SHINING STAR
THE CUSTOM LINE 106 STANDS OUT AMONG NEW MODELS AT THIS SEASON’S BOAT SHOWS
in terms of size and luxury. When it comes to yachts over 100 feet in particular, the bar is set quite high—as it needs to be at a place like the Monaco Yacht Show, which hosts some of the most prestigious yachts in the world. ¶ The Custom Line 106 was a standout among standouts at the show. It’s designed by Francesco Paszkowski in collaboration with Ferretti Group’s engineering department and productstrategy committee, which is headed by Piero Ferrari—yes, that Ferrari. The pedigree is apparent in her lines. It is rare for a yacht in this class to look fast, but Custom Line pulled it off. Her main-deck and hullside windows sweep back like twin katanas. Her sharply raked pilothouse furthers the effect, keeping her profile low and stealthy. ¶ And her performance matches her aesthetics. With optional twin 2,638 hp MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines, she can reportedly go full blast at 26 knots and cruise at 22 knots. With less powerful twin 2,217 hp MTU 16V 2000 M86s, the builder says she can hit 23 knots on the pins and cruise at 20 knots. Electrohydraulic stabilizing fins are installed to work underway and at zero speed, with gyroscopic stabilizers optional. ¶ Stepping aboard the yacht in Monaco, I walked past the garage, which is large enough to hold a 16-foot-5-inch Williams Dieseljet 505 tender and a three-person PWC. The staircases on both sides of the garage can be covered by Custom Line’s Dual Mode Transom system—effectively, sliding fiberglass plates—to keep the yacht’s exterior lines taut while underway. I walked up those steps to the cockpit, where I was greeted by an optional dining settee, which the owner requested for taking meals outside. A wet bar with a refrigerator and an ice maker was to starboard to further handle entertainment duties. ¶ Forward of the cockpit, glass French doors lead to the 430-square-foot salon, which is the yacht’s main interior entertainment space. Those aforementioned, bladelike windows are sole-to-ceiling, allowing for excellent natural light as well as a sense of openness and connection to the outdoors. The central window panel to starboard can be swapped out for an electrically opening terrace, a choice Custom Line
Custom Line is a jewel in the crown of the Italian boatbuilder Ferretti Group, second only to the company’s CRN brand
expects to be a popular one. A dining settee for 10 is forward for formal dinners. ¶ As one would expect of a yacht in this size and class, the 106’s master is on the main deck. A companionway to starboard—beginning forward of the salon—leads to the stateroom’s entrance, where a walk-in closet to port and an office to starboard greet the lucky owner. An island king berth is centrally located, and there’s a his-andhers head forward. The shower, which is on centerline, felt cavernous when I stepped inside. ¶ Four guest staterooms are standard on the accommodations level. Mirroring en suite VIPs are at amidships, while the others are forward. The berths in the VIPs face outward, for great views through the hullside windows. And there are 6-foot-tall hanging lockers in each stateroom—plenty of space to pack for a longer voyage. I also like that this yacht can come with optional Pullman berths in the guest cabins, allowing it to sleep 12. ¶ Another area on the 106 of which Custom Line is quite proud—and which I can personally attest garnered lots of dock talk in Monaco—is the foredeck. There are three separate areas, or four, if you include the workspace for crew at the tip of the bow. Just forward of the windshield is a C-shaped settee that would be my pick for the place to be while underway. Forward of that, a raised center island has another C-shaped settee accompanied by coffee tables and sun pads. Two more sun pads forward of that comprise perhaps the most private of the three lounge areas. There’s also another tender garage here; it can house a Williams Minijet 280. ¶ With its 106, Custom Line has created a yacht that blends performance with luxury— and the outdoors with the indoors. The high level of design put into this vessel is what makes her stand out, whether she is cruising the deep blue sea or docked among the masses in Monaco.
Her main-deck and hullside windows sweep back like twin katanas.