A veritable hive of activity at the shipyard has seen big progress on the WIDER165 ‘Cecilia’.
With the scheduled launch approaching fast, emphasis has been focused on the installation and testing of the technical systems to ensure that the commissioning time after the yacht is splashed is kept to a minimum. Much has been learned from the sistership M/Y “Bartali” – delivered to her owner in June of last year – meaning that the Power Management System has been installed with the latest, refined and updated version 3.0 of the operating software. In the past month the azimuthal pods with counter rotating propellers, which offer huge advantages over traditional power trains particularly in reducing noise and vibration levels, have been installed together with the powerful electric motors which drive the yacht forward to a comfortable cruising speed of 12.5kts.
The electric, zero speed stabilisers supplied by Naiad – the same model that were successfully installed on the WIDER150 – which ensure a stable platform in all conditions have also been installed and tested. The latest photos taken in early February show the bridge has taken shape with nearly all electronics now installed and simply awaiting arrival of the touch screens which control and allow monitoring of all aspects of the ship.
“A lot of the work we have completed in recent months is behind the scenes – technical installations in the power generation, pod and technical rooms as well as guest AV systems. This is a significant milestone and means all efforts can now be focused on delivering a top quality finish to the interior outfitting and the final stage of the painting process,” said Stefano Talamonti, WIDER Chief Operations Officer.
Although focus has been elsewhere, there has been significant advances to the level of completion of the exterior areas with the sun deck having now received final topcoat and the glass handrail also installed as well as on the bridge deck aft below. Teak decking has been installed to all areas and will receive a final sanding just before launch. On the inside, there has been noteworthy progress to the furniture installations across all decks, both in guest and crew areas. Although still requiring some imagination to understand the full beauty, the elegance of the contemporary Italian design by IdeaeItalia is beginning to shine (see here for more detail).
“All of us at the shipyard are aware of the high standards and multiple awards won for the WIDER150… the bar was set very high but we have every intention of surpassing it… With a completely different interior design and tweaks to the layout, I am confident that ‘Cecilia’ will be even more successful and demonstrate the versatility of the WIDER shipyard.” said Jeremy Roche, Sales & Marketing Director.
The WIDER 165, project ‘Cecilia’, is available for sale at 30m euro and is scheduled to be launched in the Spring of 2018 with final delivery in time for the summer.
WIDER 165 OVERVIEW
Constructed entirely in aluminum, the elegant profile of the WIDER 165 was created by the in-house WIDER design team in collaboration with Italian yacht designer Fulvio De Simoni. Designed to accommodate the owner’s long wish-list of toys, both inside and out, the WIDER 165 will satisfy the desires of the most adventurous, with helipad included.
The interior layout, designed by IdeaeItalia in conjunction with the owner’s architect, is packed with more stand out features including a generous study with terrace on the port side, private gym with terrace on the starboard side, a sauna room as well as a spacious and light owner’s cabin and ensuite bathroom.
On the foredeck, the helicopter-landing pad, unique to the WIDER 165, and circular seating areas set into the superstructure, forward of a large Jacuzzi tub, offer a versatile space that will double as generous dance floor for fun evenings afloat.
The stand out feature across the WIDER range is the inclusion of a generous Beach Club: the WIDER 165 has taken this even further to include an extra space for a sauna as well as the WIDER 32 that we have seen on the WIDER 150. The entire layout and decor of the vessel has been studied in minute detail to satisfy and exceed the owner’s requirements but also clearly reflects the shipyard’s desire to offer customized projects on standard platforms.
LOW-CONSUMPTION DIESEL ELECTRIC PROPULSION
The beating heart of the WIDER 165’ project is its diesel electric propulsion system combined with a 544kWh Lithium polymer battery bank and Azimuthal pods, which guarantees hugely reduced fuel consumption.
Four inline variable speed diesel generators, controlled by the state-of-the-art WIDER power management system and the latest battery technology, serve the hotel and propulsion requirements of the vessel.
The traditional engine room has been replaced by a Power Generator Room, located in the bow. This leaves the mid ship of the vessel free for larger, more comfortable guest cabins located in the most stable part of the yacht. This arrangement is only possible because of the use of Azimuthal pods, which receive power through an electric cable unlike traditional propulsion systems which have shafts.
In addition to space gains, this combination of Diesel Electric combined with Lithium polymer battery banks and Azimuthal pods affords significant advantages compared to conventional shaft-line propulsion. These include:
- increased reliability
- fuel efficiency
- greater range
- shallow draft
- lower noise and vibration
- reduced maintenance
- greater flexibility
The propulsion system is also completely modular, meaning the WIDER 165 can cruise using only the battery packs, in ZEM (Zero Emission Mode), or with up to four inline diesel generators. When fully charged, the battery power is sufficient to power all of the hotel services, including air conditioning, for an overnight stay at anchor or while enjoying the beach in complete silence, with no engines running.
A range of 3,100nm is expected at a cruising speed of 12.5kn, increasing to 5,400nm at the ecological speed of 10 knots. The yacht has a maximum speed of 14.1 knots. Also available at Zero Emission Speed, the WIDER 165 can run solely on batteries for silent cruising at lower speeds (5 knots), or for short movements, avoiding the need to start generators to move anchorages or for early starts.
As with all of the WIDER Superyacht range, the onboard power sources are controlled by the WIDER Power Management System, a smart and fully integrated system which controls the power supplied by the shore connection, the gen-sets and the battery packs, distributing it between the hotel requirements, the propulsion system and the recharging of batteries, as required.
Our dedicated partner in this project, and the supplier of our WIDER Power Management system, is the market-leading, global powerhouse, Nidec (previously Emerson Industrial Automation).
All-ALUMINUM CONSTRUCTION
The yacht’s intelligent design focuses on minimizing fuel consumption and emissions while maximizing onboard living space, without underestimating the importance of easy maintenance.
The material chosen for the entire construction of the WIDER 165 is aluminum, a noble, durable metal that, being particularly lightweight, makes it possible to increase the performance/consumption ratio of the yacht and hence achieve a considerable reduction in emissions. Combined with the fact that aluminum is completely recyclable, this helps to reduce the vessel’s footprint on the environment. Aluminum also provides greater freedom during construction as it increases the opportunity for customization, yet considerably shortens production times.
Thanks to the collaboration with the architects involved in the project, the interior design corresponds to WIDER’s mission of enhancing the connection of the owner and guests to the water at all times through the use of large windows, side-opening balconies and spacious exterior dining and entertaining areas. Architects at IdeaeItalia have worked hard in order to obtain very bright interior spaces combined with warm colours, linear and clean design matched with a perfect balance of wood, glass and leather together with some more ornate details linked to oriental culture, reflecting the taste and background of the owner.
The choice of materials used onboard are primarily deep sanded oak, roman travertine stone, premium quality leathers and Italian white marbles. These have been elegantly combined to give a contemporary styled interior with a distinct Italian flair. Among the many unique features on board the WIDER 165 are the owner’s private terrace overlooking the sea, which opens off the full-beam master cabin. The sizeable guest quarters comprise four en-suite cabins on the lower deck.
The crew of 11, are divided among five cabins on the lower deck and a sizeable cabin for the captain next to the wheelhouse. An ample crew mess complies with the latest standards (LY3) for crew. A central corridor gives direct access to the engine room, located at the furthest point from the guest accommodation.
