| Benetti 213 |  |
The christening of Ambrosia on July 18 in
Viareggio, Italy, marked a watershed moment in the lengthy history of the
Benetti shipyard. Not only is Ambrosia the most
technologically advanced Benetti project to date, she is also the largest since
70-meter Reverie in 2001. Ambrosia is the last steel hull built in Viareggio
before the company moved production of vessels over 50 meters to its new Livorno
yard. Moreover, owner Ambrous Young is intimately associated with the
Azimut-Benetti Group as a long-standing client and business partner, a factor
that played significantly in Ambrosia’s
realization.
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As a former Benetti shareholder, Young has contributed more
than just investment capital. "He also brought with him long-term commitment, a
creative drive and a willingness as a client to invest significantly in a
succession of ever larger and more sophisticated yachts," explains Benetti CEO Paolo
Vitelli. Young has been the prime mover behind a series of benchmark
Benetti motor yachts, both steel and aluminum, beginning with 40-meter
Tully, which he sold prior to taking delivery. A
succession of yachts named Ambrosia followed: The
first one, 45 meters, launched in 1994; the second, 55 meters, in 1998; and his
latest and largest, this 65-meter (213-foot) masterpiece of technology.
 The relaxation area forward on the upper deck. (Click image to enlarge)
Early in the design phase, Young expressed interest in
diesel-electric propulsion, a recent application in private yachts.
Ambrosia is only the third yacht, after Alstom’s
Kogo and Lürssen’s Ice (ex-Air), fitted with
diesel-electric pods. Like Ice, Ambrosia uses Azipods supplied by ABB. "The revolution for the yacht industry came with the
introduction of our Compact Azipod in 2000," says Thomas Hackman, ABB’s area
manager and team leader. "Produced for a power range from 400 to 5,000
kilowatts, it is designed to meet the growing demand for increased
maneuverability and operational economy in smaller vessels." Although pods display vastly different handling characteristics from
conventional propulsion systems, managing Ambrosia in a waterway or at sea is relatively
straightforward, thanks to an integrated control system from ABB with functions
that include remote propulsion control, power management, alarm and monitoring,
and data trending. The system provides precise, smooth speed control, which
reduces stress on the equipment and thereby lowers maintenance costs.
Additionally, the system is designed for safe operation in all conditions, allowing control parameters to be programmed
for special circumstances, such as broaching seas. Human error caused an equipment failure during Ambrosia’s first sea trial, but the system’s redundant
backups proved their worth. "Two generators were temporarily out of action due
to water contamination, and one of the main generators only worked at partial
power because of a governor fault," explains build Captain Paul Brackley. "But
we were still able to make 14 knots with just one of the main generators, and I
calculated that we could cover a range of 9,000 nautical miles at 10 knots. The
episode vindicated the whole system by proving that even in the case of severe
equipment failure it can still do the job it was designed for: extremely
reliable and autonomous long-range cruising."
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