Maximus, all the secrets of the dream megayacht (59m) signed Frers
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With so many superboats “on the catwalk” at the latest edition of the Superyacht Cup in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, there was indeed eye candy to be had.
Maximus, 59-meter masterpiece
But one in particular impressed us, with its proportions, modern-classic look and mammoth gennaker complete with gladiator helmet. We are talking about the 59-meter ketch Maximus, which, moreover, won on her debut at sea in the A category and then, shortly thereafter, set the course record on the Mallorca-Ibiza route, 48 miles in just three hours and 31 minutes
Maximus, crew of 50
On the superketch (aluminum hull and superstructure, teak deck, cockpits and deckhouse), named after Maximus Decimus Meridius, the protagonist of Ridley Scott’s The Gladiator played by Russell Crowe (hence the symbol on the gennaker!) the crew is 50 people: look at the photo below to believe!
What kind of boat is the Maximus? 59.30 meters long and 10.27 meters wide (draft of 8.26 meters and displacement of 395 tons), it was designed by the firm of German Frers and touched the water last December. It is a real wolf in sheep’s clothing, because the goal of the Dutch shipyard specializing in megayachts Vitters, commissioned by the owner (by the way: top secret name), was to build one of the most perfomant ketches in the world. The classic hull lines, teak deck and two maxi cockpits sheltered by comfortable “rooftops” conceal, below the waterline, double rudder, lifting keel (with a minimum draft of five meters that stretches to eight) and wet surface optimized for racing.
So are the sails and deck plan, designed for competitive sailing (with a bit of “Made in Italy” thrown in): there is the hand of Doyle Sails (a sailmaker specializing in the megayacht world), Southern Spars, and Harken, which provided deck winches, captive winches, hydraulic cylinders and deck equipment. Specifically, winches and captives are manufactured by Harken Italy.
The Maximus is now the third largest Vitters yacht in the water after the Aquijo (85.9 meters) and the Anatta (66 meters). It took more than two and a half years to build this giant.
Maximus’s other “goodies”
A few more details about this “mystery” boat about which very little is known. When cruising, Maximus’s expansive deck provides lounging areas and sundecks galore, and she can carry all sorts of tenders, watertoys, and equipment for entertaining aboard. Comfortable as kings, we imagine, you stay in the two sheltered cockpits, perfect for a sea-view dinner. When the boat is in racing mode, a removable bowsprit is installed, the jib clew is lowered, and the entire hydraulic handling system devised by Vitters is upgraded to increase performance. With remote control transceivers, trimmers (i.e., crew members in charge of sail trim) can position themselves in the best spots, eliminating overcrowding in the wheelhouse area. Which, on a boat that gets up to 50 crew members, is critical. Maximus is equipped with a 700-volt surge-reduced electrical system to improve efficiency and reduce fuel consumption, and has two giant motorized furling drums in the forward locker to make it easier to manage the headsails. There is also a submarine anchoring system (of the kind borrowed from large commercial ships and which, for the first time, made an appearance in the yachting world with Bassani’s Wallys).
Frers’ return to the world of megayachts
The boat represents the return of German Frers to the world of megayachts: as we have already told you, more than thirty years ago (it was 1993) the Argentine designer-at the request of Raul Gardini after the great epic of the Moro di Venezia in the America’s Cup-designed the Bucintoro, the 60-meter yacht built by Tencara whose construction was suddenly interrupted with the death of Gardini swept up in Tangentopoli. Welcome back among the gigabarche, Mr. Frers: judging by the Superyacht Cup victory and the Mallorca-Ibiza record, the Maximus owner’s request, i.e., a high-performance superyacht, has not been unfulfilled!
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