After Sanlorenzo launched its SL94 last year, it collected a number of accolades, starting with an award at the 2011 Genoa boat show. It’s well deserved. The yacht has plenty to please the discerning boat owner.

Photos Shaw McCutcheon

The SL94, first, has elegance. Francesco Paszkowski Design—also responsible for the edgier Sanlorenzo Alloy series—penned this tasteful flybridge yacht in the Sanlorenzo tradition, built in composite in Ameglia, Italy. No matter what interior style owners may decide to go for, this envelope offers a great canvas on which to express one’s creativity.

Sanlorenzo used its usual flourish to present the SL94 to the US market a few months ago during an evening that featured plenty of long-stem glasses. The yacht had just come over on a transport ship in time for a major boat show and the crew had given her painted hull an impeccable shine. She was as inviting in daytime as she was in the glow of evening lights (she does have a few lighting upgrades in and out, including underwater lights).

Marty Lowe signed the interior décor of the SL94 “American Edition.” With light colors, wood soles, natural stones and textured woods, and plenty of windows, the interior feels inviting. You find the same principles that Lowe used in the interior of the SL104, the bigger sister we featured a few months ago, including fabrics you can toss into the Miele washer and dryer so you won’t think twice of throwing yourself down onto the plush white sofa. Lowe is big on “livable luxury.”

The spatial arrangement is another inviting feature. The aft-deck doors open onto a salon occupying more than one third of the main deck. The yacht has a formal dining room, but the space could also be used as an office or cinema room if owners prefer. A bright galley, equipped with full-size Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, Gaggenau ovens able to tackle any type of cooking, a dishwater, top-notch coffee maker and ample prep space, is farther forward, adjacent to a dinette. It provides access to crew quarters—two cabins with bunk beds—located forward on the lower deck.

Owners and guests are also accommodated below. The largest suite is aft, with the bed facing away from the door, a surprising but clever orientation that frees space for large closets, a vanity, a desk and a bathroom stretching across the full beam, with a large rain shower and two sinks. A sizable VIP room is forward, with an equally spacious bed and smaller ensuite bathroom, while the two other guest cabins have twin beds plus optional Pullman beds, providing many possible sleeping arrangements.

After a few necessary tweaks that the yacht’s transatlantic trip and a busy boat show mandated, Sanlorenzo of the Americas invited us to experience the yacht in motion. At the hands of corporate captain Aldo Fara, the SL94 provided a joyful experience. We had nice weather and little wind, and the yacht zipped along at anywhere from 23 to more than 27 knots effortlessly, even with 10 people aboard.

While the yacht has an air-conditioned pilothouse with adjustable leather helm chair in front of a clutter-free console with a leather-covered wheel, two easy-to-read 17-inch color displays and full navigation package, the captain elected to pilot from the helm on the flybridge deck, which has comfortable bench seating. Two more people can sit across the way on the companion bench, offering a nice social experience.

The flybridge, which nearly lines up with the transom, is 540 square feet and, since the yacht has a garage able to accommodate a 14-foot tender (and includes an innovative launching system), it can be entirely dedicated to fun and relaxation. On this yacht, the galley is concealed inside a Boffi cabinet with sliding countertop, opposite a dining table and chairs by furniture maker Minotti. The optional hardtop provides welcome shade over the dining area. The teak decking is also optional but sure looks good with its ash golden planks and white caulking.

Twin diesel engines (on this hull two 2,300hp MTUs) are connected to five-blade Rolla propellers via ZF reduction gear. This hull has several upgrades, including ZF joystick maneuvering with I anchor system and zero-speed stabilizers by CMC Marine. The easily accessed and well-ventilated engine room is properly insulated to minimize machinery noise and excess heat. The RINA-classed SL94 has lots to offer, and her beauty is more than skin deep.

Contact: Sanlorenzo of the Americas, 954-376-4794 or visit sanlorenzoamericas.com.

LOA: 93ft. 7in. (28.53m)
LWL: 77ft. 4in. (23.57m)
Beam: 22ft. (6.71m)
Construction: GRP
Engines: 2 x MTU 16V 2000 M84
Power: 2,250hp @ 2,450 rpm
Generators: 2 x 40kW
Propellers: 2 x Rolla NiBral
Speed (max.): about 28 knots
Speed (cruising): about 22 knots
Fuel capacity: 2,839 gal. (8,150L)
Freshwater capacity: 502 gal. (1,900L)

On the walls, what’s this?

The artwork Marty Lowe selected to display aboard this yacht complements the interior’s beach theme she created but also stands on its own merit. The photos that grace the main salon and the VIP room (pictured) are from award-winning photographer Shelli Breidenbach. While Breidenbach is best known for her stunning equestrian photography, she found inspiration in the work of painter Georgia O’Keeffe for this series of large-scale shell images. Breidenbach, who resides in New York, has shown her work around the world.

For more information, visit shellibreidenbach.com