White Hot Star
Used Boat Review: For one lucky owner, this Mangusta 94 Maxi Open was a ton of fun on the water.
If money was no object, and you could support the lifestyle and upkeep of virtually any yacht available, what would you buy?
Those of us blessed with the water gene, who, as I do, peruse the brokerage pages of Power & Motoryacht every month, will undoubtedly experience bouts of “what if,” and run a variety of fantasy ownership scenarios in our minds. More often than not, however, we scan these pages for yachts that could vault us into the realms of possibility, though just as often these realms are tempered by plausibility, and serve to bring our dreams down to the waterline level. But even so, we all have flights of fancy.
My most recent experience with the realm of unlimited possibilities in yacht ownership occurred when I spotted an interesting listing for an entirely different yacht in the brokerage section, searched a broker’s website for a deeper dive, and found Stella Bianca, a 2016 Mangusta 94 built by the Overmarine Group, a builder of fine semicustom yachts in Viareggio, Italy. With 300 yachts delivered over 30 years, the company has achieved a lasting reputation for high-quality builds, and currently produces Long Range, Fast Displacement, and Maxi Open yachts bearing the Mangusta badge.
Stella Bianca is Hull No. 4 in the Mangusta 94 Maxi Open yacht line, a timeless contemporary design to my eye, that was made for an experienced Florida-based yachtsman who has built eight yachts, all named White Star, for entertaining family and friends. He sea-trialed Hull No. 2 in Monaco and was impressed by the elegant, and in some cases heavy-duty, features and the low-swept beauty of the design. He was also very impressed by the stability, due to the gyrostabilizer aboard, and the quiet running Rolls-Royce propulsion system—twin 2,600-hp MTU 16V 2000 M96L diesels turning a pair of KaMeWa 56 S3 waterjets. It was so quiet, in fact, that he was unaware the boat was ripping along at 35 knots until he glanced at the SOG reading on the chartplottter.
The Mangusta 94 is a direct descendant of Overmarine’s successful 92-foot model, of which 28 were built over a 10-year period, according to my Power & Motoryacht colleague and European Editor, Alan Harper. But much was done by the shipyard to update the new 94, and even more was specified by the original owner of Stella Bianca. Included among the former: an entirely new superstructure that replaced the sunpad-equipped foredeck with coverable, multi-use sunning and dining areas (seating for 10) that added more usable on-deck spaces for open-air enjoyment.
The original owner ordered not one but two Seakeepers for zerospeed as well as underway stability. In addition to the more powerful drive train, which is more akin to one used by Overmarine on its larger yachts, Stella Bianca is equipped with twin Kohler 28-kilowatt
gensets, an electric bow thruster, an Idromar Reverse Osmosis watermaker, and a whopping 135,680-Btu Frigit air conditioning system. (The last two items offer clues about this yacht owner’s favorite tropical, semi-arid cruising destination.)
He also had the builder replace the sunpad-only flybridge layout with a fully integrated helm console that raises and lowers electrically (to maintain the sleek look of the original design lines), a folding radar arch that lowers at the touch of a switch (for better bridge clearance), and a full complement of seating, dining and entertaining options (removable sunshade, convertible sunpad, icemaker, fridge and wet bar—well, you know what those are for).
There are a couple of notable features that deserve mentioning, because they illustrate the shipyard’s willingness to work with owners for custom solutions that serve their yachting needs well. In place of the fixed skylights that help illuminate the main salon, Overmarine engineered a custom multi-panel, opening glass sunroof for improved natural light and ventilation, and equipped it with an electrical feature that changes the glass from clear to clouded. In addition, the ladder leading from the aft deck to the flybridge was relocated, increasing the size and comfort of the accommodations (up to 12 people) on the aft deck.
Shade for the massive aft deck is provided by a retractable sun shade, while access to and from the water is simplified by a retractable swim platform and sea stairs that extend 12 feet aft and submerge to a position below the water. Both features are products of Sanguineti Chiavari, a renowned maker of convenience equipment for large yachts since 1958.
Access to the main salon is through a custom automatic, stainlesssteel-and-glass, four-panel bulkhead system that stores to port to create a seamlessly joined indoor/outdoor space. Rosewood and oak paneling, along with stained oak floors, are an important part of the environment, supporting the owner’s selection of contemporary furnishings. The lower helm occupies nearly the entire forward width of the salon, but the views out the oversized windows to the sides and aft are extraordinary.
Overmarine Group’s design department was put to the challenge of modifying the four-cabin layout on the accommodations deck. The team was asked to eliminate one cabin in lieu of a lower salon. The salon space they created feels like a very private getaway. It’s equipped with its own fridge, icemaker, and wet bar, and it offers access to the day head that doubles as a guest head. There’s also a desk for those who can’t leave work behind completely, and a 50-inch TV for those who have set aside work for the day.
Adjacent to the lower salon, an enlarged entrance doorway leads into the full-beam master stateroom, which offers beautiful views from expansive in-hull windows and portlights. The expected kingsize bed has walk-around access and is flanked by twin nightstands. A loveseat to starboard is balanced by storage drawers and a makeup table/desk to port. There are his-and-her closets and heads abaft the bulkhead supporting the headboard, as well as a marble and stainless steel shower with SureGraft custom water and steam fixtures. One of my favorite features is very telling: a private entrance door to the galley.
VIP guests enjoy a large stateroom forward with a queen-size bed, two hanging lockers, and custom ceiling port windows that change from clear to clouded at the touch of a switch. A starboard stateroom offers cozy, comfortable twin berths, plus its own en suite head, stall shower and vanity. The en suite head also has a Planus toilet and a hammered surface sink with a marble-topped vanity. Separate quarters for both the captain and the crew of two are also part of the overall plan on this boat, with connecting head compartments and private crew dining facilities.
From its mind-boggling list of navigation, communication, and recreational electronics to its Williams Jet Tender in the aft garage,
Stella Bianca is replete with excellent, late-model equipment—always an incentive for those of us who engage in the “what if ” game.
Dean Anthony is the Allied Marine broker who surprised the industry by concluding the sale of Stella Bianca in just four weeks (typically, it can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months). He makes an interesting point about this well-cared-for boat and the fact that it is appealing to a person who wants a yacht of this magnitude, but does not want to wait a year for a brand-new model to be built. With a yacht like Stella Bianca, an owner can also avoid fees for custom options, duty and shipping (among others).
I was fortunate to speak with the original owner, as well as his longtime colleague who also played a vital role in the building of Stella
Bianca. What I learned could send some potential owners scrambling for their checkbooks. The owner was greatly satisfied with the entire process of building, owning, and maintaining this Mangusta 94, and he was already working with the folks from Overmarine to build his next yacht—possibly the Mangusta 110. There’s no doubt in my mind what her name will be.