BENETTI M/Y “METIS” WINS AT BOAT INTERNATIONAL WORLD SUPERYACHT AWARDS 2020

The judges at Boat International were impressed by the interior architecture, designed in a particularly progressive style by British studio Bannenberg & Rowell, and the innovative exteriors and layout penned by Giorgio M. In the unprecedented setting of an online ceremony, held on November 13, Benetti’s mega yacht “Metis” won the prestigious World Superyacht Award in the “Displacement yachts between 1,000 and 1,499 tonnes” category. Such success replicates that of the award that Benetti received at the 2019 event for M/Y Spectre, once again held by the highly reputed yachting magazine Boat International. The experienced yacht owners forming the World Superyacht Awards jury recognised in “Metis” the Italian elegance and excellent quality that are the core values of the Benetti brand. The judges particularly appreciated how Metis’ layout was designed to suit the needs of her owner, while extending the modern design trends, including interiors with such good visibility that they are at one with the surrounding seascapes. The beach club, opening directly to the sea through three huge shell doors, was another feature that caught their attention. The success of Metis is furthermore impressive considering that the build was started on speculation by Benetti. The project’s team was challenged to design an extraordinary yacht that would need to interpret with no compromises the requirements of modern yachtsmen, both in functionality and style. M/Y “Metis” is a distinctively contemporary 63-meter custom yacht with impressive volumes clad in flowing lines and innovative details. The steel hull and aluminium superstructure offer six decks and a maximum beam of 11 meters. The touch-and-go helipad, the 160 square meters master apartment, with an exclusive outdoor terrace, and the extensive deck areas are just a few of the yacht’s outstanding features. The 20 sqm Fly Deck gym is the cherry-on-the-pie that Kurt Lehman, from Yacht Moments, is particularly proud of, since it was his idea, and is one of the features that truly impressed the judges. For the interiors, London-based firm Bannenberg & Rowell has introduced a new design approach that embraces an unusual layout, with the beach club, the main saloon on the Main Deck, and the lounge area on the Upper Deck turned 30 degrees compared to traditional configurations, revealing new perspectives from which to enjoy the view of the sea. The architecture developed by the English studio features the extensive use of bleached oak with leather inserts and materials including carbon fibre and polished stainless steel.