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The Altura 840 is a head turner. As the yacht cruised up the canal toreach the Allied Marine Group sales and service center in Fort

Lauderdale, there was no mistaking what she was. The portholes gaveher away. Definitely Ferretti. She has a little something of the Mochi

Craft LR 23, only larger. As the yacht moved away, an interesting featurepresented itself, a long and wide window in the transom, indicating a

possible cabin aft. That’s when there was no mistaking her identity.Story Cecile Gauert Photos Ferretti Yachts

HIGH-MINDEDThe Altura 840

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European models always take a little time before they come to this side of the world.The Altura 840 made her debut in Cannes in the fall of 2008 and reached our shores in earlyFebruary for the Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami. Altura is a brand that Ferretti Yachtsrevived in 2005 with the Altura 690, but was a well-known entity in the Mediterranean foryears. The brand first appeared with a 42’ motorsailer in the mid-1970s, soon followed by a46 and 49-footer in the early 1980s. Changing trends put a stop to the production of theseyachts until 2005 when Ferretti launched the first aft-cabin motoryacht it had designed inyears. The pendulum, it seems, had swung back, and a warm reception encouraged the shi-pyard to go for a larger yacht based on a similar concept. And thus was born the Altura 840,which won a World Yachts Trophy in 2009.Resemblance to other Ferretti brands is no accident. The group, encompassing eight brandsshares important resources: the Italian Zuccon International Studio, responsible for a greatmajority of the styling of yachts within the Ferretti Group and the engineering expertise ofAYT (Advanced Yacht Technology). Cross-pollination is a frequent occurrence.While it has a certain nostalgic appeal, this yacht is completely in the now, celebrating a qua-lity of life onboard. In fact, the Ferretti marketing team was quick to give it a label, “the villaon the sea.” The creators said the yacht was designed to appeal to a more mature and expe-rienced yachtsman. This appears to be a code name for someone with a family who mayenjoy spending a vacation with younger generations but also values the availability of a pri-vate retreat.

A bird eye's view of the

open main deck from

the raised pilothouse

E

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An original layout locates

the dining room below,

across from the galley

LOA: 84’2” (25.66M) LWL: 67’ 7” (20.60M)BEAM: 20’ (6.12M) DRAFT: 6’3” (1.90M) HULL CONSTRUCTION: COMPOSITE

ENGINES (STANDARD): 2 X 1,823 HP

MTU 12V 2000 M93S

MAXIMUM RPM: 2,450 RPM

FUEL CAPACITY:

1,849 GAL. (7 000L) MAXIMUM SPEED: 30.5 KNOTS

CRUISING SPEED: 27 KNOTS

WATER CAPACITY:412 GAL. (1,560L) MAXIMUN RANGE:ABOUT 520 MILES @11.5 KNOTS

GENERATOR: KOHLER

AUTOMATIC PILOT:

RAYMARINE ST7002 AND ST6002 NAVIGATION SYSTEM:FURUNO NAVNET 3D NAVAL ARCHITECTURE:ADVANCED YACHTS TECHNOLOGY

INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DESIGN:ZUCCON INTERNATIONAL PROJECT

BUILDER: FERRETTI YACHTS – ITALY

The Altura840

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WHILE IT HAS A CERTAIN NOSTALGIC APPEAL,THIS YACHT IS COMPLETELY IN THE NOW

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On the outside, the Altura 840 has an appealing color scheme, a cream color with a hint ofyellow, very much in fashion these days; sister brand Custom Line also used the color on afew of its charismatic cruiser-style yachts. The foredeck is handsomely set up with a banquette, table and comfortable forward-facingsun pads. More designers and builders are paying attention to this very pleasant part of theyacht, which has tended to be reserved for lockers, storage, anchor chains and tenders. Ins-tead, here, wide teak walkways and a couple of easy steps provide a safe passage to this plea-sant recreational area. When the yacht is docked stern-to, this is an especially great way toenjoy a cocktail at the marina in privacy; umbrellas can be set up for shade. The more conven-tional aft deck with a table and banquette is also available of course, although it is more de-dicated to dining than lounging. The flybridge offers yet another outdoor space large enoughfor sunbathing and dining, although, part of it is used for tender storage under way since thetypical location for a tender garage is dedicated instead to the master stateroom. Still, thereis room for a lunch area that can be shaded thanks to a sliding bimini, built inside the hardtop. An exterior helm station offers a great vantage point for the captain. Yet the interior helmstation is user friendly as well. Set a few steps up from the main-deck salon level, it is bothprivate and panoramic with a single helm seat facing a well-equipped console with 15’ touch-screens and an inclined windshield. The instrumentation includes all the bells and whistles,including remote alarms, radar, map plotter, GPS, echo sounder and automatic pilot. A plea-sant panoramic observation area with an attractive teak sole and leather banquette is locatedon the starboard side. Side windows are especially large for optimal views. A side door, lo-cated just aft of the helm chair, provides quick exit to the side decks and allows the crew toaccess the galley and the helm without walking through the salon. On the main deck, theambiance is that of a loft: big windows, contemporary furnishing with light colors and highceilings. It is pleasantly open and bright with ample seating. The TV is hidden when not inuse, and the feeling is uncluttered. A honey tone wood veneer warms the modern interior. The lower deck features a layout that is very different from most yachts this size, in greatpart due to the location of the master stateroom aft. Accessed via a set of dedicated stairs,the full-beam stateroom has the distinct advantage of privacy. The big rectangular window,evident from the outside, doubles as a headboard of sorts. Located right above the king-sizebed, it helps flood the room with natural light. Open the curtains and you can peer outsidefirst thing in the morning. Side portholes open for ventilation and added light, and a built-inlounge chair is a great spot to catch up on reading. The ensuite bathroom is located forwardof the bed, adding a layer of insulation from the engine room positioned amidships; althoughwith the generators running, the stateroom is impressively quiet.

Guest cabins, a VIP and

two twins, are located

away from the master suite

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On Board June 2010

The forward part of the lower deck, accessed through another set of stairs, accommodates aVIP cabin, all the way forward and two additional guest rooms with twin beds. Each has aprivate bathroom. The galley and dining room (located across from each other, they are se-parated by a sliding door) are also located on the lower deck, but they don’t feel confinedthanks to another large window that opens for fresh light and light streaming down from thedeck above. The set up is meant to accommodate eight diners. The crew quarters, with twocabins, are accessed via the galley and are located just forward of the engine room. The Altura 840 may be mistaken for a cruiser, since her looks are reminiscent of trawlers,but she is surprisingly speedy. This is not a displacement hull, but a modified Vee hull withflat chines. With standard twin MTU 12V 2000 M93 diesel engines (M94s are also available),the 80-ton composite yacht cruises at 27 knots and reaches a top speed of 30.5 knots. Ofcourse, at that speed, fuel consumption may be a bit intimidating. Slowing to 14 knots willsubstantially decrease fuel consumption as well as increase range. Maximum range is about520 nm at 11.5 knots. A few years ago, Ferretti reached an agreement with Mitsubishi andinstalled their anti-rolling gyro (ARG) stabilizers on their craft. The Altura 840 features two,designed to maximize comfort at anchor and low speeds. Employees of the Ferretti Grouplike to repeat what Chairman Norberto Ferretti says, that boats must be designed to be usedrather than just to be seen. Let’s say that the Altura 840 meets both goals successfully. It’scertainly very pleasant to use, but equally nice to show. •

Numerous options are

available for outdoor

living and lounging

THE ALTURA 840 MAY BE MISTAKEN FORA CRUISER, BUT SHE IS SURPRISINGLY SPEEDY

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT

ALLIED MARINE AT ARBMG.COM