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Luiz de Basto uses glass to connect sun and sea for an Italian shipyard’s
first open model, the Canados 90.
by Justin Ratcliffe
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02/01/2007
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| Canados 90 |  |
The Canados acronym (CAntieri NAvali Di OStia) has developed a reputation for reliability and continuity since the shipyard’s inception in
1945. In the six decades since, it has produced more than 500 motor yachts
ranging in size from 40 to 120 feet. The company has traditionally focused
production on flybridge yachts from 72 to 110 feet, but at the Cannes
International Boat and Yacht Show last September it presented its first open
model: the Canados 90.
In going head-to-head with the likes of Azimut and Pershing, Canados had to
produce something special, and first indications are that it has succeeded. With
naval architecture by SYDAC and the company’s in-house engineering team, the
Canados 90 is the biggest vessel of its kind in Italy to be constructed using infusion
molding. The advantages of this technique are well known and include a much more
precise resin-to-fiberglass ratio, yielding optimum mechanical properties and a
thinner, more uniform laminate thickness. The result is a lighter and faster
vessel. Powered by twin 2,450-hp MTUs with Arneson drives, the Canados 90 has an
exhilarating top speed of 45 knots and tracks neatly at a cruising speed of 37
knots.
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The designer’s love of
architectural forms is reflected in the window pillars in the
salon. (Click images to enlarge)
Canados also gave architect Luiz de Basto carte blanche to
develop the exterior lines and interior styling. The U.S.-based Portuguese
designer began by going back to basics and pondering the open concept. Growing
up in Africa and having lived in Brazil, de Basto is a man who appreciates
sunshine and being close to nature—the same qualities that define an open
powerboat. But in recent years the increase in size, performance and livability
of these boats has meant that they have evolved from truly open runabouts to
incorporate semi-rigid or sliding sunroofs.
De Basto was keen to challenge these established design
features and come up with an alternative way of maintaining close contact with
sunlight and the sea. His solution was to use glass—and use it in abundance. De
Basto readily admits that this is not a new idea and cites Martin Francis’
Eco (re-christened Katana) and Luca Bassani’s WallyPower series as
just two trailblazers. But what is novel is his architectural application of
glass in a semi-production boat.
Thanks to developments in glass manufacturing, the boatbuilding
industry has come a long way from little round portholes. "Glass is much more
widely accepted in the marine industry today," explains the designer, "and not
just for external use. It’s also common to see glass doors, furniture, stairs
and ceilings. Modern glass products can provide the same thermal insulation,
solar protection, safety and privacy as more traditional materials, but only
glass can give you the kind of contact with the marine environment which lies at
the heart of the open concept."
 The owner’s bathroom with its double
washbasin. (Click image to enlarge)
Pursuing this philosophy and in addition to the enormous
windscreen and composite sliding sunroof above the helm station, de Basto has
created two longitudinal glass beams in the coachroof supported by arched
pillars anchored to the engine-room bulkhead. "The connection between the
exterior and interior architecture is very tight," says de Basto. "What you see
on the outside is what you get on the inside." The effect has been to turn the
main salon into a light-filled conservatory on the water. To enhance this
impression, there are no blinds or curtains on the main deck; instead, liquid
crystals in the glass can be realigned at the flick of a switch to dim the glass
for additional privacy or solar protection. The transparency theme is maintained
in the glass dining and coffee tables and Plexiglas chairs. The use of
contrasting light anigre paneling and dark wengé detailing also helps amplify
the interior volumes.
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