Wally is a yachting brand known for doing things differently. From the avant-garde wallytender to its high-performance Wally class of sailing yachts, the builder that’s part of the Ferretti Group made its name in breaking moulds and re-inventing classics. So, it’s no surprise that when Wally waded into the waters of larger motoryachts, it would present models that make people stop and stare.
Following on the heels of the wallywhy200, Wally unleashed its 23.99m wallywhy150. Recently making her Asia debut at the Singapore Yachting Festival in April, the first wallywhy150 is now plying Asian waters.
“The wallywhy150 has been very well received in Asia, as clients appreciate the way this model redefines interior volume and exterior spaces,” said Andrew Pitchford, Sales Director of Ferretti Group Asia Pacific. “The unique wraparound glazing in the high bow gives a 270-degree panoramic view of the sea from the full-beam owner’s cabin, dining or lounge area, depending on the configuration.”
With in-house exterior design by Wally, naval architecture by Ferretti Engineering Group and interior design by Vallicelli Design Studio, the wallywhy150 was developed at the same time as the wallywhy200.
The team at Wally say that the brief for the yacht’s design was clear: create a sub-24m yacht that retained the iconic Wally DNA, delivering maximum liveability, usability and connection to the sea, all enveloped in a bold, futuristic package. It needed to feel like a superyacht in terms of volume and presence, offer seamless indoor-outdoor flow, and challenge conventions in both form and function – and be seaworthy and efficient.
The new offering was designed to distil the best of her big sister in a slightly smaller edition. Yet within her 150GT of volume, the wallywhy150 still packs in quite a lot, pushing the boundaries of what a sub-24m yacht can do. Key to this is the yacht’s full-beam main deck design.
“For the wallywhy range, internal volume is a crucial factor,” says Andrea Vallicelli, of the interior design studio. “To achieve this, a wide-body design was adopted, allowing for an extremely spacious saloon and owner’s cabin on the main deck, while still accommodating three cabins on the lower deck.”
A wraparound swath of glazing runs from the cockpit and around the entirety of the main deck, including across the front of the bow. This not only gives the wallywhy150 a distinct look on the outside, but, coupled with the wide-body layout, it also changes the way the yacht is lived in inside.
The standard layout features the master suite forward on the main deck, while the Asia-Pacific layout is designed with an airy saloon in this space, and a lower-deck master cabin. The forward room offers a panoramic view through the wraparound windows. Positioning the his-and-hers en-suite behind the bedroom bulkhead means not a centimetre of sightline is sacrificed.
“The interior was centred around preserving key features from her larger sibling, the wallywhy200, such as the iconic owner’s cabin at the bow, while introducing new design elements,” Vallicelli said. “One notable innovation was the lowered cockpit area, situated close to the sea, which necessitated a 75cm split level in the saloon to provide direct access to the sea without stairs.”
Views are maximised in the main saloon as well. Instead of a typical saloon layout with the sofas facing inwards, the sofa is specifically positioned to face aft, looking out over the lowered cockpit and the sea beyond. It’s a subtle change from the typical superyacht layout and makes a huge difference. When it’s time for a movie night, a television emerges from a low-slung sideboard that straddles the space between the sofa and cockpit.
The terrace-on-the-sea concept is ingrained in Wally’s DNA
“The saloon, which is split at the deck level, is unified at the ceiling level by a wave-shaped connection between the two heights,” Vallicelli said. “This design element not only serves a formal purpose but also allows the aft section of the saloon to reach a maximum height of 2.75m, enhancing the sense of volume upon entering the boat.”
The main deck living spaces can also be swapped around to best suit the owner. Multiple layouts were developed to cater to different markets while preserving the internal structure as much as possible. The ‘why’ in wallywhy stands for ‘Wally Hybrid Yacht’, but the hybrid refers not to the yacht’s propulsion system but to her flexible layouts and usage.
“Similar to the wallywhy200, the front cabin can be converted into a dining area to cater to the Asian market, resulting in a three-cabin layout,” Vallicelli explained. “Overall, the design prioritises simplicity of use and potential reconfiguration, with a strong emphasis on visibility and access to the exterior landscape and the sea.”
An uninterrupted flow from the saloon to aft deck enhances indoor-outdoor living. And when you’re down at near sea level on the expansive aft terrace, the wallywhy150 really shines.
Luca Bassani, Wally’s founder and Chief Designer, said: “The terrace-on-the-sea is as ingrained in Wally’s DNA as carbon-fibre. It was first introduced aboard Tiketitan, which had a main saloon below deck overlooking the open transom offering unique access to the sea.
“In 2012, the terrace-on-sea concept was reinterpreted for the first wallyace, which featured an aft owner’s suite and VIP cabin opening onto the terrace-on-the-sea. It’s something that has been there from the beginning – and was then carried over to the wallypower range – and it’s one of the key differentiators Wally has versus other boats, which is the feeling of connection with the sea.”
Also in keeping with the Wally family is the characteristic exterior styling. The wallywhy150’s angular pilothouse design is a direct reference to the famed geometric windscreen of the original wallypower118. While the design is reminiscent of previous Wallys, it’s a functional choice as well.
“Wally design always follows function, so the pilothouse’s angular design is a consequence of the T-top [over the flybridge] and is almost a happy coincidence,” Bassani said. “But when you use the same kind of shapes you end up with the same kind of solutions, and that’s also why we have chosen a similar colour to the 118. It’s a little bit of an homage to that iconic design.”
Carbon-fibre was used in the upper structures to reduce weight and lower the centre of gravity, enhancing stability and performance. An evolution of the wallywhy200 design, the wallywhy150 has a full-length flybridge, providing ample exterior space up top, which is mostly shaded by the T-top, and more shade structures can be added as needed. The sail-fabric T-top provides lightweight sun protection while preserving visibility.
Of course, fitting everything into the smaller wallywhy150 created design challenges that the Wally and Ferretti Group team had to solve creatively. One challenge was how to integrate the forward mooring system in the yacht’s more compact layout. To solve this, the forward mooring gear was relocated to the upper deck – an unconventional but efficient solution.
“To preserve the bow cabin on this sub-24m boat, we had to integrate the anchor chains into the interior design,” Vallicelli said. “Rather than concealing them behind a cover, we transformed this engineering feature into a decorative element.
The VIP and guest cabins on the lower deck have en-suite bathrooms
“The two oval columns visible from the bed serve as the minimum chain net-space with sound insulation thickness. Structurally reinforced, these columns enabled us to increase window visibility by removing an additional mullion on the glass.”
The hull of the wallywhy150 was developed by the Ferretti Group Engineering Department using advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate hydrodynamic performance.
Optimised for efficiency and speed, the wallywhy150 offers a range of 370 nautical miles at an 18-knot cruising speed, allowing for amiable coastal cruising, and the yacht tops out at 23 knots with the standard-fitted triple Volvo Penta IPS1350 engines. The IPS system allows for ease of manoeuvrability and responsiveness, whether cruising or docking.
With nimble handling, the design DNA of a Wally, a wide-body build for spacious interiors, and a layout that’s designed to make the most of the views outside, the wallywhy150 will have you asking, why not?
wally.com
ferrettigroupasiapacific.com
This article was first seen on YachtStyle.com.
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