In mid-December 2023, CENTOUNONAVI was presented to the Saudi world at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The event was attended by a significant number of Saudi royals and a relevant business audience from the Arab world.
The idea behind the new generation of yachts by CENTOUNONAVI, a Viareggio-based shipyard founded by the naval engineer Marco Arnaboldi, is to achieve uncompromising performance thanks to refined custom-made construction combined with water-jet propulsion - indeed, all the models in the range can achieve speeds close to 60 knots.
At the end of the event, a dealership agreement was signed by Marco Arnaboldi (representing CENTOUNONAVI) and by His Royal Highness Naif Bin Abdullah Bin Saus Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, through his company Durah al Fodah. The company will enthusiastically promote the Italian shipyard's range in Saudi Arabia, managing every technical and commercial aspect of the product, starting with the purchase of a demo boat available to all the people who want to experience the thrill of speeding over water at 55 knots in maximum comfort and in an environmentally friendly way.
“The participants attending the presentation were impressed not only by the unique aesthetic and performance characteristics of the CENTOUNONAVI yachts, but above all by the 'green' content aimed at having a smaller impact on their precious Red Sea,” explains Marco Arnaboldi. “This sea is at the centre of a major tourism launch through the development of hospitality facilities and new towns (The Line, Neom and more) that have environmental sustainability as their common feature. In this sense, among high-performance yachts, CENTOUNONAVI is currently the only player in the world because it uses technologies developed by the R&D activities of Studio Arnaboldi and the shipyard, which are strictly applied.”
“True to its 'Fast Is Green' catchphrase, the shipyard has adopted a number of environmentally friendly solutions: the PVC foams for the yachts are recycled, as are other materials used in construction,” continues Marco Arnaboldi. “Then, thanks to maximum weight containment and particularly efficient hull shapes, fuel consumption is considerably reduced, while waterjet propulsion does not harm marine animals, which are often hurt by propellers. The Saudi guests were also very interested in the speed performance of the CENTOUNONAVI range, which has changed the rules of life at sea by drastically reducing journey times, allowing longer stays in the marine oases that the Red Sea has to offer. All this is combined with a high level of safety when sailing, especially in shallow waters, thanks to the MJP waterjet propulsion.”
The meeting was also an opportunity to present Protea Srl's revolutionary Ozojet antifouling system, developed exclusively for CENTOUNONAVI. This system is particularly effective in the warm waters of the Red Sea, where marine vegetation is fast growing.
CENTOUNONAVI, a unique, high-performance range
There are many exclusive features in CENTOUNONAVI yachts, starting with the hydrojet propulsion that guarantees, compared to conventional propeller drives, greater speed in all sea conditions, superior acceleration and manoeuvrability, navigation in shallow waters, less noise and vibration, as well as less maintenance and longer engine life. This requires the hull structure to be rigid and strong, but also very light to ensure high efficiency at all speeds and in all conditions. Thus, CENTOUNONAVI builds its new superyachts using carbon and fibreglass in a hybrid sandwich with vinyl-ester resin and a high-density PVC core.
Highly efficient even at speeds in excess of 58 knots, CENTOUNONAVI yachts are vibration-free thanks to their floating interiors, which provide effective insulation from hull stress, noise and engine vibrations. All have customised interiors with different layout options, where on-board comfort at the highest level is combined with design solutions that enhance the owner's spirit. The design objectives also sought to emphasise flexibility of use, with a low stern to experience the sea up close, to which an open space layout is added for continuity of vision from stern to bow.
At 16.70 metres in length, VESPRO is a powerful fast cruiser that, powered by two 1,200 hp MAN 8V engines coupled to MJP 350X waterjets, reaches a top speed of 57 knots. At 30 knots it uses only 6 l/nm and boasts a range of 350 nautical miles at maximum speed.
The 28-metre FORZA is equipped with three 2,000 hp MAN 12V engines coupled to three MJP 450 waterjets, reaching a maximum speed of 60 knots. The 7,000-litre fuel tank guarantees an exceptional range of 500 nm at a cruising speed of 50 knots.
The 39-metre ETEREA is a three-deck superyacht built in hybrid carbon composite, but it is powered by four MTU engines (2,600 hp each) coupled to MJP waterjets, achieving a top speed of 58 knots and a cruising speed of 50 knots.