Aelia Motor Yacht

Natural light was the brief for Aelia's 2024 refit, and it shows in two owners' suites set on the upper deck rather than tucked below. Benetti built her as a 56-metre tri-deck in 2015, and the redesign that followed, by Studio Vafiadis, is what a buyer notices stepping aboard. At 988 gross tonnes she carries the volume for eight cabins without crowding the outdoor space.

Build and provenance

She is a custom-built motor yacht from Benetti, a steel-hulled displacement design with an aluminium superstructure, delivered in 2015. The 2024 refit went beyond decoration: she has completed her ten-year class survey, so a buyer inherits a hull with fresh paperwork rather than one due for it. She holds Lloyd's Register classification and MCA compliance for commercial charter, and twelve guests and fourteen crew fit within that same certification.

Layout and accommodation

Twelve guests sleep across eight cabins, six doubles and two twins, with both master suites on the upper deck. A crew of fourteen runs the yacht, and the elevator built into Aelia connects the cabins through to the sun deck, so moving between decks never means climbing every flight by stairs.

Performance and engineering

Two 1,876 hp MTU 12V 4000 M53R engines give Aelia a 14-knot cruise and a 17-knot top speed, figures that suit a yacht built to cover distance in comfort rather than to plane. At 988 gross tonnes and 56 metres, she carries her size at a pace that keeps a long passage settled rather than rushed.

On deck and at anchor

A dedicated gym and a separate massage room give guests two ways to unwind without leaving the yacht, and the cinema below decks doubles as a quiet retreat once the sun goes down.

Where she lies and how to see her

Aelia lies in Athens, Greece. We arrange viewings on board and are there for each one, and once an offer is accepted we bring in the surveyor and set the sea trial with her crew.