The French connecTion

Monte Carlo is a yachtbuilder whose name gives away its secret. The principality is planted firmly on the border between France and Italy, drawing the best of each. And so Monte Carlo Yachts was born of a French corporation that builds its yachts in Italy, also drawing the best from each.

The brand is a division of the Beneteau Group, one of the world’s largest boatbuilders. Until recently, Beneteau had focused primarily on midrange power and sailing yachts, but CEO Madame Roux decided to take on the midrange luxury market, going headto-head with the likes of Sunseeker, Princess and Azimut. Roux recruited Carla Demaria, a visionary at Azimut-Benetti for more than two decades, to create a fresh line of luxury motoryachts. And, though Beneteau has always been French, Demaria wanted to bring Italian élan and craftsmanship. That’s why the French builder placed the Monte Carlo plant on the Italian Adriatic.

The result is an intriguing pairing of fashion houses such as Hermès and Armani, and of materials such as Italian marble and French fabric. The collaboration defines a new Mediterranean style. —C.C.

LOA: 105’10” (32.26m) BEAM: 23’5” (7.15m) DRAFT: 7’9” (2.37m) CONSTRUCTION: composite fiberglass DISPLACEMENT: 104 tons (dry) ENGINES: 2 x 2,200-hp MTU 16V 2000 M84 ENGINES (optional): 2 x 2,400-hp MTU 16V 2000 M93 FUEL: 3,170 gal. (12,000L) WATER: 528 gal. (2,000L) SPEED (max): 27 knots SPEED (cruise): 23-24 knots CLASSIFICATION: RINA Pleasure or Charter Class NAVAL ARCHITECTURE: Monte Carlo Yachts EXTERIOR STYLING: Nuvolari Lenard INTERIOR DESIGN: Nuvolari Lenard GUESTS: 8-11 CREW: 4