Get comfortable on the Sanlorenzo SX88 super yacht

Sanlorenzo’s SX88 is a ‘crossover’ motoryacht. — (Image credit: press)

As yachts get bigger, so do the options and opportunities for extravagant interior design, features, facilities, finishes and accoutrements. A visit to the first SuperYacht Gallery, held at London’s Saatchi Gallery at the start of June, demonstrated this trend in full effect: there was pretty much nothing you can’t do on board a boat, given the right budget, boundless imagination and adventurous designers.

Sanlorenzo’s SX88 offers a slightly different take on waterborne living. The SX88 is a ‘crossover’ motoryacht, in that it has been designed to be as flexible as possible, without focusing on one particular attribute. Intended for island-hopping charters, this floating retreat eschews impractically sleek lines in favour of an open, more upright stance. The angular glassy superstructure appears to float above the generous hull, and despite the SX88’s generous 27m length it’s still a minnow in the superyacht league tables.

Nevertheless, Sanlorenzo has found space on for a couple of tenders and a generous ‘beach club’ (the flat bit at the stern designed for swimming, sunning and generally enjoying the good life). Below decks there are 4-5 well appointed cabins, along with crew quarters. And for a big boat, the SX88 uses as little energy as possible, with power coming from banks of high-tech banks of batteries to minimise emissions in out-of-the-way locations.

The flying bridge over the beach-club decking

Key to the SX88’s interior ambience is the involvement of acclaimed designer Piero Lissoni, working alongside the exterior designer Lou Codega. Sanlorenzo has previously tapped the talents of Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel for interior design, and the Lissoni collaboration marks a next step in the company’s design language.

Opt for the open-plan configuration – instead of the grand owner’s cabin – and you’ll get a wood-lined loft-style living space more akin to a penthouse apartment than a traditional boat. Lissoni and his team of David Lopez, Stefano Castelli, and Marco Gottardi, have created a saloon with panoramic views through the floor-to-ceiling windows, a space that flows right through from the bow seating area to the beach club at the stern.

A compact galley sits alongside an open-plan dining area, emphasising Lissoni’s loft-inspired approach. Slender open-tread stairs lead up to the captain’s chair on the fly bridge, where a secondary open-air seating area provides an even loftier view over your berth. The SX88 is available for order now, built at Sanlorenzo’s La Spezia boatyard and with first deliveries expected in Spring 2018.

Motoryatch — Intended for island-hopping charters, this floating retreat eschews impractically sleek lines in favour of an open, more upright stance

A compact galley sits alongside an open-plan dining area, emphasising Piero Lissoni’s loft-inspired approach

Slender open-tread stairs lead up to the captain&rsquo;s chair on the fly bridge... — Slender open-tread stairs lead up to the captain’s chair on the fly bridge...

Open-air seating area — ...where a secondary open-air seating area provides an even loftier view over your berth

Below decks there are 4-5 well appointed cabins, along with crew quarters

The SX88 is available for order now, with first deliveries expected in Spring 2018

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Lissoni Associati website and the Sanlorenzo Yacht website

Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.