On the heels of acquiring a shipyard in Ancona, Italy, along the Adriatic coast, Wider Yachts will soon start construction of the Wider 150, its first megayacht. It’s also made some changes to the project to streamline production and add more features.
At 148 feet (45.122 meters) LOA, the Wider 150 still includes a number of terraces and folding platforms on the main and upper decks, substantially increasing the usable space onboard (hence a “wider” yacht). Near the transom, for example, “wings” along the sides become extra lounging/sunning spaces or quick entries into the water, via automatically deploying ladders. They further form an expansive transom beach with the swim platform, which itself extends.
The changes affect the construction material, now aluminum vs. fiberglass. Wider Yachts’ management team believed metal would permit a shorter production time, which it anticipates will be 28 months. Wider Yachts and the megayacht’s designer, Fulvio De Simoni, also decided to push the beam out a bit. It’s now 26’9” (8.2 meters), vs. the initial 25’6” (7.8 meters). And, the builder and design team decided to add two balconies in the master suite.
The master suite retains the sliding wall that separates its sleeping area from its lounging/office area. The Wider 150 still has an interior pool, too, formed when the Wider 32 tender floats out (above). And of course, accommodations for guests and crew below decks, an upper-deck captain’s cabin, and more remain.
As revealed this summer, the Wider 150 will feature a diesel-electric propulsion system from Siemens. This will allow the megayacht to run solely on battery power, or with the batteries and diesel engines engaged. As a reminder, in battery-only mode, even if other systems requiring electricity are operating, the Wider 150 should be capable of running for eight hours straight and cover 50 miles. When both batteries and diesel powerplants are operating, Wider says that three different speed and range combinations will be possible. Now, Wider and Siemens have added diesel boosters to the propulsion package. With all three engaged, the Wider 150 should see a 20-knot maximum speed.
In other news, Wider Yachts has additional models, the Wider 100 and Wider 120, in development. Details should be released in the coming months.
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