Boat of the Week: This 96-Foot Arcadia Has More Outdoor Space Than Your Superyacht

The first hull in Arcadia Yachts’ A96 series made its world debut at Cannes this year where it was promptly snapped up by a European owner who has his sights set on cruising the Mediterranean. Built on speculation, it was the first of two units sold at the boat show. Besides obvious consumer demand it proved that shipyard owner Ugo Pellegrino’s plan to not sell the first model until the build was complete took some courage and was effective.

Pellegrino wanted the freedom to realize his own “crossover” design without having to factor in custom requests. That vision was two years in the making and is part of a larger three-to-five-year plan to deliver a range of yachts between 70 feet and 130 feet.

“We did not want to lose our identity, which is unlike anything else on the market,” he told Robb Report during a tour of the yacht. “The A96 has excellent divisions, large spaces and large volumes, which you won’t find with our competitors.”

The A96 mixes the lines, volume and open-plan layout of Arcadia’s Sherpa series with the speed, joystick maneuverability and service quality of the yard’s A range. The exterior was designed in-house, with interiors penned by Igor Lobanov (this was a first-time collaboration between the yard and designer). The A96’s top end is 24 knots. Besides speed, there’s a whopping 4,300 square feet of usable space, which is 30 percent more than other yachts in its class.

The term “floating resort” or “terrace on the sea” is often used to describe open-plan yacht designs. The Arcadia A96 lives up to those names, largely because of the 96-foot yacht’s 24-foot beam, which stretches even wider when the side platforms are folded down. It’s mated with twin balconies and sliding glass doors on the main deck that leave the aft end of the yacht fully open to the elements. The same design is repeated on the upper deck, with more sliding glass doors on both sides and aft that lead directly to the exterior deck. The low bulwarks and lateral walkways continue a sense of space.

It’s a 96-footer that feels like a 130-footer, with high ceilings and a wellness-focused aesthetic. To that end, Arcadia improved the efficiency of the wiring and piping systems, including thermo-acoustic insulation of the engine room.

The A96 is also equipped with the latest generation of electrically activated stabilizers to provide stability at anchor yet maintain a low environmental impact. Solar panels on the roof of the yacht generate 2000 kW of energy, which is enough to run the yacht in silent mode for up to nine hours.

For the interior, Lobanov was tasked with furnishing the space with natural and “eco-compatible” materials. He opted for soft, welcoming lines and tactile furnishings, including a sand-patterned bouclé carpet. The interior loose furniture is selected from Italian design houses united by calm colours, natural materials and a glossy finish.

Central to the wellbeing element is the guests’ onboard experience. Two separate stairways are used for owners and crew. Two pantries ease service on multiple decks so there is little overlap but the boat is more efficient. The four guest cabins on the lower deck—one VIP, one double, two twins—enjoy ensuite bathrooms that are positioned to provide a buffer between guests’ beds and the engine rooms.

The large sun deck is where guests gather for large alfresco meals and to watch sports on the supersized television screen. Cream linen curtains allow the breeze in but keep the sun out, while a separate sink and fridge give the owners the freedom to serve themselves should they wish.

Four Volvo Penta engines with IPS 1200 transmissions ensure a long-range, low-emissions comfort, not to mention that top speed of 24 knots and range of 600 nautical miles at 16 knots. At 10 knots, the A96 has a 2,000 nautical-mile range. It joins Arcadia’s A85, A105 and A115 models.

Click here for more images of the Arcadia A96.