| CNL 115 |  |
When not used in
the context of temperature, the term "cool" suggests something or someone
that is hip, fashionable or sophisticated. Be cool, launched last fall by
Italy’s Admiral Mariotti Yachts (AMY) fits all those descriptions and more. From
her creative amenities package to the adventurous artistic sensibilities of her
owner and designers, this aluminum-hulled go-fast beauty transcends cool and
firmly enters the realm of hot. 
Although the first wooden Admiral was launched more than 40
years ago, it was not until 1982 that a light alloy version appeared. Ever
since, Cantieri Navali Lavagna (CNL) has specialized in the construction of
light alloy planing hulls, with eight models in the Admiral range in production
or under development. At the turn of the millennium, the company entered an
intensive development period by restyling existing models and creating new ones.
Today, the Admiral range stands out in the luxury yacht sector as one of the
most complete and competitive fleets on the market. (Click image to enlarge)
| Click on the Spec tab at top to see complete list of resources. |
Just 10 months after the launch of the one-off 32-meter
Alila, it was the turn of 35-meter (115-foot) Be Cool last July.
During that time CNL boosted production capability at its two plants near Genoa
and joined forces with the T. Mariotti shipyard, creating AMY to build steel
displacement hulls up to 65 meters. The result has been nine boats from 25 to 54
meters sold in less than a year. "That’s an impressive number," enthuses Sales
and Marketing Director Maurizio Magri. "Especially when you consider [that]
these are aluminum or steel-and-aluminum yachts that are not in series
production."
The interior features
century-old oak flooring and a dining room resides on the main deck. (Click images to enlarge)
Neatly placed between the Admiral 32 and the upcoming 39, Be
Cool is the latest addition to the Admiral fleet and is completely built of
aluminum alloy 5083. Known for its high resistance to corrosion from seawater
and exceptional strength after welding, the main advantage of light aluminum
alloy over other build materials such as fiberglass is its dent resistance and
toughness, which contribute to seaworthiness and safety. Like all yachts in the
Admiral range, the 35 is built under the supervision of the American Bureau of
Shipping for A1 Yachting Service AMS certification. Its high
strength-to-weight ratio also means reduced fuel consumption, higher speed,
greater maneuverability, reduced draft and longer range. But most significantly
for CNL, doing away with expensive construction molds increases personalization potential. Because of this scope for varying interior
layouts in yachts of the same hull » size, the shipyard
prefers to view them more as custom rather than semi-custom yachts.
By the same token, there is more flexibility in terms of
accommodations, and two main solutions are envisioned for the interior layout of
the Admiral 35. One version has a forward master suite on the main deck with
three guest cabins and galley adjacent to the crew quarters belowdecks. The
Italian owner of Be Cool, on the other hand, requested a dedicated dining
room and separate galley on the main deck and shifted his own cabin to the lower
deck. "It makes life easier for the crew," says Captain Luigi Cortese, "because
we have direct access from the galley to the dining room. It also creates a more
intimate atmosphere because, like at home, social life on board often revolves
around the kitchen." Although it means the guest accommodations are slightly
smaller, the solution also avoids space-consuming dumbwaiters.
 The beds and tables appear to float
on air. (Click image to enlarge)
The challenge for naval architect Andre Bacigalupo in designing
the deep-V, hard-chined hull was to achieve a top planing speed of 30 knots with
a yacht that displaces more than 130 tons at full load. Models were tank tested
at the University of Naples before the designers settled on a hull configuration
powered by twin 2,775-hp MTUs. During sea trials, Be Cool registered
speeds in excess of 31 knots, and the hull tracks like a train. "Without blowing
my own horn," says Bacigalupo, "I would say the performance of the Admiral
35 is among the best in its class."
Cortese stands over six feet tall but has headroom to spare in
the engine room. His technical requests included an Alfa Laval diesel purifier
centrifuge and bilge water separator to remove oily residues, plus Hamann
black-water treatment to comply with U.S. Coast Guard directives. With the
engine room bulkhead just abaft the owner’s bathroom, close attention was paid
to acoustic insulation. In addition to the floating walls, floors and ceilings,
melamine open-cell foam was used as an insulation material. Apart from being
fire-resistant, melamine foam is also lighter than traditional materials and
particularly efficient at absorbing the low-frequency noise produced by the
aluminum hull.
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