The Reinvented Ferretti Looks Ahead with Its New 920 Yacht

Ferretti Yachts has been reinventing itself over the last three years with a series of more modern, roomy, and stylish yacht models. Its 920, launched at the Cannes Yachting Festival last week, is the culmination of several years of aggressive design efforts to create a compelling style that is much more than a me-too, mini-superyacht. The 920’s profile is relatively classic, with a conventional-looking running surface, minus the curves or vertical bows now popular on many competitors’ boats. But the huge wraparound windshield on the pilothouse underscores that this 92-footer is looking way ahead, rather than behind at its roots.

Maximizing usable space on the 920 was one of Ferretti’s and Studio Zuccon International’s primary goals for the design. It’s clear from the exterior that they were successful. The flybridge extends nearly half the boat’s length, while the unusually large foredeck area takes up a quarter more of the boat. Then there is the large swim platform at the transom. The designers did an excellent job of devoting the majority of the exterior space to the owners and guests rather than wasting space. The largest-ever flybridge for a Ferretti Yachts vessel this size has a carbon-fiber hardtop for sun protection. Two large lounges, a wet bar, alfresco dining table, and two forward-facing sofas create an immense social area. The aft section is open, though it can be protected by sun shades.

The stern has one of Ferretti’s coolest inventions ever—a submersible hatch. The system is a tender garage door that actually slides up and backward, while the swim platform drops down, flooding the garage for easy tender launch and retrieval. The garage door can then slide into a lateral position to form a much larger swim platform. That gives the 920 a serious, movable beach club that is bigger than any competitors’.

Zuccon worked hard to give the interior a fresh, luxurious feel, bathing the saloon in walnut woods and contrasting that with anthracite-gray parquet floors. The lounges and chairs are a stone-gray leather by Italian furniture maestro Minotti. Ferretti also chose Minotti coffee tables with bronze and Calacatta gold finishes for their modern look. The eight-person dining table is a contemporary smoked-gray glass with Nubuck-covered chairs. The forward galley is outfitted with Ernestomeda appliances, which are both beautiful and designed for the professional chefs.

The full-beam master suite on the main deck features a bed on a “floating” base with a large mirror overhead to enhance the sense of light and space. Large through-hull windows deliver a stunning view of the water from the bed, or the sofa near the windows. The master also has a full-beam bathroom—a highly unusual feature for a boat this size—dressed in Antolini marble, mosaics, and brass accents. Two layouts are available for the lower deck, including a three-stateroom layout with a full-beam suite amidships and another VIP suite on the port side. It’s rare to have three large staterooms on a boat this size. A four-cabin layout is also available. The yacht in Cannes had the same walnut finish belowdecks as that in the saloon and master suite.

The pilothouse design keeps the yacht’s profile sleek, rather than having a tall, stacked look. The 920 was powered by twin 16V 2000 M96 MTU engines, which give it a top end of 30 knots and cruise speed of 26 knots. The new 920 will be at the Monaco Yacht Show next week.