Wallywind 110 "Galma": Exceptional maxi conveys a feeling of freedom and comfort

Martin Hager

· 08.03.2025

Sporty silhouette: Judel/Vrolijk designed the smooth hull lines, while Studio Santa Maria Magnolfi was responsible for the modern exterior styling with a wide bulwark, large guest cockpit and low deckhouse in close cooperation with Wally. The owner's wife loves cushions, which adorn the numerous seats in large numbers and attached with pins on normal voyages.

Powerful: typical for Wally, "Galma" can also be operated by one person. The 50-metre mast from Hall Spars carries 648 square metres of laminate on the wind.

Simple to sail: A self-tacking jib makes manoeuvres child's play.

Close to the water: the Terrace-of-the-Sea is particularly appealing. The owner's wife loves to dangle her feet in the water downwind - in addition to the backstays required by the fathead mainsail.

Free choice: The number of seating and lounging options is enormous thanks to a clever deck layout.

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Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget, Toni Meneguzzo

With the 33.42 metre long "Galma", Wally once again presents a maxi that will not only turn the heads of lovers of the design-loving brand. We set sail for the agile Judel/Vrolijk design outside Barcelona.

Topics in this article

The owner signed one year before delivery
Interior layout of "Galma" also rather unusual
"Galma" sails with a small crew and chase boat
Cockpit of the Wally offers many cosy areas
Technical data of the Wallywind 110 "Galma"

Sailing a brand new Wally is always exciting. It is not only the minimalist look of the lightweight super-maxis, reduced to the essentials, that has been deeply engraved in the DNA of the Monegasque brand for over 30 years, but also the sporty and light-footed sailing behaviour for which the yachts from Forlì and Ravenna are famous. In addition, there are innovative details that can be discovered on almost every model of the brand founded by design guru Luca Bassani. Solutions that often did not exist before and that change the way we move around on boats and how we use them.

"I've always wanted to make sailing easier, faster and more beautiful," reveals mastermind Bassani in his passionate manner (read more about the shipyard's 30th anniversary here). To convince us that he has succeeded in doing the same with "Galma", his first delivery of the Wallywind110, he invited us on board the 33.42 metre long carbon beauty at Port Vell in Barcelona.

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The city harbour of the attractive Mediterranean metropolis is always worth a trip, but a visit during the hot phase of the latest America's Cup caused great anticipation. "'Galma' is registered as a VIP spectator boat and we will be watching race four directly from the edge of the regatta course before we set sail ourselves so that you can get an idea of our novelty," Bassani revealed cheerfully in the run-up.

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The 37th edition of the battle for the world's oldest sporting trophy attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators and fans of the final teams Emirates Team New Zealand and Ineos Britannia to the Catalonian capital, and the good atmosphere on the quays of Port Vell was infectious. There is no better way to celebrate sailing.

In the small harbour basin of Marina Vela Barcelona, the light blue-metallic painted "Galma" is instantly and unmistakably recognisable as a Wally. With its flat profile, low freeboard, sheer unobstructed deck and an impressively large "Terrace-of-the-Sea", the latest Wally design stands out from the monotony of classic yacht shapes. Barely on board, the four-strong "Galma" crew are already preparing the casting off manoeuvre. "We don't want to miss the start of the race," explains Captain Miquel Garcia in a friendly manner as he gently pushes the command button on the starboard helm forward. As the B&G instruments on the mast reveal, it is not yet windy this early in the morning, but with the forecast thermals it should be just enough for a start. According to the current Cup regulations, the wind limit for the races must be between 6.5 and 21 knots to allow the foiling sailboats to meet.

The owner signed one year before delivery

Time and again, the TWS slips below 6.5 knots, which means a 20-minute delay to the start. We therefore have plenty of time to inspect the interior together with Luca Bassani. "The owner and I have known each other for a long time," says the Wally founder. "After a Wally 88 and a Wally 94, he came to me and told me that he wanted a new boat and what it should look like. His ideas fitted perfectly with a model that I had officially presented just a few months earlier: the Wallywind110. I showed him renderings and he was immediately enthusiastic. The first model was already built, but without an owner - a stroke of luck!"

Under the direction of Bassani, the Wally design team worked closely with Milan-based studio Santa Maria Magnolfi on this project. "The owner wanted a new Wally that would harmoniously combine functionality and elegance," says designer and studio co-founder Federico Santa Maria. The former Wally designers fulfilled this wish by creating spacious and open areas that convey a feeling of freedom and comfort.

The interior style is minimalist and clearly structured, creating a bright and calming atmosphere. Large hull and superstructure windows allow a high level of natural light into the saloon and cabins, which emphasises the few but carefully selected materials. "The owner was heavily involved in the choice of materials," reveals designer and studio co-founder Valentina Magnolfi.

The materials not only had to be aesthetically pleasing, but of course also fulfil Wally's performance standards and, above all, weigh little. "The warm tones of the oak wood create an inviting ambience, while the white ceilings, bouclé fabrics and Japanese paper details convey a sense of freshness and purity," says the designer. "The floorboards made of clear lacquered carbon fibre Nomex panels are extremely light and form a beautiful contrast to the white ceiling." The counterpoint to the high-tech components is provided by vegan leather details from Viridis, which consist of almost 70 per cent plant-based materials, mainly derived from corn. "The material is great, it's more sustainable and more resistant than real leather," adds Magnolfi.

Interior layout of "Galma" also rather unusual

"On his previous yachts, he had the owner's suite in the stern, which has the advantage that the cabins offer more space thanks to the greater width, but on the other hand everyone always tramples on your head in the harbour," says Luca Bassani. For this reason, he reserved the entire bow of the "Galma" for himself. At the very front is the bathroom with a large shower on the port side, behind it is the suite, where XL hull windows provide a marvellous sea view from the bed. On the starboard side, the owner opted for a leather-covered shelf 50 centimetres wide, which runs the entire length of the room and functions as a desk at bed level.

Aft and three carbon steps down from the saloon is a large galley - unusual for a sailing yacht - including a wine fridge, cocktail bar, glass cabinet and washbasin; opposite and directly next to a sideboard that surrounds the 50-metre mast, guests are accommodated in one of three double cabins. "Of course, our customers have all the options here," says Bassani. "We can accommodate a fourth cabin here or a cosy TV lounge." On "Galma", there is a large television in the port side lounge area of the raised saloon, which is arranged slightly higher in keeping with the name.

The dining table for up to ten guests is positioned opposite the white U-shaped sofa in XL design. The five loose chairs are as light as a feather and made of carbon fibre. With a boat width of an impressive 7.60 metres and a saloon length of around ten metres (including the bar), the only thing that causes slight perplexity is the lack of a handrail in the open carbon space. Luca Bassani explains: "In the first six weeks alone after taking over the boat, the owner family sailed 3600 nautical miles. They sailed every day and so far they haven't missed the handrails. But maybe that will come." What is fortunately missing is a space-consuming keel box: The owner opted for a telescopic keel, which hydraulically reduces the draught from seven to 4.50 metres.

"Galma" sails with a small crew and chase boat

Behind the companionway are two guest suites mirrored on the midship line, which are separated by a corridor and from which the accommodation for up to five crew members, the galley, mess and a navigation corner are located. "We are currently working and sailing 'Galma' with four people, which is perfect from a nautical point of view - after all, she is a wally and designed to be trimmed and steered single-handed," reports Captain Miquel Garcia, who has been accompanying the owner across the seas for 16 years.

Sailing in and out of the harbour, on the other hand, is difficult single-handedly, if only because of the fenders. The eight huge, air-filled protective cushions have to be deflated after each departure and inflated again before entering the harbour. It sounds complicated, but it only is to a certain extent. "We simply don't have enough storage space for the large fenders, but we do have powerful compressors and pumps that do the job in seconds," says the captain. Due to the stern layout with its impressive Terrace-of-the-Sea, the tender garage can only be reached from above when the hatch opens at the push of a button and is controlled by oil pressure. The Park Avenue boom supplied by Hall Spars serves as a crane jib and lowers the tender into the water - a system that has also been tried and tested on other formats. As "Galma" usually has a Wallytender48 floating alongside as a chase boat, the RIB is almost never used.

While "Britannia" and "Taihoro" are warming up just a few hundred metres away from "Galma", Luca Bassani explains the special features of the deck layout. "The bulwark is Wallyesque, wide and high, giving guests in the cockpit a feeling of safety and security. The foredeck is sheer; you only have to watch out for the rail of the self-tacking jib when going barefoot towards the bow. The sails are trimmed comme il faut and, as usual, quickly by Magic Trim cylinders from Cariboni. Only the sheets of the Code Zero and the gennaker, which is also attached to the bowsprit, run on four large Harken winches in the working cockpit.

Cockpit of the Wally offers many cosy areas

When it came to the deck layout, the owner wanted maximum versatility with numerous convertible areas and generous storage spaces equipped with various fridges. "The outdoor furniture is mostly movable, with adjustable tables and lots of cushions (54!) to create as many lounge areas as possible, all of which match the look of 'Galma'," summarises the Wally founder. The shipyard developed several biminis to fulfil different needs. There is, for example, a shade sail that can also be used while sailing and an aft deck sun awning that can be used at anchor.

The numerous benches and ergonomic chaise longues outside the guest cockpit are particularly impressive, where you can sit and relax while looking towards the horizon. There is no more comfortable way to watch an America's Cup final race. Except perhaps in the saloon with the live broadcast via Starlink, which brings the viewer much closer to the fast-paced foiling action.

After the New Zealanders dominated this race too, it's finally time to set sail on "Galma". Captain Garcia reveals what we can expect while the 3Di mainsail from North Sails is set in less than a minute and the jib is unfurled at the same time "At around seven knots TWS we are sailing nine knots, at 15 knots the log shows wind speed and at 23 knots we usually reach around 18 knots SOG. We reached our top speed in 28 knots of true wind when we were surfing waves north of Mallorca at 23.5 knots - that was fun!"

The area off Barcelona does not present us with quite so much wind, but with ten to twelve knots from the east, the carbon construction, which displaces 80 tonnes with guests, full tanks and loaded wine fridges, quickly gets up to speed. "The hull of the Wallywind110 is based on the lines of the Wally 101 designed by Judel/Vrolijk, which we extended by the large Terrace-of-the-Sea," says Luca Bassani, adding with satisfaction: "It is one of the most extreme sterns that Wally has built to date - it reminds me of a mixture of TP52 and ILCA 7." She sails just as sporty, agile and fun! It would be a shame to leave this job to the autopilot.

Galma" easily reaches the speeds predicted by the captain at twelve knots TWS, the stern wave breaks at just over eight knots and the double rudder system transmits the steering commands precisely into the water. The only thing that needs to be practised is changing sides after tacking and jibing - if you change from leeward to windward too late, you will climb a 7.60 metre mountain. If you don't steer, you get particularly close to the sea on the stern terrace. Seldom has it been so much fun to let your legs dangle. Highly recommended!