Bluegame Keeps It Social on BG54
Launched this year and among Bluegame’s line-ups at the Cannes, Genoa and Fort Lauderdale shows, the BG54 is an evolution in the Italian builder’s walkaround series, providing a convivial atmosphere and enticing social areas by the water.
Founded by Luca Santella in 2004 and acquired by Sanlorenzo in 2018, Bluegame has recently been creating one successful new design after the other.
As an architect and Olympic sailor, Santella knows the importance of getting the most out of every millimetre aboard a boat and he knows how to do it beautifully.
At 54ft, the new BG54 is not large, but its smaller size becomes a catalyst for conviviality due to a clever set-up that brings all aboard together without throwing them on top of one another.
Basically, everyone aboard can enjoy fun at sea whether they’re cooking, helming, sunbathing, playing in the water or just shooting the breeze.
Built in GRP, the boat has simple, clean exterior lines. The white hull has a wraparound black rubber fender, an open stern and strongly slanted bridge glass that combine to give it a purposeful, no-nonsense look.
The dark-grey hard top contrasts with the hull and establishes the boat’s colour scheme: white and grey accented by black, with plenty of natural teak to add a touch of luxury. Light-grey teak caulking lightens the look of a yacht that offers a surprising amount on space once you get on board.
“The BG54 feels far bigger than it is because of the clever open layout and the enormous aft deck,” says Simpson Marine’s Nick Stratton, Sales Manager for Sanlorenzo and Bluegame in Asia.
“Approaching the yacht from the dock, it can easily be mistaken for a much larger yacht. This, the practical layout, durable build and high-end finishing are what buyers are looking for.”
Open and Social
You encounter the BG54’s first notable feature before you even board. The hydraulically operated gangway can be raised to dock height or lowered into the water to be used as a swimming ladder.
Even the swim platform can do more than you might expect. On top of offering excellent access to the sea, three-quarters of it lowers into the water so launching and hauling toys is easy.
As the beach platform and open stern are on the same level, you get a remarkably large, free and open area. Set it up with loose furniture, use it for storing water toys or invite a group of friends. There’s plenty of space for all.
Another surprise is concealed in an elegant row of natural teak cabinets just aft of the cockpit. Open them up and you’ll discover an outdoor galley that can be equipped with a sink, grill, fridge and icemaker.
It’s just three steps up to the cockpit, so preparing drinks or cooking a meal are an integral part of the boat’s social life.
Symmetrical steps with retro-illuminated teak treads lead to the airy cockpit under the hard top, with seating on four sides and a teak table that can fold out to double in size.
As well as being open on three sides, the cockpit is lit from above by a transparent hatch that leads to the sunroof, but it can be enclosed with Strataglass® clear vinyl shielding to shelter it from the elements.
An awning can be set up for extra shade and owners can choose to have heating, air-conditioning and even a dropdown flatscreen TV installed in the hardtop. With adaptability like this, owners are sure to get the best use from the BG54, whatever the weather.
“Customisations for Bluegame owners relate to how they envisage using the yacht. Do they want shade just at anchor or also underway? Further to the completely covered cockpit, there are a range of shade options using luxury canvas,” Stratton says.
“Depending on how the client wants to use the yacht, we can upgrade sound systems, add outdoor TVs or fit larger barbecues. Part of the Bluegame journey is getting to really understand what the owner wants from the boat and then working together to deliver that.”
Moving Forward
With the helm station just barely separated from the cockpit seating area, driving the boat is a social activity and all aboard can enjoy watching how the BG54 functions. The helm seat is actually a small couch made in elegant black carbon-fibre and perched on top of a locker.
There’s excellent visibility all around and the reverse windshield keeps direct light off the boat’s navigational equipment, which includes two Garmin touch screens to display navigation info and keep you updated on running systems and easy-to-use IPS joystick controls.
Carbon-fibre slats in the roof let light in and air circulate freely, while to port of the helm, a ladder leads up to the roof where sun worshippers can get all the rays they crave.
Side passages to the foredeck are wide, while high bulwarks keep all aboard safe. A handrail runs along the coachroof, with winches, cleats and fairleads concealed under a hatch at the forepeak.
The hatch to the anchor chain locker is flush to the deck. All these details keep the look of this technical space clean, so it can also double as a guest area with a couch and sun pads.
Making the most out of every inch makes the BG54 a ‘larger’ smaller-sized boat and assures that everyone aboard finds the spaces they need.
“At this size, Bluegame’s designers have worked hard to utilise the space as best as possible, but there’s always room to adapt,” Stratton confides.
“For example, we worked on a proposal with a client in Southeast Asia who wanted to use the yacht for diving, so we designed a custom dive storage area by adding extra showers, dive compressors and so on.”
Cabins and More
Head down the companionway by the helm and you’ll see that the BG54 is much more than a day cruiser.
A wall of darkened mirror helps make the stairs seem wider than they are and gives a sense of airiness to the lower galley, which has a convection cooktop, microwave oven, fridge and dishwasher.
Fore is a full-beam en-suite cabin that can be the owner’s cabin in the three-cabin layout or a VIP in the two-cabin version.
Aft of the galley, owners can choose between having a rather grand full-beam en-suite cabin or two twins that share a bathroom. Clean, modern furnishings keep the spaces stylish throughout the lower deck, all the way down to the bowl basins in the bathrooms.
But sometimes you don’t want to do it all yourself and that’s why the BG54 even has an en-suite crew cabin aft. Space for this extra helping hand, a real boon when you just want to relax with your friends and family, is available because of the IPS propulsion system.
This win-win Volvo Penta technology gives you more than a smoother, vibration-free ride that’s more energy efficient. In addition, its smaller dimensions allow the engines to be placed further aft, leaving more room for guests and crew.
In fact, the BG54 doesn’t really have an engine room; it has an open-air engine locker under the aft deck. A smaller inspection hatch can be opened manually or a larger cover can be hydraulically operated. No matter what size of job you need to do, you’re breathing and moving freely, not in a dark, cramped and enclosed space.
Sturdy, seaworthy and practical, but also convivial and safe, the BG54 packs a lot of qualities into 54ft and puts them into a stylish package. Whether you use it as a day boat or as a home for coastal exploring and island hopping, this newcomer has a lot to offer.
This article first appeared on Yacht Syle.
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