The Ferretti 740 will catch as many eyes motoring out of Newport as it does tooling down the Italian coast.

If you managed to miss the ’09 Genoa boat show in Italy, chances are, you haven’t yet laid eyes on the new semi-custom Ferretti 740. We can say hull number one, revealed here, is indeed elegant and it has a fearsome 30-knot-plus top speed that makes it a party waiting to happen – but not waiting long! How about Bimini in an hour and a half, Antibes in an hour, Newport in three hours?

The saloon of the 740 maintains the structural line of the Ferretti 731, but features a new layout. The dining area is fully integrated into the space without bulkheads or partitions, but is set off by a step up to the level of the main deck that includes the galley and pilothouse.

Elegance is in the eyes of the beholder—and on a semi-custom or custom yacht, it is the owner and often an interior designer who define the ambience. The owner of this yacht opted for a bright, contemporary color scheme of ivory, beige and brown that maximizes the natural light the 740’s abundant windows collect. The fabrics and finishes clearly pay no heed to woody nautical tradition, which are so yesterday.

This package works well as long as you don’t have a) young children; b) a passion for red wine; or c) a large dog that likes to roll in the mud.

The main deck with the saloon, formal dining area, galley and pilothouse. It’s a pretty standard layout except for the stern area which is a Mecca for watersports. We like the passerrelle off to the port side which keeps the “teak beach” from being bifurcated, which often occurs on Italian boats of this size.

Getting four staterooms, each with en suite heads, into a 74-footer is not as easy as it sounds. Ferretti has cleverly done it by placing the master head to port of the sleeping area and fitting the walk-in closet behind the stairs below. Note the large bi-fold curved doors on the shower in the middle of the master bath. This adds a bit of romance and innovation to the 740. American owners will probably replace the three bidets with cabinets for towels. The placement of the fuel tank directly abaft the master stateroom bed serves as a good sound insulation shield and by being located here will not change the boat’s trim as fuel is burned off.

Driving a boat the size of the Ferretti 740 at 30 knots is a thrill, but of course, most people only do that for short bursts when slower clunkers are around just to let them know where the horsepower throbs. Note the large portlights on the hull sides which open up the accommodations below to light and water views. Italian builders have led the world in this innovation.

Europeans don’t play games when it comes to performance. Not only do they like to look sharp, they like to go fast. Standard power on the Ferretti 740 is a pair of 1,360-hp MAN V12 diesels, which the builder says will propel the boat to a 31-knot top speed. If you want to go a shade faster and burn a bit more fuel, 1,550-hp MANs are available. Range is 360 and 315 miles respectively.

A Good Chartering Package

Several years ago, the Ferretti Group’s Advanced Yacht Technology division introduced a new stabilizer system called ARG (Anti-Rolling Gyro). Developed in concert with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, ARG is offered as an option on the Ferretti 740. If you plan to anchor off, a stabilizing system can be well-worth the investment if you have an annoying rolly sea. Most megayachts built these days have some kind of at-anchor stabilizing system on board, and of course, it won’t hurt the 740’s resale value a bit and more likely will separate it from the other boats on the market in class.

But the most immediate use of the ARG system is to make the 740 more attractive on the charter market. There are hundreds of boats competing for the lucrative summer rentals in the Med, and few of those boats have an anti-roll system. While many boats may have fin stabilizer systems, they are not effective at anchor, where most of the annoying rolling occurs. Ferretti’s ARG system will set this vessel apart.

Also important for the charter trade are the four state rooms. Three stateroom motoryachts are increasingly harder to rent. Note that each of the staterooms has an en suite head with separate shower. These two amenities should guarantee good charter action.

Another advantage to this layout for chartering is the fact that it is a galley-up configuration. Some charter parties like to have access to the galley, and others will want it strictly for the crew. With the galley up, it works both ways.

If you’ve ever wondered how Italian women get their beautiful bronzed bodies, feast your eyes on the bunny pads and flying bridge of the Ferretti 740. The upper deck of the 740 is made for maximum interaction with the sun gods. It has a substantial al fresco dining area and a helm placed farther aft than we usually see and that means it will be more comfortable under way. The pilot seat rotates 360 degrees so the helmsman can interact with guests at the dinette. If you want, Ferretti will make the boat for you with a hard top and retractable Bimini.

Shown here with a hardtop, the Ferretti keeps its elegant lines.

Ferretti works hard to blend sweeping curves and modern design into its motoryachts without forgetting its nautical heritage. Note the teak decks which remind us that we are on a yacht. By carefully blending solid yacht design into a classic package Ferretti makes sure that its boats will not fall victim to a “flavor of the month” design fad. Their boats have enduring beauty and should be as pleasing to the eye in 15 years as they are today.

Specifications

Engine Options