It’s a long-held belief that anyone who buys a boat, no matter the size or type, harbors the dream of cruising around the world. Kayaks and sailing dinghies are unlikely candidates for such ambitious adventures, but there are vessels conceived, designed and built for just that purpose. The Monte Fino E85 ecHo Long Range Explorer Yacht is one. This yacht’s world-conquering hull design, sublime interior and innovative, eco-friendly systems have earned it the coveted 2022 Taiwan Excellence Silver Award.
The annual Taiwan Excellence Awards, established by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan in 1993, subject eligible candidates to a rigorous and stringent selection system that covers the four aspects of R&D, Design, Quality and Marketing, which identify outstanding products that offer “Innovative Value” to consumers. The Monte Fino E85 ecHo Long Range Explorer Yacht stood out over more than a thousand products this year with its innovation in all the above four aspects as recognized by 140 jurors from Taiwan and around the world.
Fading fast are the days when motoryacht owners cared little about how much fuel they burned or the negative impacts a yacht had on the environment. The E85 ecHo embodies a new awareness of the impact yachts can have on the planet.
The E85 was the first explorer in the Monte Fino range. The first hull was delivered in 2013. Since then, five more have been delivered with another currently in build. The “ecHo” in the model name is an amalgam of “eco-friendly” and “H” which references the name of the yacht’s designer, Rob Humphreys.
Conceived to operate with maximum efficiency and exceptional fuel economy, the 85E has a range of more than 4,000 nautical miles. According to the builder, she is able to achieve a fuel-consumption figure that, with each engine turning 1350 rpm, produces a 10-knot speed with a burn of less than six gallons an hour. She is equipped with resource-efficient, low-emissions technology that filters the exhaust.
Her innovative hull shape features integrated propeller tunnels and a bow that pays careful attention to the principles of fluid dynamics to achieve greater fuel efficiency. Use of the SCRIMP process in her hull lamination reduces the waste of resin and increases the strength of the structure, while also reducing toxic volatile organic compounds by 80 percent. The builder employs the use of formaldehyde-free plywood throughout the yacht. The first hull had stabilizers fitted as standard. Esthec composite decking was selected as an environmentally friendly alternative to hardwood, and the effect is visually pleasing and highly effective.
“Our aim was to make a vessel that is not just a pleasure yacht, but a long-range explorer with exceptional fuel efficiency that targets adventurous boat owners,” says Monte Fino General Manager Howard Gung.
Designer Humphreys endowed her with the aggressive lines of an explorer yacht. Her high freeboard, her shippy bow and patrol-boat-style bridge reflect his desire to give all she needs for offshore cruising. Her exterior lines suggest a yacht that is always on the move, always headed for distant horizons.
Like all Monte Fino yachts, she is built by Kha Shing Enterprise in Taiwan, which has built numerous yachts for clients around the world. Her craftsmanship is exemplary, on par with the finest yacht builders in the world.
Beneath the E85’s rugged exterior lies a heart of gold. The interior ambience on hull number 1 is bright and contemporary. Designed by Giorgia Drudi, it features understated, earthy tones of gray, white and brown. The guest and crew accommodations are all on the lower deck. Forward is a spacious VIP suite with decorative touches worthy of a master stateroom. Here, as elsewhere, the bathrooms are well appointed and feature large marble-backed shower stalls and marble vanities.
The interior provides plenty of relaxation space for up to eight guests, plus accommodations for four crew. Comfortable U-shape sofas in the salon are finished in a soft gray-brown fabric. The TV rises out of the cabinet opposite.
The dining area, with its glass, wood and leather table, seats eight. The space has a casual feel about it, but would rise to the occasion should there be a call for more formal inside dining. There are narrow storage cabinets below the windows to port and starboard, and a client might want to assess their dimensions before buying very large dinner plates. The galley is a compact, but well-laid-out working space that suggests many of the family meals might be taken ashore, leaving this space to cope with breakfasts and light lunches. It is well equipped, though, featuring a Corian work surface, electric stove, larder-style refrigerator-freezer and a double sink. Natural light and easy access to the side deck can be obtained by leaving the door to the galley open.
A single door from the wheelhouse gives access to the side deck and from there to the foredeck and its attendant electric windlasses, each handling 165-pound anchors and 600 feet of chain. The foredeck is recreation-friendly. It has two coolers, plenty of seating, which, with the drop-down table and an infill, converts to make a sprawling sunbed.
The star of the E85’s exterior spaces is extended flybridge deck. In addition to the sheltered steering station, it provides panoramic viewing of exotic destinations, space for carrying tenders and toys or entertaining dockside.
“With the shortage of natural resources globally, it is obvious that the costs for fuel would go up as the years go by,” says Gung. “To develop products that are highly energy efficient has become the new must globally. And this is why Monte Fino has developed the ecHo range in response to the need to be environmentally friendly. This range is targeting customers who are committed to making the world a better place. And this group of clients are willing to enjoy long cruising time with maximum eco-efficiency and fuel economy.”
The success of the E85 has spawned plans for a 100-foot explorer, which is now in the design phase.
“Due to the outstanding, highly efficient design of the E85 hull, we have a client who is talking about how to make this model into a solar hybrid yacht so that this new source of energy could be used for offshore cruising,” Gung says. “The client is looking forward to cruising in the most comfortable and quietest way. If the client makes the decision to proceed with production of the yacht, it will be the first hybrid yacht built by a Taiwanese yacht builder. We are confident the client would be very happy with Monte Fino once that yacht is completed.”
https://www.montefinoyachts.com/
https://www.taiwanexcellence.org/en
For more information: montefinoyachts.com
LOA: 85ft. 11in. (26.2m)
LWL: 78ft. 6in. (23.9m)
Beam: 20ft. 4in. (6.2m)
Draft: 4ft. 7in. (1.4m)
Construction: composite
Displacement: 90 tons
Gross tonnage: 76.57
Engines: 2 x 715-hp Cummins QSM-11
Propellers: Twin fixed-pitch
Fuel: 4,040 gal. (15,300L)
Speed (max.): 16.4 knots
Speed (cruising): 15 knots
Range: 4,000nm @ 10 knots
Generators: 1 x Onan 37.5kW, 1 x Onan 13.5kW
Freshwater: 793 gal. (3,000L)
Stabilizers: Naiad
Classification: RINA
Naval architecture: Kha Shing Enterprise
Exterior styling: Humphreys Yacht Design
Interior design: Giorgia Drudi
Guest cabins: 4
Crew: 4 in 2 cabins
Builder: Kha Shing Enterprise
