Made for the Med

The new Logica 147 aspires to combine the culture of sailing with the comfort of motor cruising.

By Yachts International Editors

February 18, 2015

The new Logica 147 aspires to combine the culture of sailing with the comfort of motor cruising.

By Justin Ratcliffe

There is something refreshing about motoryachts conceived by sailboat designers. Their deceptively simple exterior lines are invariably defined by function, which makes the yachts seaworthy and efficient. They’re also easy on the eye. The Logica 147 from Logica Yachts of Viareggio, Italy, is a case in point.

“We imagined a navetta-style vessel that was comfortable, quiet and light-filled with a rational distribution of available space, a boat designed to make the most of everything the Med has to offer,” says Luca Brenta, founder of the eponymous design studio in Milan, Italy. “Logica had to be as beautiful as a sailboat of equivalent length, but as roomy and comfortable as three of them.”

Brenta, who started sailing at age 5, is responsible for such starkly beautiful yachts as Wallygator, Ghost and Chrisco—all contemporary, fast cruisers that have helped to redefine sailboat design. Sadly, Brenta has all but retired of late because of ill health, but his clean-cut style, defined by grace and lack of ostentation, is being continued by his studio partner, Lorenzo Argento.

“The key to producing a timeless design is taking something from the past and adding something from the future, which is more difficult than it sounds,” says Argento, who developed the exterior design and interior layout beyond the initial concept. “By way of example, I would cite our 37-meter sloop Ghost. She looks as fresh and performs just as well today as she did when she was launched. That was the ideal, if you like, that we wanted to instill into the Logica motoryacht.”

The idea behind the Logica project was to import the Mediterranean sailing culture into the world of displacement cruising, to appeal to owners who are genuinely passionate about the sea. But the motoryacht called for different priorities: comfort rather than top-speed performance, and the romance of classic design coupled with contemporary appeal. The process began with a series of hand-drawn sketches to define the right proportions between hull and superstructure, to achieve a harmonious profile.

“If you start from the bow and work your way backward, the design has a coherence and fluidity with no surprises or jarring elements,” said Brenta, pencil in hand, during a meeting early in the project.

To achieve a low profile and balanced lines on a trideck of nearly 45 meters (147 feet) in length, the designers devised a long, sweeping sheer interrupted by a step-down amidships. To further emphasize horizontal over vertical planes, they pushed the low-slung superstructure as far aft as possible. The near-plumb stem adds a contemporary feel to the classic navetta styling, while a late addition was the cutout in the forward section of the hull that allows natural light to flood the owner’s suite.

The space freed up on the foredeck is occupied by a 5.5-meter (18-foot) contraflow swimming pool. This is flanked by two covered bays: one for a 4.8-meter (16-foot) RIB and the other for personal watercraft and a launch crane, resulting in a foredeck uncluttered by tenders and toys. (The 6-meter [20-foot] limo tender is housed in a side-loading garage forward of the engine room.) Rather than hinging the teak-clad, carbon fiber hatch covers and requiring a bigger crane to pass over the top of them, the designers created an innovative hydraulic system that opens and slides the hatch covers one above the other over the pool. The composite panels that fit over the pool when underway can also be used to provide bench seating over the windlasses while at anchor.

The general arrangement is relatively conventional with a main deck owner’s suite and five guest cabins on the lower deck (the fifth cabin, just forward of the fold-down swim platform, could easily serve to extend the beach club and gym amenities or as a cinema room). But the large windows, open-plan spaces and airy ambience provide a sense of connection with the outside environment that is rare on a motoryacht.

“We wanted to import the same philosophy into the interior layout,” Argento says. “Thanks to a glass bulkhead and sliding glass doors, there is a continuous sight line from the wheelhouse through the salon to the dining area and open aft deck.”

London-based Martin Kemp was called in to define the interior design. The Logica 147 is his first solo interior yacht project, and it benefited from his experience as creative director at the international design firm of Candy & Candy, when he collaborated on the brothers’ two superyachts, Candyscape and Candyscape II. Furthermore, he had worked with the owner on a residential project, so was already familiar with his tastes and lifestyle.

Kemp has a high regard for progressive American architects such as John Lautner and Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, and the contemporary U.S. designers Kelly Weartsler and Barbara Barry (he spent seven years in Los Angeles as a senior designer with Barbara Barry Inc.). Their influence inspired an architect’s sense of space combined with a designer’s appreciation of aesthetics and everyday functionality.

“My mind works architecturally and I like to plan space, but architects often have little sensitivity to the ephemera of our daily lives,” he says. “Where do you put your keys when you enter a house, or put your wallet in the bedroom? These are the kinds of knots I like to unravel.”

The owner’s brief called for a luxurious, yet light and cheerful interior, a style Kemp describes as “opulent minimalism.” It draws on sumptuous materials such as Makassar ebony and striato apuano and cosmic black marbles, combined with refined lacquered finishes that are anchored by calming floors and ceilings of stained oak with polished stainless steel “caulking.”

The overall effect, helped by bespoke products from specialist suppliers, echoes the contemporary exterior styling. Based Upon in London was commissioned to create metallic resin wall panels of a striking petrol blue as a signature feature in the main salon. Soft leathers by Ben Whistler and J. Robert Scott in the guest cabins are married with luscious fabrics by Sahco in Germany and Holly Hunt in the United States. Custom-designed carpets are by Matthew Wailes in London. Bespoke lamps and lighting fixtures are from Altraluce in Italy, Carlyle Designs in New York and Haberdashery in London. The result is a delicious smorgasbord of materials, finishes and textures.

Together with the shipyard, Pierluigi Ausonio of PLANA Design adopted a holistic approach to the naval architecture, a process he calls “integrated optimization.” This took into account not just the performance-related parameters (speed, range, seakeeping, maneuverability) and control of undesired side effects (noise, vibration), but also the safety and habitability standards required by class societies and flag administrations.

The final product is a displacement hull form with modest power requirements and low fuel consumption of around 29 gallons per hour at a cruising speed of 11 knots. Turning tests at a top speed of more than 17 knots during sea trials resulted in a negligible inclination of 2 degrees with the stabilizers activated. In addition, a smooth propeller inflow with low radiated pressure pulses is designed to provide vibration-free, quiet and comfortable cruising.

With components by leading brand names such as Böning for the integrated bridge, Denon, Samsung and Apple for the audiovisual system, Rational and Miele professional appliances in the galley and deck hardware by Sanguineti and Opem Sistemi, the Logica 147 is not just a high-spec yacht. She is also a breath of fresh Mediterranean air.

For more information: +39 0584 1642612, logicayachts.com