How the Ferretti Yacht 500 is marking a trailblazing and stylish new era of design moods for the Italian shipbuilder

Ferretti Yachts has always put comfort at the heart of its shipbuilding. The Italian yachtmaker was founded in 1968 and is known today for its fleet of 50ft to 96ft luxury flybridges and scores of high-tech innovations. The yard has created the underbody exhausts, the tilting window between lounge and cockpit, F-TDR (Ferretti Trim and Drag Reduction) and electro-hydraulic active Steer-by-Wire systems. 

Each of its innovations has been inspired by, and created for, the ease of its clients. The question at the heart of every new solution is: how can this be easier, better, more intuitive for our owners? From this question, the Ferretti Yachts team has introduced integrated monitoring and navigation systems, joystick packages for easy mooring and other improvements to what the brand calls the ‘human-yacht interface’. 

The brand’s latest project, Ferretti Yachts 500, is now pushing the boundaries further – not by scaling up, as so many superyacht builders do, but by focusing on new design solutions and interior moods that accentuate how owners actually live in and spend time in their yachts.

The 500 is the first of a complete redesign of Ferretti’s entire range, starting from the strategic 50ft right up to the fleet’s flagship. To create a new look that would enhance the practical experience of Ferretti Yachts, exterior design architect Filippo Salvetti followed the philosophy of the brand’s high-tech contemporary models, introducing several new concepts to create exterior and interior solutions that are more often found on larger yachts, in order to optimise every feature. >>

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“This project is ushering in a new era for the brand,” says Salvetti. “We want to combine the nautical adventure of ocean cruising with domestic comfort. That will come through larger spaces of the interior and many other solutions found on much larger yachts.”

The Ferretti Yacht 500 boasts an aerodynamic, streamlined shape that maximises practical use; the stern features a soft and sporty design with generous leisure spaces – such as a retractable swimming platform – while the hull shape allows for wide, modern windows. Dual side access » leads up to the cockpit, which is organised with a structural sofa and table to allow the space to double as a lounge or dining area for up to 10 people.

On the flybridge, the aft dining area features a C-shaped sofa extending along the back, and the starboard bow area features a luxurious sun pad. An outside steering station introduces Ferretti’s newly designed helm and pilot’s station, and forward is a beach area designed for relaxation. 

Inside, the shipyard’s customisable layouts for the lower deck include options of a large master cabin and VIP cabin, both with private bathroom and laundry, or master, VIP and double cabins with two bathrooms and separate shower. 

“The design of the new Ferretti Yachts 500 highlights an overall dynamism thanks to new and innovative stylistic features of the superstructure. A natural heir to the Ferretti Yachts 720, it reinterprets the new styles of the range in a very personal way. It proposes a layout based on a design centred on people and their life on board, a typical approach of the Ferretti DNA,” said Salvetti, who collaborated on the project with Ferretti’s product strategy committee headed by Piero Ferrari, the Ferretti Group Engineering Department and architects Ideaeitalia. “The two different moods of decor by Ideaeitalia studio perfectly reflect the brand’s ‘Just like home’ philosophy and are able to satisfy the tastes of every customer.” >>

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These new interior moods are Portofino, with its warm tones and classic style, and the contemporary Santorini, inspired by Mediterranean colours. Portofino is dominated by dark oak combined with glossy and matte monochrome lacquers; earth-toned fabrics and leathers and dark marble-effect stoneware in the bathrooms. Santorini features sand-coloured oak on bulkheads, furniture and parquet, white shades of glossy and matte lacquers. Glass, polished steel and ocean-inspired fabrics create a contemporary environment, with white marble-effect stoneware in the bathrooms. 

Both share interior design house Ideaitalia’s ‘made in Italy’ approach: luxurious furnishings are sourced from Graniti Fiandre, Galassia and OML for the bathroom, Pellini lacquered Venetian blinds, Paffoni sink taps and, of course, the Gentili Mosconi Home collection of fabrics for Ferretti Yachts to complete the experience.

With the Ferretti Group having begun the year picking up five industry awards at the Oceanway China Yacht Annual Awards – including “innovation yacht award” for Ferretti Yachts 720 – the Ferretti Yacht 500 is designed to push the brand even further towards its goal of fusing high-tech nautical solutions with a familial environment that puts guests at ease.

Powered by twin 550hp Cummins QSB6.7 engines, the 500 will have a top speed of 30 knots and available gyroscopic stabilisation to provide a yacht that feels, in performance and design alike, just like home.