Yachts

By Reagan Lightsey It’s nine a.m. on a Thursday and I’ve just been handed a glass of wine by a smartly-dressed yachting attendant. As I stand on a makeshift dock right across Collins Avenue from the Fontainebleau, I think to myself… “I could get used to this life…” As a matter of fact, I think I could get used to living full-time on any one one of these larger-than-life (or at least my life!) yachts. Ha—maybe if I was 25 sitting on $25 mill” like Drake…but alas, I just turned twenty-six, and I don’t see the purchase of one of these gorgeous Ferretti yachts in my very near future. So, if “you only live once” is, indeed, “The Motto,” I’m more than happy to throw back some wine and pretend that I am buying a boat. …But not just any boat. (In fact, to say the word “boat” in connection with this masterpiece is probably among the greater fo pauxs of this event.) The pick of the litter today is the brand new Pershing 82’ whose debut I am here to applaud. With all of the sophistication of any number of yachts by the Ferretti Group and a cruising speed of 45 knots, yacht designer Fulvio De Simoni has achieved something to admire. Since its origin in 1968, the Ferretti Group has built a legacy of unwavering excellence, and this is certainly true of the Pershing. The detail of this eighty-two foot yacht is not simply in the fabric—rather, it is in the wood grains, the perfectly selected, top-notch leather and the brilliantly engineered retractable glass back half. And of course, we cannot forget the majesty of its low, aggressive stance on the waves. I am fairly certain that to own a Pershing 82’ is to have arrived. That said, nothing less than the grandeur of the Miami Boat Show could have done for its debut. As a matter of fact, this particular display of yachts is the largest in Miami Boat Show history—only fitting for the sleekness of this iconic yacht. As we tour the interior—a large living space on the main floor behind the captain’s chairs (with the aforementioned retractable doors), four bedrooms and a kitchen—it is quite easy to see why the Pershing 82’ boasts three awards, including “Best Interior Layout” and “Best Innovation.” And certainly, we can’t overlook the third award, “Best Exterior”, especially when we take into account the beautifully designed sundecks. Yes, that is sundecks with an “s”, as there are actually two: one smaller one on the tip-top by the pilot’s seat and one perfectly situated slightly lower at the bow of the boat. Truly, no detail has been overlooked. As I wind my way back down the retractable carbon steel staircase that delivered me to the sundeck, it becomes increasingly clear why Ferretti Group has had over forty-four years of success; the splendor of the Pershing 82’, while special in its own right, also extends across their other seven brands. From the Bertram and Riva S.p.A. to the Itama, (an open motor style yacht), Ferretti merges distinction and finesse to achieve a particular brand of yachting superiority. View article in our spring issue here!