Perhaps the only reason I went to Cannes this year, as it’s not normally on my agenda, was to visit the latest new launch from Sanlorenzo. SHE/ is a personal passion project of the CEO, Max Perotti, a 25.5-metre neo-classic yacht that shone out among the myriad of shiny grey, white and black modern yachts that are starting to all look the same to me.

When you explore the full range of the Sanlorenzo fleet, it’s easy to get distracted to try to work out what you need. Is it a Blue Game day boat, a Nautor Swan sailing machine or anyone one of the Sanlorenzo motoryachts that have evolved into perhaps the coolest looking yachts in the market? The idea of a mini-Sanlorenzo fleet absolutely makes sense; one of each would create a perfect yachting experience, where everyone has a platform for fun and relaxation.

Anyway, back to my love affair with SHE/. I was excited at first glance at the renderings and sketches – the curves, the wrap-around windows, the proliferation of non-teak exterior decking and the retro handrails and mini-mast all created the impression of something very new but with pedigree and heritage. SHE/ is a mini-superyacht, but a thoroughbred at the same time. Even though SHE/ was surrounded by the fleet of modern examples, its lines and elegance were distracting and as I approached the yacht I could feel the aura of something captivating and beautiful.

SHE/ may be a small 25.5-metre mini-superyacht, but perhaps this was the idea – a new era of ownership where it’s about the feeling on board, the intimacy, the calmness, the purity of being in a connected and seamless open space from stern through to the lower decks, combined with an aft deck and upper deck that creates a feeling of relaxation and inconspicuousness 

SHE/ is simple yet complicated, elegant yet strong, refined yet playful, and in a world of superyachts with aft platforms, hull openings, balconies, complex structures, this is a project that doesn’t feel the need to add all the accessories and remains simply beautiful.

I think there is a huge opportunity for any owner of a very large yacht, say 65 metres and above,
to secure their own SHE/ and add it to their private fleet.

The only negative I could find, a minor flaw, is on the upper sun deck which delivers a wide-open platform for sunbathing and relaxing, under what assumes will be a beautiful awning, the steps down to the main deck need careful navigation. I can imagine, even in a small swell and Mediterranean afternoon breeze, this open sun deck may get a bit windy and any loose items will need securing. After a glass of champagne or two, manoeuvring from your sun pad to the open stairway,without a clear and safe hand-hold may be slightly difficult. It just needs a nice vertical hand-hold pole, like you find on a limousine tender, to allow the owner and their guests to navigate safely down to the fridge or the bathroom.

From a business perspective, it is fair to say that SHE/ will be a collector’s item, a yacht that will be owned by sophisticated aficionados, who want to be seen on an understated and cool private yacht in a small anchorage, admired by all around it. However, I think there is a huge opportunity for any owner of a very large yacht, say 65 metres and above, to secure their own SHE/ and add it to their private fleet. With a customised layout, with perhaps one enlarged main stateroom and a private office below, but everything else staying the same, this could be the perfect escape for a discreet billionaire to disappear with their partner for their alone time, on their private and discreet floating apartment in remote anchorages that their main superyacht can only dream of.

I think Sanlorenzo has created something that will start a new trend: discreet and invisible cruising without the ostentation of size and scale that allows you to relax and disappear.

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