Morgana, the new 30m custom sloop by Southern Wind, has arrived in La Spezia, Italy, after a maiden voyage of more than 7,000nm from the southern tip of Africa to the Mediterranean. With general design, exterior and interior design by Nauta Design and naval architecture by Reichel/Pugh, the R/P-NAUTA 100 is a hi-tech, lifting keel sailing yacht that draws on lightweight carbon fibre/Corecell, Nomex and prepreg construction for optimal racing performance and cruising comfort.

“Morgana completed her delivery voyage from the Southern Wind shipyard in South Africa with flying colours,” says Mario Pedol, president of Nauta Design, who went aboard the boat in La Spezia together with her owner. “The demanding owner is a friend of mine and this is the culmination of an idea that started in 2017 when he approached us to design his new dream yacht.”

Nauta Design invested heavily in the initial concept phase of the design before committing to a contractual agreement. This involved around 400 hours of preliminary studies, which were followed by more than 18 months of optimisation for a total of more than 3,000 hours of design work.

Morgana’s exterior profile, from the spacious flush deck to the sleek and sporty lines of the coachroof, is typical of the uncluttered style that Nauta Design brings to its projects. Thanks also to the tender garage, ample foredeck locker, hidden mooring arrangement and an underwater anchor system, the yacht’s clean and essential looks are the result of years of experience in designing ocean-going sailing yachts.

“Elegance and balance are the cornerstones of Nauta Design,” says Massimo Gino, Nauta's co-founder and partner. “The owner has a highly developed aesthetic sense and wanted a fast bluewater cruiser that could also compete in superyacht regattas with exterior lines that exude pace and performance, so we developed a low and very streamlined coachroof that is nonetheless proportionate to the height of the freeboard. On a lightweight boat like Morgana that has shallower underbody than comparable yachts, that meant we were playing with millimetres to get the right headroom and proportions.”  

Nauta Design is also responsible for the fresh and contemporary yet understated interior styling. Morgana has three en-suite guest cabins, including a large owner’s suite forward and a dedicated TV area in the forward part of the salon. The aft crew area includes a captain’s cabin with a double bed port side and a crew cabin with two bunks to starboard. 

“It took some time to finalise the interior concept and we were invited to the owner’s home to better understand his tastes and discuss the various options,” adds Pedol. “The owner is very happy with the result, which has  just the right combination of warm and welcoming ambience and contemporary design touches.”

The R/P-NAUTA 100 has a powerful hull form when heeled and a narrow upright waterplane for stability while reaching and sailing upwind, as well as good performance in light airs. The design and construction benefited from efficient cooperation between the designers and the shipyard who were focused on finding the best balance between innovative solutions and well-proven technologies.

“In the case of Morgana in particular, the project coordination was excellent,” concludes Pedol. “Southern Wind's technical department, managed by Marco Alberti, was always well ahead of the construction, which is the best way to control the weight and avoid unwanted surprises. Carlo Torre of Monaco Yacht Temptation also contributed his vast experience to representing the owner during the entire construction process.”

Images: Rob Kamhoot

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Nauta Design

Reichel Pugh Yacht Design

Southern Wind

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