PERINI NAVI LAUNCHES ITS 45-METRE SLOOP HELIOS

@Giuliano Sargentini

Perini Navi, worldwide leader in the design and construction of luxury sailing yachts, proudly announces that the launching ceremony of Helios was held on August 29th at Perini Navi’s Picchiotti facility in Viareggio.

Helios, the result of a collaboration between Perini Navi’s naval architects and Ron Holland, is the second steel-hulled 45-Metre yacht to be launched by this Italian shipyard. The third yacht in this class will be delivered to her owners in Spring 2009. The extra displacement and, hence, increased wetted surface area of the steel hull was ingeniously absorbed into the design to ensure that added drag was kept to an absolute minimum. This was achieved by incorporating fine entry at the bow and a careful balance between generous beam in the aft sections and a long, clean run to the extended counter.

Efficient appendages, including a rudder with a relatively high aspect ratio and a drop keel, and a large sail area provides the best possible sailing performance for this ocean cruising yacht that boasts a particularly large internal volume.

The Perini Navi-built aluminium mast that rises over 50 metres above the waterline carries a sail area of almost 1,200m2 which is handled by seven of Perini Navi’s reel captive winches. Perini Navi electric furlers handle the in-boom furling system that stores the 432m2 main sail within the carbon fibre boom.

Helios has two main differences in comparison with her sister-ship Heritage, the first yacht in the 45-Metre series that was launched in May 2006:

- The (36m2) fly bridge now offers a comfortable sunbathing area aft and a helm
station forward.
- The opening stern reveals a structural staircase that descends to a 7m2 swimming platform which complements lateral shell door on the yacht’s port
side.

The interior of Helios, designed in-house by the Perini Navi Design Department, is a pure classic. Mainly fashioned from mahogany and mahogany briar, the cabinetwork features an octagonal motif, a geometrical figure created specifically for the owners, is repeated on many of the yacht’s fittings, including handles, table bases, lights and decorations.

The owner and guest quarters, are particularly versatile in that each stateroom can be transformed into a variety of configurations. Two raised sun bathing areas welcome guests boarding Helios from the stern, between which a staircase descend into the large (49m2) sunken aft cockpit. Here, adjustable teak coffee tables, which can be transformed into dining tables to accommodate up to 16 guests, front two corner sofas built into the cockpit’s corners.


A third corner sofa is forward on the starboard side faced by a coffee table and two armchairs, while the forward starboard corner of the cockpit offers an ‘island’ bar on whose port side a staircase ascends to the sundeck and flying bridge. A second cockpit is located on the foredeck, forward of the semi sunken well that houses the 18’ Castoldi tender.

Centrally positioned sliding doors lead from the cockpit into the deck saloon, which is on  one level throughout. Inside, the main saloon is divided into three areas: a bar topped with Portoro marble and faced by leather stools fills the port side aft while, just forward, the living area features three sofas flanked by folding tables that are set around an ebony coffee table. The starboard side offers a dining area with an oval dining table  seating up to 10 guests and a smaller games table whose top is inlaid with a backgammon board of ebony and maple.

Just forward of the saloon, windows shaded by electric black-out blinds for use during  night passages open through to the wheelhouse. In the aft starboard side of the saloon a freestanding mahogany staircase winds down to the lower deck, where a central corridor leads aft into an elegantly square lobby where two separate doors give access to the owner suite. If necessary, this suite can be divided into two cabins, each with independent access, by deploying a moveable partition. The full beam suite with a floor area of 42 m2 has a centrally-positioned king sized bed, a studio corner on the starboard side and a sitting area on the port side. The owner’s bathroom is lined with Crema Valencia marble, a distinctive stone with a creamy background and extensive orange and ochre veining. Guests are accommodated in a VIP cabin with a double bed, and two further staterooms (each with a pullman berth) whose two single beds can be transformed into a queen bed. All have en suite bathrooms.

The amidships machinery space engine contains a single Caterpillar C32 diesel, which gives Helios a 13.5 knot performance under power, and 3 Caterpillar generators (2 x 68kW and 1 x 38kW), while the emergency generator, a 12kW Hatz, is located aft in the lazarette. The crew quarters are located foreword, where there is a crew mess, galley, laundry and three cabins, all with en suite shower rooms, for the six crew-members. Helios is to be delivered at the end of October 2007.

Helios is the third sailing yacht to be launched by Perini Navi in 2007. Selene, 56-Metre ketch was launched in January, and Tamsen was launched in April. Within the next 36 months Perini Navi will deliver 10 further blue-water sailing yachts to their owners:

5 x 56-Metre ketches
1 x 56-Metre sloop
1 x 50-Metre ketch
1 x 45-Metre sloop
2 x 38-Metre sloop

S/Y Helios main characteristics:

LOA: 45.30m
LWL: 36.99m
Beam: 9.73m
Draught, keel up: 3.90m
Draught, keel down: 8.75m
Max displacement: 358 tonnes
Engine: 1 x 1.276 CV Caterpillar C32 diesel
Max speed: 13.5 knots
Range: 4.100nm at 10.5 knots
Fuel: 31.250 litres
Water: 8.160 litres
Total sail area: 1.173m2
Air draught: 52,41m
Guest: 12
Crew: 6
Classifications/Certifications: ABS: X A1 Yachting Service – AMS + MCA 

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