It was a neat end-of-chapter in Bassani’s life: a return to the sea. “So I thought I should try to set up a little business to promote this kind of new generation of boat.” And with that, in 1994, Wally Yachts was born, the company capitalising on the name of Bassani’s first boat – “and because our boats would also be a bit ‘wally’!” “People started saying, ‘but that’s a cruising boat, with teak and air-conditioning and everything, and she’s as fast as we are’.” Despite the attention, his boat remained apart Bassani could not understand why no one was copying him. He spent two years cruising and racing Wallygator, occasionally beating genuine raceboats to line honours. Luca Bassani has always felt at home on sailing yachts He was young, he was new in the market and he didn’t have anything to lose.” The only designer that would listen to me was Luca Brenta. I also wanted a forward master cabin, a self-tacking jib and no backstays. “We are talking about 1989 and first of all I wanted a carbon fibre mast, and at that time the only boat with a carbon fibre mast was the New Zealand America’s Cup boat. The industry was 20 years behind and nobody wanted to progress,” he says. “They were scared to put their reputation at risk in delivering a boat that could be too innovative. No boat then on the market matched his requirements and nor would any boat designers take his commission. “Finally, after a long period of being very, very busy, for a while I was free, very rich and I said, ‘OK, now I want the boat of my dreams’.”įinding it was easier said than done. Well below 40 and with a very deep wallet, he did what most people would do – he went looking for a superyacht. In 1989 he got rich after the sale of the family firm, BTicino, a world leader in electrical components. The first boat he ever built was actually for himself. When you look and see that everybody is doing the same as us, you say ‘why didn’t you just come to Wally?’”īassani photographed by Helmut Newton on Wallygator It’s a good number, for big sailing yachts like this, but I think the market could have trusted us a bit more. “I think we’ve deserved to sell more than 46, 47 boats. I don’t think it’s too much to say that Genie has influenced the last 20 years.” But there’s an obvious flip-side to any new thinking. “That kind of layout, that kind of style and deck, it’s clear. “You look around the market today and I would say that 95 per cent of yachts from 40 to 140 feet have copied Genie of the Lamp,” Bassani says, referring to the 24.24 metre sloop he launched in 1995. His sailing output generates slightly less attention but has had an even greater impact, not just setting trends but a whole new direction for superyacht design. Car designers will point to Bassani’s iconic WallyPower 118 as an inspiration, and if the sharp, faceted model cruises into port anywhere, the cameraphones come out. His company, the world-famous Wally Yachts, is one of the few boat brands to go mainstream, like Riva or maybe even Chris-Craft. If mimicry is flattery then Luca Bassani should spend his entire life blushing. Sailers, powerboats, tenders, displacement superyachts – his Wallys are distinctive, unforgettable vessels that have shaped the industry says Stewart Campbell.
WALLY YACHTS WINDOWS
Of course, it’s the owner’s suite at the bow which brings the wow factor with 398 square feet of space and vast wraparound glass windows that offer uninterrupted views.From the moment he launched Wally Yachts in 1994, Luca Bassani has never looked back. The vessel can fit three or four double guest cabins depending on the layout selected. To achieve this feat, the team took the areas typically reserved for exterior walkways and incorporated them into the sizable 656-square-foot salon.įrom here, a central carbon-fiber staircase links to the upper deck’s striking glass-encased sky lounge and the lower deck’s luxe accommodation.
At its heart is an expansive full-beam main salon, which Wally claims is 50 percent larger than those found in comparable vessels.
Indeed, the WHY200 features more than 2,153 square feet of indoor living space. “It is a platform that can be enjoyed by the whole family or groups of friends, without compromise.” “Through the WHY200, we are challenging preconceived notions of what a yacht should be and how it can be used,” Wally’s managing director Stefano de Vivo said in a press release. The expandable beach club offers direct access to the sea on three sides.
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