‘InnovatIve’

Genesi Genesi. Genesi

is an overused adjective in the essentially conservative superyacht industry, but it is entirely appropriate to describe the avant-garde Wider 150 The all-aluminum displacement motoryacht is packed with bold solutions aimed at enhancing cruising comfort and performance. At just under 500 gross tons, is by far the Italian shipyard’s biggest and most complex yacht. In fact, her “newness” makes her a risky proposition for the young yard, set up in 2010 by Tilli Antonelli—although risk is something from which the founder and former president of the Pershing brand does not shy away.

“I’ve never enjoyed sitting still or simply standing by,” the Wider founder and CEO says. “Making do doesn’t come naturally to me either. Pushing the boundaries and shooting for the stars: that’s what I enjoy. No blinkers, no exceptions, just open-mindedness and a desire to build the very best for our clients.”

certainly doesn’t “make do” with anything that can be classed as standard. Let’s start with her diesel-electric propulsion, a rare choice on a yacht of her size and volume. The system basically comprises four generators connected to alternators that produce electricity to power two azimuthing pods with contra-rotating propellers via flexible cabling. The energy generated can also be stored in lithium polymer battery banks, allowing the yacht to cruise in silent zeroemission mode at 5 knots for short distances or run the entire hotel load at anchor for up to eight hours. The variable-speed gensets are lighter, quieter and consume less fuel than gensets on other yachts in the Wider 150’s class because they can run at lower rpm to meet actual power demands, rather than at constant speed to serve peak loads.

Over and above the expected fuel savings, the opportunity to cruise or maneuver silently is arguably the biggest benefit of dieselelectric propulsion. It is also the underlying concept on which the design of Genesi is based, so it was an anxious day for the shipyard when surveyors attended the sea trials to test noise and vibration levels. They needn’t have worried. A barely audible 38.5 decibels— similar to a quiet library—were recorded in the master stateroom at anchor with one generator running, the five gyroscopic zerospeed stabilizers on and air conditioning at 50 percent. The levels increased only slightly when underway at 10 knots, to 44.5 decibels in the master stateroom and 42 decibels in the guest staterooms. In fact, Genesi is so quiet that the surveyors awarded her a perfect score and a RINA Class notation of COMF (Y) 100/100, setting a new industry standard.

“What struck me above all was when we did the crash stop at maximum speed,” says Juan José Balaguer Mora, Wider’s chief operations officer. “There is none of the noise and vibration you have when you put standard props into reverse gear. The pods simply azimuth through 180 degrees and bring the yacht to a near-silent stop.”

Another diesel-electric advantage is that the absence of in-line drive shafts allows for greater freedom in planning the technical spaces. On Genesi, the power generation machinery is in the bow with only the DC switchboards in the customary engine room space, which the shipyard says is up to 25 percent smaller than normal. This means more real estate amidships can be devoted to guest use. Lower-deck staterooms, in particular, feel appreciably larger than aboard other yachts in the Wider 150’s class.

The lack of any mechanical connection between the engines and propellers allowed Wider to introduce another key feature: the drive-in tender bay in the stern for a Wider 32 runabout. Drive-in garages have been done on larger superyachts, but with no

conventional engine room, the feature could be made to work on the 150. Her dock occupies around a third of the lower deck, and when the tender is deployed, the empty space becomes a beach club with seawater swimming pool. In beach club mode with the transom and two side platforms deployed, the spa area covers 968 square feet (90 square meters). The muscular exterior styling by Fulvio De

LOA: 154ft. 2in. (47.05m) BEAM: 28ft. 3in. (8.6m) DRAFT: 7ft. 3in. (2.2m) CONSTRUCTION: aluminum DISPLACEMENT: 391 tons GROSS TONNAGE: 484 ELECTRIC PROPULSION: 2 x 531 kW electric motors; 4 x 350 kW generators; 544 kW/h battery bank PROPELLERS: VETH CRP pods FUEL: 11,888 gal. (45,000L) WATER: 3,170 gal. (12,000L) SPEED (max.): 14.1 knots SPEED (cruising): 13 knots SPEED (ecological): 10 knots SPEED (zero-emissions): 5 knots STABILIZERS: gyroscopic zero-speed CLASSIFICATION: RINA - C Hull • Mach Ych Unrestricted Navigation, EFP, CONF (Y), AUTO-UMS (Y), LY3 Wider Engineering/Sydac EXTERIOR STYLING: Fulvio De Simoni INTERIOR DESIGN: Ideaeitalia GUESTS: 10 in 5 staterooms CREW: 8 in 4 cabins + captain’s cabin BUILDER: Wider Yachts YEAR: 2015

Simoni lives up to its “wider” appellation with side blisters on the upper deck that extend the maximum beam well beyond 28 feet (8.6 meters) and a fold-down balcony serving the 897 square feet (75 square meters) of master suite on the main deck forward. The open deck forward of the wheelhouse has a lounge area recessed into the coachroof and protected by a composite hardtop that raises at the touch of a button. The roof is designed for use only at anchor, but the over-engineered stainless steel lifting mechanism is robust enough to resist winds, real or apparent, of up to 30 knots.

Technical innovations continue in the wheelhouse, with an integrated console that wouldn’t look out of place aboard the starship Enterprise. Developed in conjunction with Team Italia, the I-Bridge navigation system comprises three instrument panels that can be arranged to wrap ergonomically around a leather-clad pilot’s chair, which folds out from underneath the bridge console. The complex mechatronics—a field of engineering that combines mechanical, electrical and computer systems—required extensive mock-ups and testing prior to installation.

Antonelli took another calculated risk when he chose two relative unknowns to develop the interior concept. Davide Bernardini and Alessio Battistini of Ideaeitalia have collaborated with other Italian yards on smaller yachts, but Genesi represented their first solo superyacht project.

“Our objective was to create an interior design that complemented the exterior styling by Fulvio De Simoni but also promoted an Italian aesthetic and our renowned craftsmanship,” Battistini says. “The tones and textures had to be luxurious yet balanced, and the overall ambience sufficiently discreet to also appeal to the charter market.”

This mission resulted in an eclectic palette of materials and finishes that exudes Italian charm and sophistication. Furniture pieces and panels of dark-stained wood were scarified by hand for a more organic and tactile effect than can be achieved by machine. Zebrano, a decorative wood with zebra-like veining, was used for the soles and treated with a natural finish for a softly textured feel underfoot. The cabinet facades are made from a mélange of wood fused with metal that, unlike similar finishes combining metallic compounds with resin, feels cool to the touch, like solid metal. The designers sourced lighttoned travertine for the guest areas and snow-white Thassos marble, prized for its sparkling crystalline structure, for the owner’s bathroom.

Genesi is a remarkable achievement for a yard that is just six years old and whose previous largest build was the equally unusual Wider 42 day cruiser, which has an expanding cockpit with stabilizing sponsons. The 150 was financed by a Malaysian industrialist who happens to be Wider’s principal investor. At the time of writing, the yacht was for sale as the owner awaits delivery of a Wider 165 in build. The new yacht will share the same design and technical features as her smaller stablemate, and will add a helipad on the foredeck and a mini-submarine in the garage. Most important, the 165 will have an updated version of the diesel-electric system upon which Wider has so firmly pinned its marketing hopes.

“Not so long ago, we had to explain what a diesel-electric yacht is,” says Sales and Marketing Director Jeremy Roche. “Now it seems we’re attracting inquiries because we offer diesel-electric propulsion. This has happened in a relatively short space of time, perhaps triggered by developments in the automotive industry, but today’s market is definitely more aware of the technology and advantages involved.”