Superyacht "CeFeA": Gigantic dinghy with maxi dimensions

Connection to Luxembourg and Marc Giorgetti's influence

The new flagship from Solaris cannot deny its connection to Luxembourg. At least not under the 911 square metre gennaker. A red lion is emblazoned on it almost from leech to leech. Just the heraldic animal quirk of a Luxembourg owner? No, much more than that. In fact, the Italian shipyard cannot be separated from the small state. And that is down to one person: "CeFeA" owner Marc "Gio" Giorgetti. When the CEO of one of the country's largest companies had his first Solaris built in Aquileia in 2003, the chemistry was right. "We talked about business and eventually became partners," recalls Giorgetti of the construction of his first 72.

However, he attached one condition to his shareholding: a focus on the luxury segment. Since last year, he has even been the majority shareholder in the Solaris Group, which includes the high-tech shipyard Performance Boats and now also CNB belong to. Marc Giorgetti and his brother Félix Giorgetti run the construction business named after his father and founded by him. "We are all-rounders; from a road to a hospital, from residential buildings to offices, schools, bridges - whatever a growing city needs. We employ 1,800 people in several subsidiaries and have a turnover of around 500 million euros," reports Marc Giorgetti.

Aesthetics and construction of "CeFeA"

When you see "CeFeA", it's no coincidence that you think of Wally. The flat structure, the clear shapes, the sheer deck and, in general, the minimalist aesthetic. What sets it apart from the early, thoroughly elegant high-tech formats is the pinch of aggression in the hull lines that has become typical of Solaris.

It is awarded by the Argentinian Javier Soto Acebal, a former apprentice of Germán Frers. Acebal has been designing yachts with wide sterns and hull edges for Solaris since 2013. In the flagship, the chines are soft and also appear in the bow section. This keeps the underwater hull narrow, with a larger hull, i.e. living space. In addition, the chine edges provide stability where other hull shapes no longer have any. If you like, it's a design-imposed heeling limitation. After all, the decks should stay dry for as long as possible.

The statement by project manager Carlo Torre fits in with this: "It was important to us that the heel did not exceed 15 degrees." Hence the decision to use two rudder blades that protrude from the hull above the water surface and at the maximum width of 7.90 metres. At the front, Acebal prescribed a slightly backward-sloping stem, into which the bow lines do not end as sharply as one might expect, but rather bluntly.

Influences and cooperation

The hiring of Carlo Torre is another parallel to the style- and genre-defining flush decks. The Italian was Wally's first in-house designer and had a decisive influence on the brand during his six years there, most recently as Technical Director. With his own studio Monaco Yacht Temptation (MYT), Torre was responsible for the exterior and interior of "CeFeA". And finally, there is the shipyard Performance Boats.

In Forlì, an international team of composite experts had already built the Wallys "Nahita" and "Barong D" as well as the last of a total of three 72-foot Solaris owned by Marc Giorgetti. It was one of the last cracks by US designer Doug Peterson and was also called "CeFeA" - an acronym of his children's first names - but featured a classic deckhouse and metallic grey. Giorgetti liked the collaboration with Performance Boats and - as you might have guessed - the Luxembourger also invested in this shipyard.

Performance Boats collaborated with Gurit for the 33.77 metre long "CeFeA", who determined the laminate structure and supplied prepreg carbon and Corecell cores. The hull was tempered at 90 degrees in a 40-metre oven for maximum structural strength and sound insulation. The result: at 78 tonnes, "CeFeA" displaces ten tonnes less than the 34.14 metre Baltic "Liara". The same difference in weight results towards the bottom with "Barong D". The Wally is almost 20 centimetres shorter than the Solaris 111, whose six-metre-long keel bomb alone contained 19.5 tonnes of lead.

A 40 square metre suite

Marc Giorgetti followed the construction progress closely and regularly. "The project has taught me a lot. I enjoy expanding the superyacht sector and plan to play a very active role in the development of this segment," says Giorgetti, who took 18 months to complete the planning phase with his team. Carlo Torre emphasises: "Many people are afraid of a blank sheet of paper. That wasn't the case with 111, neither from my side nor from the owner's side." Ultimately, the project team was interested in revealing the hidden potential of maxis that are light yet fast to sail. And for Marc Giorgetti, this primarily included living comfort.

"Maxi yachts need to focus more on external living areas and offer cabins that are comparable to those on motor yachts," the "CeFeA" owner is certain, referring to his 40-square-metre suite in the stern. Or as Torre puts it in a nutshell: "The dimensions are more like the space of a house." The freestanding bed, two separate shower rooms, a day bed and a generously dimensioned office niche also fit in with this.

However, it doesn't keep you inside for too long; the rear terrace is too tempting for that thanks to the sliding glass doors. A central companionway is just a stone's throw away from a morning swim followed by sunbathing. In fact, there is less than a metre between the last step and the end of the bed. "If I want, I have full access to the water without ever seeing anyone," says Marc Giorgetti, highlighting the benefits of the aft-centred layout.

Interior design and materials

The mix of materials is unagitated and straightforward and is largely consistent in all areas. Carlo Torre had the walls, cupboards and furniture clad in matt walnut veneer, whereby the cut changes frequently and the dark wood sometimes forms slats in the shape of bars. The taupe-coloured Alcantara wall panelling is also a recurring feature. Two double cabins are located in front of the owner's cabin and behind the saloon, which is slightly elevated above the engine compartment and adjoins a dinette on the port side that is three steps lower. In front of this is a third guest cabin and opposite is the enclosed galley, which is part of the crew area with five beds.

Innovations and technology

For Giorgetti, how to convince motorboat enthusiasts to go sailing depends crucially on ease of use. "There is a lot of excellent technology on sailboats these days. Even a high-performance cruiser can be sailed with a very small crew," says Giorgetti, alluding to an invention with the by no means exaggerated brand name Magic Trim.

The hydraulic rams patented in 1998 by the Italian engineer of the same name originated from Luca Bassani's "Wallygator". So it's no surprise that Carlo Torre was also busy specifying them. The flexible buoys, whose opposing rollers are pushed apart by a hydraulic ram, hoist the 329 square metre self-tacking headsail and the 357 square metre mainsail so quickly and easily that two people are sufficient for tacking and jibing.

Sailing wardrobe and handling

The Magic Trim cylinders work below deck and take the load off six Harken winches on "CeFeA". A furling staysail completes the sail wardrobe downwind, while a furling code zero or a 911 square metre gennaker can also be hoisted by tube on the windward side.

Because Giorgetti dispensed with a mainsail with a widely flared top and the four pairs of spreaders are swept back by almost 24 degrees, there is no need for backstays on the 46 metre long mast. The standing rigging is laminated Future Fibres (ECsix) made of carbon. The sails also speak more in favour of sporty cruising than dogged racing. Doyle's Stratis superyacht cloth is reinforced with carbon and Technora fibres and black-coloured aramid filaments.

Target group and environmental awareness

Although he is dedicated to fast sailing and enjoys being at the wheel himself - the photos in this article are impressive proof of this - Marc Giorgetti only occasionally registers for regattas. The uncomplicated operation is much more important, also to get new owners and their families interested in sailing: "The comfort of the 111 is comparable to that of motor yachts. I am a great advocate of sailing; there is nothing better than whizzing past motorboats driven by the wind. Owners will also rethink for ecological reasons."

Although the telescopic keel extends from 6.05 to 3.90 metres, the draught poses some restrictions when choosing a mooring. But even the Solaris 111 cannot do without a Cummins diesel engine, which delivers 312 kilowatts of power to a fixed shaft system.

Play with Wally's grandeur

In the end, "CeFeA" is much more than the fulfilment of an owner's dream; for Marc Giorgetti, she also represents a real-life study with which he wants to inspire a new clientele for maxi sailing. Ex-Wally designer Carlo Torre aptly calls the 111 a "perfectly balanced package".

There is no doubt that the Solaris flagship plays with Wally's grandeur and yet creates something decidedly new: space! The volume of space is an impressive 132 gross tonnes - a figure that is rarely quoted by sailing yacht builders and which perfectly illustrates the self-image of Solaris' supersailing division. This means that the interior areas of the 34-metre-long carbon slips are as large as on open formats of the same length with a motor. It remains to be seen how the Luxembourg-Italian maximisation concept of a small and large sister of "CeFeA" will fare.

Technical data "CeFeA"

• Length over everything: 33,77 m
• Length (hull shape): 32,16 m
• Width: 7,90 m
• Depth: 3,90-6,05 m
• Displacement (empty): 78 t
• Gross tonnage: 132 GT
• Material: Prepreg carbon
• Motors: 1 x Cummins QSB6.7
• Engine power: 1 x 312 kW
• Rig: Southern Spars, Carbon
• Standing crop: Future Fibres ECsix
• Sail: Doyle Stratis Carbon Technora
• Sail area (on the wind): 686 m²
• Code Zero: 565 m²
• Gennaker (A2): 911 m²
• Winches: Rake
• Generator: 1 x Northern Light 32 kW
• Naval Architecture: Javier Soto Acebal
• Exterior design: Carlo Torre, MYT
• Interior design: Carlo Torre, MYT
• Shipyard: Solaris Yachts, 2021