The Mangusta Gransport EL LEON completes her Ocean crossing

Barbados, 19 December 2018
The Mangusta Gransport El Leon has just reached Barbados. After cruising off Viareggio in early December, the yacht smoothly covered over 4,800 nautical miles, setting an important record for the Shipyard - this is indeed the first Mangusta ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean. 

El Leon was delivered to her Owner last summer and was officially presented to the public and to the yachting industry during the recent Monaco Yacht Show, immediately meeting with great success. With her 54 meters in length, she is the largest yacht built so far by the Shipyard, as well as the first model in the new generation of Fast Displacement yachts, the Mangusta GranSport line, designed by Alberto Mancini.

She can reach a maximum speed of 30 knots and can cross the ocean at cruising speed, boasting a range of 4,800 nautical miles and always ensuring maximum onboard comfort. Such outstanding performances are possible thanks to cutting-edge technical solutions: the hull, designed by Studio Ausonio, can be defined as a “Fast Surface Piercing Hull”, i.e. a hull featuring a bulbous bow that glides on the sea surface without planing, using dynamic thrusts to control longitudinal trim and maintaining a displacement mode even at high speeds. The combination of a 4-engine / 4-propeller drive with electric stabilizers makes this yacht extremely comfortable and versatile.

THE OCEAN CROSSING
The Owner, enthusiastic about the yacht, which he had extensively tested during the summer, decided to turn his dream into reality: spending time on board with no compromises about performances and without having to take any time off his professional activity. And he decided to start at Christmastime, in the American seas.
Usually, yachts of this size are loaded onto one of the many vessels that normally transport yachts between the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean, because their cruising range is not sufficient to make the crossing or for other reasons. But the Mangusta Gransport, unlike other yachts, is perfect to cross the Ocean by herself, because she was designed and built specifically to be fit for this kind of endeavors, too. 

“Land ahoy!!! Our voyage ends with these joyful words when we catch sight of the Barbados coast” says El Leon’s Captain, Paolo Bozzo Costa.

“On 1st December we cruised off Viareggio with the aim of reaching the Caribbean on this new 54 m semi-displacement yacht built by Overmarine and willing to find out more about her peculiarities along the 4,800 miles that stretched between us and our destination. 
El Leon behaved outstandingly, confirming the seakeeping features of her hull, which I had already appreciated during our summer cruise. While cruising across the Atlantic Ocean, with well-formed swell waves further strengthened by the constant trade wind, the yacht impressed us with her great comfort, stability and performances. I kept an average speed of approximately 14 knots – something very few boats can achieve – and reached the Caribbean with enough fuel in our tanks to relaxedly enjoy our first Caribbean cruise. 

Day after day, I am increasingly proud of having helped Overmarine Mangusta’s staff during this yacht’s design and sea trials. After this great Ocean crossing, El Leon will take us on new exciting voyages across the world!”

Here is the cruise journal:
-    The crew, consisting of nine members plus the Captain, cruise off Overmarine Group’s quay in Viareggio on 1st December, heading towards Gibraltar, the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea.
-    El Leon moors in Gibraltar on 4th December, after cruising 950 miles across a stormy Tyrrhenian Sea and an equally rough Gulf of Lion.
-    After a quick stop-over to fuel and stock up the yacht, the Captain finally steers El Leon’s bow into the Atlantic Ocean. Next, the yacht will call at Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands.
-    On 9th December, under the auspices of good weather, the yacht is enroute to Cape Verde. The stop-over here allows crew to refill the tanks and load some more fresh stocks before making the great leap. 
-    On 11th December she leaves land. More than 2,450 nautical miles will now have to be crossed before the yacht can finally rest on the coasts of the American continent.
-    During the crossing, the waves are mainly those formed by the trade wind, and days go by quietly thanks to the excellent sound insulation protecting the crew from over 2,600 hp of power of each of El Leon’s four engines and from any possible noises or vibrations caused by other onboard equipment. From time to time, both the wind and the sea grow stronger, both aft and abeam, but the steering and stabilizing systems effectively withstand the ocean waves.
-    On 17th December the Captain catches sight of the dark skyline of Bridgetown, Barbados. At 8,31 pm she is in the harbor. 
El Leon has effortlessly completed her ocean crossing in 6 days!

A transatlantic crossing that instates Mangusta as a key player in the ocean going vessels segment.