Test Notes

IT’S A WHOLLY different experience to conduct a sea trial with a large crowd on board. I got a sense of how other people will fill the spaces, and how the boat would feel full of family and friends. Remember, 15 passengers can weigh up to a ton, and they aren’t always evenly distributed.

HAVING HAD A look at the Monte Carlo Yachts facility in Monfalcone, just outside of Trieste, Italy, one gets a sense this builder is just getting started. Indeed, a paint shed equipped with floor-to-ceiling fluorescent lights recessed in the walls (in which 300 guests enjoyed a black-tie banquet at the party celebrating the 80’s debut, with room to spare) was built to handle yachts twice her size or larger.

IF YOU’VE NEVER paid a visit to Trieste it’s definitely a cool part of the world to visit, with a very walkable old city district and some interesting sights. While I was there, the heavy-metal band Iron Maiden (yes, the same band founded in the 1970s) was gearing up for a concert in the city’s main square.