jets and a central booster jet for a top speed of 31 knots and a cruising speed of 25 knots.
Water jets offer distinct advantages over conventional in-line drive shafts and propellers: higher speed, faster acceleration, shallow-water capability, greater maneuverability, less noise and vibration, and a reversing bucket that can crash-stop the boat in less than twice its own length with no strain on the engine.
Weight—or rather, the lack of it—was a vital consideration for achieving the performance objectives on this yacht of 397 gross tons. Hence the all-aluminum construction, and the carbon-fiber hatch openings in the stern that serve the beach club and partially floodable tender garage (a crew tender and personal watercraft can be stowed in the forepeak). The entire transom folds down to create the swim platform with access via a starboard stairway from the main deck.
Close contact with the sea is provided by windows that are full-height in the main salon, with bulwark cutaways enhancing visibility. The main open-air social area is undoubtedly the 670 square feet of bridge deck with a custom DJ center (audio speakers are even integrated into the flagstaff), a glass-rimmed pool aft with active current for swimming, a wide-screen TV and a covered bar and lounge under the hardtop. There’s also a wide sunpad on the foredeck.
Paszkowski, together with Margherita Casprini, was also responsible for the interior design. Designers are always happy when they get to design both as it results in a seamless transition of the design intent between the inside and outside. In fact, Panam’s interior styling mirrors her contemporary exterior lines, but not at the expense of warmth and congeniality.
The main veneers are teak and sandblasted or striated oak in warm, earthy tones. Varieties of onyx and marble—cappuccino, calacatta, Persian gray, marfil cream, Eramosa and coffee brown—clad the wet surfaces in the bathrooms.
The “stabilized” green screen of real plants between the living and dining areas is a novel solution and apparently requires no watering or other maintenance, just the occasional dusting. Some furniture items are made-to-measure while others are supplied by top design brands such as Minotti, Fendi and Armani Casa for a touch of Italian chic.
The main pantry to port is particularly generous for the size of the yacht, with dedicated glassware stowage, a coffee machine station and direct access to the side deck and raised pilothouse.
The full-beam master stateroom is on the main deck forward with electrically operated windows on both sides that fold up for a fresh sea breeze. A skylight above the bathroom-hammam adds natural light. A “magic TV” is integrated into the mirrored bulwark, and an en suite stateroom is just abaft the master for the owner’s daughter.
Four guest staterooms are on the lower deck. Forward on the same deck level are the crew quarters and laundry. A mirrored door in the lower deck foyer provides discreet access from the crew quarters for servicing the guest areas.
Panam was started as a one-off project by Cerri Cantieri Navali, Baglietto’s sister company. The merging of the two under the flying seagull logo in 2020 marked a new beginning for the historic Italian shipyard. For a long time, Baglietto boats had been instantly recognizable from afar—no bad thing for creating brand awareness, but yacht design had moved on, and with it, the expectations of younger owners.
“The yachting industry has always been very tied to tradition and not always inclined to move forward,” Deprati says. “But we can no longer afford to stand by. We must focus on design and innovation, and we want Baglietto to be a leader in this new direction.”
PANAM Specifications
LOA: 130ft. 7in. (39.8m)
BEAM: 27ft. 7in. (8.4m)
DRAFT (full load): 5ft. 7in. (1.7m)
CONSTRUCTION: aluminum
SPEED (max./cruise): 31/25 knots
RANGE: 1,800 nm at 12 knots
GROSS TONNAGE: 397
NAVAL ARCHITECTURE: Cerri Cantieri Marine
EXTERIOR DESIGN: Francesco Paszkowski
INTERIOR DESIGN: Francesco Paszkowski Margherita Casprini
BUILDER: Baglietto
For more information: baglietto.com
