Renato Sonny Levi 1926 - 2016

Certainly one of the pioneering boat designers ever to exist Renato "Sonny" Levi has died on Saturday 12 November 2016 at his home in the Isle of Wight.  Born in 1926 in Karachi, India, it is hard to find the right way to describe Renato Sonny Levi: designer, brilliant mind, certainly the father of modern fast boats. During the course of his long and prolific career, he has developed a wide range of innovations for the world of nautical engineering and naval architecture.  Among the most important are his planning deep Vee hulls, the "Delta" variable Vee hulls, surface drive propulsion, and tunnel for the propellers.  From the point of view of design, his boats are recognised as a functional elegance, innovation and sophistication. Levi is in this sense a figure able to manage the project as a whole, from its engineering aspects to the stylistic and aesthetic.  After more than sixty years since his early work, his contribution is a reference point from which all the boating industry continually draws inspiration for innovation and design. Important is also the publication of his two books; Dhows To Deltas and Milestones In My Design, and through numerous articles that have appeared in the most important industry publications.  The University of Genoa had recently awarded Renato Sonny Levi the Honorary Degree in Yacht Design Class LM34.  His known works are still as at today considered as a reference points in nautical design for comfort and rough sea conditions handling at high speeds. Among his production boats is the Italcraft where he developed a lot of his most extreme innovations in production and semi-production as the Drago series, Riva and the 2000 model which is possibly the most innovative model every made by the Sarnico boat builder where he developed the propulsion, the Alfamarine 40 Bronte what is a co-development with his friend Franco Harrauer, and a lot of the models for the boat builders of Fiumicino in Rome; Delta, and Canav.  His latest work is the Levi Boat 30'6 Corsair Classic, for the newly founded company of his son Martin Levi and Antonello Villa.  Obviously there is a long list of competing winning boats in Renato Levi's career and also some special custom projects for special clients as the Count of Agusta, Giovanni Agnelli, Roberto Olivetti, and last but not least the Virgin Atlantic Challenger for Richard Branson. 

Web: Marquis New Web Site

Marquis presents its new virtual World wide web showroom. Marquis was founded in 2005, as the luxury high end production line of the Genmar Group. Located in Pulaski in the USA, the company has since its early start collaborated with renowned yacht designers Nuvolari Lenard, who started up with what is considered Marquis most successful model the 420 SC. The Venice, Italian design team has since then made eight models for Marquis. Marquis current line up offers four models which start with the 500 Sport Yacht and go up to the 720 Tri-Deck. Marquis new web site takes your around with the following buttons; Yachts, Dealers, Construction, Owners, Contact Us, Company, News, Apparel, and Brochure. Marquis is also on social media with a link to its Facebook and Youtube pages located at the top of the page. 

www.marquisyachts.com

Project: Couach 3800

It's big news at Couach who after some years in difficult waters now is back in full swing.  Now after the announced sale and currently in construction new 23 meter the French yacht and super yacht builder has released first details of a new concept from in-house designers Clément Carbonne and Diane Viboud, what is part of a fully revised product line. The inspiring new concepts is for an adventurous new 3800 model, a 38 meters super yacht explorer with a semi-displacement hull.  The Couach 3800 is also the largest super yacht design to come from the company’s own drafting table.  Couach choose to propose this super yacht with a semi displacement hull because boats are above all made for those who require made-to-measure services, absolute comfort and love navigation. 

www.couach.com

New Model: Ocean Alexander 100 Motoryacht

Ocean Alexander has been a builder who has expanded gradually in recent years building bigger yachts but also in turn over.  The Ocean Alexander 100 Motoryacht is one of its most recent launches and is a progression of the 90 model to a design of Evan K.Marshall.  Built of alloy the Ocean Alexander 100 Motoryacht offers a four double guest cabin accommodation and four to six crew berths in a lobby located aft.  The Ocean Alexander 100 Motoryacht is also available with sky-lounge as hull two pictured above, or with a hardtop flybridge as was the case with hull one.  

Technical Data:

LOA - 30.53 m (100.2 ft)

Waterline Length - 26.8 m

Beam - 7.01 m

Draft - 1.96 m with props

Displacement - 104,281 kg

Fuel Capacity - 15152 l

Water Capacity - 2461 l

Accommodation -  eight guest berths in four cabins, four/six crew berths in three cabins

Engines - 2 x Cats C32 Acert 1925hp

Propulsion - line shaft

Construction - alloy

Project - Evan K.Marshall

www.oceanalexander.com 

Project: Wim Van Der Valk 600 Beachclub

Wim Van Der Valk presents this new innovative project designed by Cor D.Rover for a 600 Beachclub model.  Cor D.Rover presented an innovative unedited layout for the 600 Beachclub which will feature two living areas, one on the main deck by the pilot station, and the second astern which can open up to the sea and become a beach club.  The fore deck part of the lower deck will feature three guest cabins with the owners room to fore.  The Van der Valk 600 Beachclub will feature a semi planning hard chine Vee-shape hull and will be built of aluminium.  The 600 Beachclub will be powered by twin Volvo 725hp engines coupled to IPS pod propulsion which will give a cruise speed of 19 knots.  

www.vandervalkshipyard.com

New Model: Sea Ray 460 Sundancer

Sea Ray continue its wind of change as started in 2013 with the launch of the 510 Fly model.  Three years later the renovation to its upper sizes continues and this time around it is for a new 460 Sundancer, a project which was presented to the dealers as 450 during the Summer 2016 period.  With the new Sea Ray 460 Sundancer the famed USA boat builder takes customer choice to a new level with important options to the customer from five hull colors, interior layouts for two or three cabins, line shaft V-drive or ZF Zeus pod drives, and optional larger fuel capacity for an extra two hundred liters.  Putting all this togather the Sea Ray 460 Sundancer can really become a tailor made sport cruiser.  Design wise the Sea Ray 460 Sundancer is very much in many areas of its design European inspired, from the large hi-low lift bathing platform, to the astern galley, living located on the main deck, and last but not least a cabin area all located on the lower deck.   

Technical Data:

LOA - 14.22 m (46.8ft)

Beam - 4.32 m

Draft - 1.4 m

Displacement - 14,966 kg with line shafts, 16424 kg with ZF Zeus drives

Fuel Capacity - 1419 l, or optional 1638 l

Water Capacity - 454 l

Accommodation - 4 berths in 2 cabins, 6 berths in 3 cabins

Engines - 2 x Cummins QSB 6.7 550hp

Propulsion - line shaft with V-drive, or ZF Zeus aft looking dual propeller pod drives

Hull Shape - modfied Vee with spray rail and 17 degrees deadrise aft

Certification - ABYC, NMMA, CE

www.searay.com

Project: Rose Island 16.65 m Giano MkII

Rose Island add another project to its Giano series, what the Italian boat builder refers to MkII model.  Contrary to usual belief the Giano MkII, is not a newer version of the 12 Giano but a totally different bigger model measuring over sixteen meters in length.  The Giano MkII is based on Rose Island's 58 Pathfinder hull and will feature the same innovative semi planning with directional central keel bottom.  The design upwards of the main deck, pilot house is completely new.  The hull shape of the Giano MkII has some interesting numbers going on the plane at just eleven knots and reaching max speeds up to 25 knots powered by only twin 450hp engines.  Rose Island is not giving any layout details for the Giano MkII, still I would expect a three double cabins plus crew cabin on the development of the 58 Pathfinder.

www.roseisland.it  

New Model: Tecnomar Evo 55 Open

Sometimes a builder comes with a design which is out of the ordinary, and while all these innovative looking boats seem to get the input from the 2003 big Wally Power, recent new boats are going beyond the copy paste realm.  The new Tecnomar Evo 55 Open designed by Gian Marco Campanino is such a design. The Italian designer for the Evo series seem to have gotten inspiration from a sci-fi movie with the exterior of the Evo 55 Open looking like a chameleon coming out of the water.  Looking standstill the Tecnomar Evo 55 looks like it is looking at you.  Campanino has to be commended for an interesting out of the ordinary design, such it is that we forget that the Evo 55 sees Tecnomar returning to the smaller sizes sub 24 meter, something which the yard has not been doing for quite some time. Still important to note that Tecnomar returns to smaller sizes with its usual custom identity it had since founded in the mid eighties with the Evo 55 Open offering three lower deck choices, optional crew cabin and a different Hardtop model availability.       

Technical Data:

LOA - 16.5 m (54.1ft)

Beam - 4.7 m

Accommodation - 2 guests, or 2 + 2 berths in 1 seperate cabins, optional single crew cabin

Engines - 2 x Volvo D11 725hp, D13 900hp

Propulsion - Volvo forward looking IPS pod drives

Speed - 40 knots max with Volvo 900hp units

Project - Architect Gian Marco Campanino

www.tecnomar.com 

Project: Viking 48 SC

Viking continues to expand the 48 series and presents the range with more projects after the launch of the Convertible and Open models.  When the 48 series will be complete will be seeing a four model line up offer all catering to different clientele needs.  This time around Viking presents the project for the 48 SC, these last initials standing for sport cruiser. The 48 SC is very much the same to the Open in layout, with the difference of a three part hard top protecting the center cockpit of the main deck. The Viking 48 SC is on paper the most cruiser friendly model of the series, without forgetting that its DNA is still that of a sport-fishing machine, its aft deck is open, and the mezzanine settees are there.  

www.vikingyachts.com

New Model: Riviera 575 SUV

Riviera presents the new 575 SUV what is a further development of the 565 with some technical differences. It is more or less the same size and the exterior and interior are not any different. Look skin deep though and you start finding a larger fuel tank; five hundred liters plus, a boat which displaces four tons more dry, and most important a choice for eighter IPS pod drives or line shafts propulsion. This last choice allows for a Cat 1000hp engines installation. So how do you recognize a 565 from a 575? The notable exterior design difference is the engine air intake to the side which comes in a more smooth profile on the new 575 SUV. 

Technical Data:

LOA - 18.5 m (60.8ft)

Hull Length - 17.2 m

Beam - 5.13 m

Draft - 1.55 m incl props

Displacement - 27,400 kg dry

Fuel Capacity - 4000 l

Water Capacity - 750 l

Accommodation - 6 berths in 3 cabins

Engines - 2 x Volvo D 727hp, D13 900hp, Cats C12.9 1000hp

Propulsion - Volvo forward looking IPS pod drives. or line shafts

Speed - 30 knots max, 25 knots cruise with Cat 1000hp and line shaft choice

Range - 437 nm at 25 knots

www.riviera.com.au