Sanlorenzo has decided to update their entire fibreglass planing hull fleet and have begun with their two “compact” yachts, the SL78 and the SL 86. The first SL78 has already been sold to a buyer in Hong Kong.

The innovations and optimisations introduced will be applied across the entire range as designers Officina Italiana Design work through their task of carrying this range into the future. In particular, attention has been paid to developing the bow from a couple of slanted sunpads (notoriously wasted space on many motor yachts) to a proper living space that anyone can use. It has sofas, a table, some sunbathing cushions and a foldable sun hood. At last a turn towards functionality rather than form.

Sanlorenzo fundamentals are preserved: the interiors are made to measure and to the owner’s taste and are top quality, elegant and reflect the balanced lines of the yacht as a whole.

From the flybridge down, there’s plenty of room for the 8 passengers. The flybridge has a hard-top bimini covering the dining area and upper helm position, while the remaining half, sternwards, has room for 3 or 4 loungers.

Access, uniquely, is from within the saloon amidships dining area, the bottom of the gangway being right outside the galley door. Diners upstairs are thus assured of hot food as are the diners below. Both these dining areas, and a third in the cockpit, comfortably seat 8, so rain or shine, or something in between are all covered.

The 8 ft extra in length from the former entry-level boat, the SL72, translates into quite a bit more space as the beam increases a little too. The saloon, forward of the substantial cockpit is accessed through foldaway rear doors and begins with the lounge, then the dining area and access to the flybridge. Lighting is improved by the use of cutaway bulwarks to allow more light to reach the windows. Forward of this is the galley, which can be open-plan or closed and then the inside helm position, centred. To port of this is the access to the crew cabins. Passenger access to the cabins is below the flybridge access gangway.

Master Cabin design comes in two flavours: full width cabin including an ensuite bathroom, or full width cabin plus an ensuite bathroom to the side. The big bed moves from off-centre to centred in the larger version but most of the extra space is given over to walk-in closets.

The larger master cabin version is achieved by eliminating the port twin cabin. The starboard twin and the for’ard double are both en-suite in both versions. There is a crew twin-bunk berth in the port bow with its own head.

Right behind the main cabin is the engine room and its twin MTU 1,523hp diesels and sternmost of all is the garage, so the tender goes below the cockpit rather than on the stern of the flybridge as is common in this class. Overall, Sanlorenzo has added a lot more usable space for a very little increase in size. The first boat is already due in Asia, and three more are on the stocks in their Ameglia yard.

For more information: www.sanlorenzoyacht.com / www.simpsonmarine.com

This article was first published in Yacht Style issue 36.