Explora Motor Yacht

Fabio Fantolino drew the interior of Explora and Alberto Mancini her exterior, and between the two of them this Azimut of the Fly Series gets her character: outside, lines that look as if the wind had cut them and give her the look of movement even when she is stopped; inside, warm tones set against cool, matte finishes against gloss. She is an 81ft (25m) motor yacht, and her volumes are generous.

Accommodation and crew

Four cabins sleep eight guests, and with eight also her limit by day the party aboard is the same size whether she is moving or lying at anchor. The master takes the full beam of her, and she carries a VIP, a further double cabin and a twin with two single beds, the beds across the four being a queen, two doubles and that pair of singles. A crew of four runs her, so eight guests have four people between them to handle the boat and to see to their days.

Comfort under way

Volvo Penta IPS drives give her a cruising speed of 25 knots and 32 knots at full throttle, and the miles between stops pass quickly at either. Stabilisers work both under way and once she has stopped, which takes the roll out of her at speed and again once the anchor is down.

On deck

Her Deck2Deck system extends the aft platform outwards until it becomes a terrace over the water, so the swim platform is somewhere to sit at the level of the sea as well as a step into it, and it is the clearest expression of the open-air life Explora is built around.

Water toys

Two Seabob F9s ride with her, along with an e-foil, a stand-up paddleboard and a set of inflatable toys, so a group of eight has several ways into the water from the same anchorage. Her tender is a Pirelli Jet of 3.9 m with 90 hp behind it, and it is the boat that takes guests ashore.

Where she cruises

Sicily is her home port and Italy her only cruising ground, July and August being the two months at the height of her year. Within Italy she can reach Sardinia and the Pontine Islands, with beaches to land on and water to anchor in on every side, and the Amalfi Coast, Liguria and the Cinque Terre, coastlines to run along with the shore always close.

Charter notes

Explora suits a family or a set of friends numbering up to eight, on a week's hire or a shorter booking, since periods under a full week can be arranged. Her windows are wide enough to keep the sea in view from inside, so a party that has come for the water does not lose sight of it when it comes indoors.