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Wally’s wallypower58 Reviewed

• By Phil Draper
• August 18, 2023

I don’t normally pay much attention to taglines, but Wally’s current one—“20 years ahead”—is an exception. Remember the WallyPower 118? It was Wally founder Luca Bassani’s personal vision of what superyachting could be. It launched 20 years ago but still looks like it’s only just dropped in from outer space. Then there are the various smaller wallypowers that have launched since, the new wallywhys that are phasing in now, and the various iterations of wallytenders, the first of which caused a stir more than 25 years ago. All carry the same futuristic design cues. And who would argue that the new wallypower58 doesn’t look like it’s 20 years ahead of the game too?

The wallypower58 has a distinct aesthetic with a square stem; a clean, hard-chined hull; and a sharp, mostly glass superstructure. The high foredeck has deck lighting and flush sun-pad inlays, and a cockpit Wally calls a semi-open salon. That last space has hardtop protection above as well as full side glazing to plug the gaps between the roof and deck. Overall, the hull volume allocates guest spaces roughly 50-50 inside and outside.

Tanks, engines and pods are beneath the cockpit sole, and there’s carbon-fiber detailing and teak decking everywhere. The decking is particularly impressive where it wraps over the after lip of the swim platform and where it lines the bulwarks. Their after sections fold down to add around 54 square feet of deck space. The whole open-deck area then provides something like 325 square feet of space.

The star attraction aft is a 77-square-foot island sun bed with an awning stretched over a carbon-fiber frame that stows neatly around the base unit. Amidships beneath the coachroof, there’s around 6-foot-9-inch headroom and sofas down each side. The starboard one has a dining table that can be supplemented by free-standing chairs. The forward area beneath the one-piece curved and heavily back-raked windshield includes two high-backed carbon pilot seats to starboard that address a small-diameter horizontal wheel. They look like they could have been plucked from the starship Enterprise.

As with most open models, the accommodations closure is a sliding hatch inboard of the helm, which is nicely arranged with all the switches and instrumentation set into carbon-look moldings. Two Garmin displays dominate the console, where visibility is superb. An electric sunroof above the windshield provides natural ventilation when the air-conditioning is off.

The standard belowdecks arrangement includes a lower salon with two long sofas—one on either side, a head to starboard and a stall shower to port. Forward, there is a stateroom with an aft-facing double berth. The lockers and closets have a rather 1950s luggage look about them, a great contrast to the ultramodern vibe everywhere else.

A smaller, double-berth stateroom with a door, or a single crew cabin with hatch access from the cockpit, are the options on the port side of the lower salon, which also includes a surprise: Instead of hullside windows, this model has what Wally calls magic portholes. Two 55-inch flat-screen TVs can relay real-time images from cameras in the vessel’s sides, or the TVs can relay recordings of the owner’s favorite bay when he’s tied up at the dock, or the TVs can play movies or games. This setup keeps the 58’s sleek hull lines pristine and is more efficient to build, as real windows require significant structures around the apertures as well as laminated glass.

There are two choices when it comes to propulsion: triple Volvo Penta D8-550/IPS700s or triple D8-600/IPS800s, which deliver reported maximum speeds of 35 to 36 knots and 37 to 38 knots, respectively. The boat I got aboard had the most-powerful, 470-cubic-inch, six-cylinder inline diesels, which, at a bit more than half load and in auto-trim mode with the Seakeeper 9 off, delivered virtually 38 knots at just over 2,900 rpm. Wallys always run every bit as well as they look, slicing efficiently and heeling into the turns just enough.

At an all-day, everyday 30 knots at 2,500 rpm, the ultimate range is around 350 nautical miles, much the same as it would be at 20 knots and 2,000 rpm, so there’s no real incentive to cruise halfheartedly with this machine. The onboard management system synchronizes the propulsion of all three pods while in ahead mode, so with only the usual twin control levers at the helm, the skipper drives the boat just like he would if the boat had a twin-engine installation. When maneuvering astern, those two levers only engage the outer engines.

At the heart of a Wally build is style, performance, luxury and a bit of avant-garde thinking. It’s a formula that has made the brand a fan favorite, creating a niche that only it can own. And the wallypower58 owns it well.

The X Factor

The first Wally 58X version recently arrived in Florida. This iteration has quad 600 hp V-12 Mercury Verado outboards, which means a top-end speed of around 50 knots and a quoted fast-cruise range of 290 nautical miles. Normally, aboard an open yacht of this size with a quad rack, owners have to sacrifice some accessibility to the water aft, but fold-down quarter platforms are game-changers in that regard.

Wally’s parent company, the Ferretti Group, used the launch of the wallypower58 to say it will soon be one of the first yachtbuilders to offer Watchit anti-collision and grounding systems across its portfolio. Developed by Israeli company Aqua Marine Tech, these systems warn captains about navigational dangers. The tech’s artificial-intelligence technology interprets data from GPS, chart plotters, AIS, radar, sonar, proximity sensors and more.

Take the next step: wally.com

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Boat of the Week: The Wally WHY200 Is a Rule-Breaking 89-Footer With the Space of a Superyacht

Wally's why200 isn't 200 feet long. it's 89. but thanks to its wide beam and high profile, it has the interior space of a 165-foot superyacht., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories.

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It’s pretty clear that someone who names their yacht company after a 1960’s cartoon is going to have an unusual view of design. Luca Bassani, who called the 1989 boat he built for himself Wallygator (after the Hanna Barbera cartoon), has since turned the Wally brand into yachting’s favorite cult. The angular hulls and minimalist topsides have been recognizable worldwide for more than 20 years. Bassani is the only designer whose unique looks extends from 100-foot-plus sailing yachts to 30-foot powerboats—and he introduced them years before many other builders started copying his designs.

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The Italian designer has launched a new trend with the new WHY200—200 standing for 200 gross tons, which is not weight, but the internal volume of the yacht. It equals 20,000 cubic feet.

The WHY stands for Wally Hybrid Yacht, but it doesn’t mean electric-diesel propulsion. “It’s a hybrid between a planing motoryacht and displacement boat,” Bassani told Robb Report at the Monaco Yacht Show. “We were constrained by length but not by width, so we created an extreme, wide-body yacht. We wanted to offer much more than competitors by not following the rules of the game.”

The 25-foot beam is put to good use in the stern and flybridge of the new Wally.  Courtesy Wally Yachts

Actually, the rules of the game are what prompted the design. European maritime regulations state that any hull length of 24 meters and below (78.7 feet) are boats. Over that, they are classified as ships, with different rules and significantly higher operating costs. The trend now is to package as much interior space as possible into smaller hull lengths, and different European brands, including Princess, Ferretti Yachts , Azimut and Benetti, have done that with relative degrees of success.

But the WHY200 is another animal. It has an overall length of 88’8″, but its hull length at the waterline is 78’8″, so it works under the 24-meter rule. But then the real measurements begin. “The beam of the main salon is 24 feet, the same size as a 160-foot superyacht,” says Stefano de Vivo, Wally’s managing director, who admits that the unusual profile will “get a positive or negative ‘wow.’” But when they come inside, he adds, “they’ll see why it’s designed like that.”

Looking at the first images, I was firmly in the negative-wow camp. The vessel looked like a tall, somewhat bloated wedge—a midlife-crisis version of the svelte, strait-edged Wallys of earlier days. As a longtime fan of the brand, it seemed like Wally had gone soft.

The one-of-a-kind main salon in the bow has a 270-degree view of the water.  Courtesy Wally Yachts

But as soon as I stepped aboard, I couldn’t help muttering a positive wow under my breath. The boat is wide, with a beam of 24’10”, and the stern uses every bit of that, with wide open space and stunning teak-work. The side panels open out to make the boat feel even wider, giving it more volume along the exterior. There’s no other word but commanding— while still being elegant and simple—for that stern. It’s a very hard impression to pull off.

Anyone can design a lot of space into a yacht, but it has to be able to run safely in seas. Bassani has been obsessed with seaworthiness in both his sailing and power yachts, so it was clear he wouldn’t just settle for a big box on the water. Wally worked with naval architect Laurent Giles to create a running surface that offers strong fuel efficiency and range in displacement mode, but can plane to a speed of 21 knots, or 24.1 mph, with its four Volvo Penta IPS engines.

“The bow doesn’t lift out of the water more than a degree when it goes on plane,” says Bassani. “And you don’t feel the ride like other motoryachts. We had the boat in six-foot seas and it was very steady—no pitching or pounding.”

The yacht’s openness is emphasized outside, but also throughout the interior.  Courtesy Wally Yachts

Beyond the hull, the big differentiator among its competitors is the WHY200’s interior, with a 900-square-foot main suite in the bow that has 270 degrees of tall windows around the island bed, and sits about 14 feet off the water for exceptional, private views at anchor or running. The design is another first.

The main salon is below-decks, down a wide glassed-in, carbon-fiber stairway that’s an architectural feature, but also lends structural stability to the yacht’s center section. The design also separates the two large spaces in the salon. Items like a “show” kitchen, just near the yacht’s rear entrance,  four staterooms on the lower deck, and the distinctive minimalist woodwork and black-lacquer trim provide a distinctive signature. There’s a sense of openness across the yacht, with no clutter.

The flybridge provides an inside-outside living area, with an edgy, angular carbon-fiber top covering about half of it. The bow comes to an extreme point, with minimal foredeck, rising about 15 feet over the water, making it a dry boat.

An angular, carbon-fiber hardtop has been a Wally signature for more than 20 years.  Courtesy Wally Yachts

I asked Bassani about the unique look. “It’s the first of its kind, just like the Porsche Cayenne,” he says. “Nobody did a sporty SUV, but a few years later, they’re everywhere.”

He added: “You can’t really compare this boat to others of the same length—length is only one of three dimensions of any design. In the end, you have to compare by comfort.”

These days, where gross tonnage is king, comfort has become the key design feature for many builders. Wally says it will make a smaller version of the WHY200, but didn’t release details.

The modern helm is tucked away on the upper deck, but offers excellent visibility.  Courtesy Wally Yachts

Check out more images.

Courtesy Wally Yachts

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The fleet of iconic sailing yachts Wally grows with the launch of the new cruiser racer wally101 Full Custom.

Apr 26, 2023

Ravenna, April 26th, 2023 - Wally is proud to announce the launch of its new wally101 Full Custom , that took place on Saturday April 22nd in Marina di Ravenna. This cruiser racer is inspired by the celebrated Wallycento box-rule design and its maxi racer potential along with comfortable cruising.   “Following Baron D, Nahita and the Wally 144 Full Custom of the last few years, this is the 48th full-carbon sailing superyacht built by Wally , continuing the company’s remarkable contribution to the advancement of sailing design and technology.,” says Stefano de Vivo, Wally Managing Director . “Launching a fully custom 101-footer is a great milestone for us, which demonstrates once again the ability of Wally and Ferretti Group to always place themselves at the forefront, even in the competitive market of sailing superyachts ".   “I’m extremely proud of the results achieved with the wally101 Full Custom. The light ship displacement is just 55 tons, almost 15% less than yachts of similar size and configuration, and with 40% of the total weight placed in the keel” , adds Luca Bassani, Wally Founder and Chief Designer. ”This achievement is accomplished thanks to the latest carbon fiber technology pioneered and developed over the years by Wally, using a high-tech sandwich composite with pre-preg carbon fiber”.   Judel/vrolijk & co . has provided the yacht’s naval architecture alongside exterior and interior design from Wally’s sailing design team led by Luca Bassani and Studio Santa Maria Magnolfi . The new full custom yacht features the Wally Enhanced Hydraulic System comprising multiple hydraulic pumps technology to further speed up sail handling. The lifting keel increases the draft from 4.70m to an extraordinary 6.80m, for unparalleled upwind performance.   The new wally101 Full Custom can easily reach high performance at all speeds and in all configurations.  When not sailing, the 425hp engine will provide a top speed of 11.5 knots.   This cruiser racer combines a high-performance platform with a family-friendly exterior and interior layout. The yacht’s deck plan features an amidships cockpit with a table seating up to eight and an aft sunbathing area for ultimate relaxation. The owner’s cabin has an ensuite bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe. Two further ensuite cabins complete the guest accommodation for six, and the saloon includes a living and dining area with seating for up to 10-12. The service area is comprised of a crew mess, laundry, galley and two ensuite cabins for four crew.

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wallywhy200  

"Our 'spaceship' line redefines the volumes, exterior areas and features available in yachts of this size, drawing from a palette of elements such as wrap-around glazing, forward owner’s suite and high bow."

Wally shifted the dial on yacht design with the wallywhy200. Innovative in so many ways, its bold aesthetic is only matched by the incredible range of features that can be offered by its 200-gross tonne volume. With its full-wide body, the signature of this futuristic space ship is the vast owner’s suite in the bow, which seems to hang over the water below. Wally has expertly engineered a strip of tall glass running all the way round the main deck, providing the cabin with a 270-degree panoramic views and astonishing natural light. And yet, this high 4.7m bow is part of a hull form has been studied in minute detail to provide stability, eliminate slamming and still deliver semi-displacement performance. Renowned designer Laurent Giles developed the naval architecture specifically for this yacht, which was exhaustively tank-tested in Southampton. Combined with the Volvo IPS pod propulsion system, the wallywhy200 can cruise at 20 knots and hit 23 knots flat out with the optional enhanced power package. The design is breathtaking, with elegant teak decking and steps that cascade down to the beach club aft, which extends with wings at the side and a hydraulic bathing platform that doubles as a passerelle. A 4.15m tender and other toys are garaged invisibly behind the wings. An enormous upper deck is presided over by Wally’s signature glass and carbon dome. And on the lower deck, there are a luxurious VIP suite and two dazzling guest cabins. An eye-catching carbon fibre staircase connects all the decks – laminated in a single piece to give structural support and eliminate bulkheads. This creates open entertaining spaces that blend seamlessly into the exterior.

The Wow Bow.

Wunderkammer welcome.

Virtual Tour

Technical Sheet

27.03 [m] 88 ft 8 in

23.98 [m] 78 ft 8 in

23.92 [m] 78 ft 6 in

7.66 [m] 25 ft 2 in

2.1 [m] 6 ft 11 in

Unladen displacement

109000 [kg] 240,304 [lbs]

Laden displacement

126000 [kg] 277,782 [lbs]

12000 [l] 3,170 [US gal]

2200 [l] 581 [US gal]

People on board

VOLVO PENTA D13 IPS1200

VOLVO PENTA D13 IPS1350 (optional)

1000 (optional)

Transmission

23 [kn] (optional)

Cruise speed

20 [kn] (optional)

Range at cruising speed

370 [nm] (optional)

Crew cabins

Bathrooms in crew quarter, classification.

Main Deck owner's suite option

Main Deck show kitchen option

Main Deck entertainment option

Lower Deck 4 cabins

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A 100 meter boat with a full tropical garden is not something you're likely to see very often. In fact, before now, you've probably never seen it.

Wally Island: The vessel that has all the comforts of home

However, the giant mega-yacht 'Wally Island' offers exactly that.

Designed by super-yacht designers Wally is still in the design stage as the company has not yet managed to sell the concept to a buyer.

The vessel boasts over 1000 square meters in forward deck space, allowing for such features as a full garden and pool, a tennis court, or several heli-pads.

The designers intended to offer the owner the opportunity to live completely independently on the vessel.

The boat, the designers said, could make life just like at home on a personal estate for its owner.

Although the interior spaces are pushed towards the aft of the vessel, there is still room for an owners suite and six further double-king sized suites. In addition to this there are numerous rooms for entertaining guests.

Sound Off: Your opinions and comments

Post a comment, from the blogs: controversy, commentary, and debate, sit tight, we're getting to the good stuff.

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On board the spaceship-style wallywhy200 superyacht from Wally

Related articles, superyacht directory.

The Wally wallywhy200 created waves with its unusual lines. Clare Mahon overcomes her initial concerns about its quirky appearance with a little help from designer Luca Bassani

You’ve got to love that person who just comes right out and says it – and Luca Bassani, the founder and chief designer of Wally , is that kind of guy. “ Non mi piacciono le curve ,” I don’t like curves. It’s his simple answer to my question as to why the exterior lines of the new wallywhy200 are very much the opposite of curvaceous.

It’s said with a smile and a chuckle and is as simple as that: if Bassani had wanted curvier he would have gone curvier, but that’s not his thing. And so far, doing and designing things his way has stood him in good stead: just as Wally sailing yachts shook up the world of superyachts, Wallypower boats and Wallytenders have also left their mark. Their looks may call to mind something that splashed down from outer space in the dark of night more than something that headed out from port one morning, but that’s just what you get when you don’t like curves.

What Bassani does like is living well and spending time on the water – preferably moving fast on a boat that is innovative, functional and efficient. While their aesthetic impact is significant, comfort and performance have always been part of the equation. In fact, Bassani has always said that, for him, function comes well before form. That hasn’t kept Wally yachts from winning several of Italy’s prestigious Compasso d’Oro design awards.

The wallywhy200 has naval architecture by Laurent Giles and its interior is by A Vallicelli & C Yacht Design . The engineering department at the Ferretti Group, the company that now owns Wally, also contributed and as the brand’s chief designer Luca Bassani had the first ideas for the project and the final word on its looks. The result is an 89ft, sub-200-gross-tonne semi-displacement yacht that still looks Wally despite having a 15ft-high freeboard and a beam so ample that it broadens the meaning of wide body. The straight bow flares back slightly and the yacht’s hull lines are broken up by a continuous strip of glass at main deck height and a black jag along the lower deck. The superstructure is classic Wally: angular to the point of looking slightly dangerous.

Boarding from the aft beach platform, you pick up on the WHY200’s vocation for fun and hospitality. Teak benches, sunpads and a wide central staircase are all perfect for easy access to the water or a proper welcome to a party. Deck and saloon are on the same level and there’s space, space, space. Bassani jokingly refers to that aft deck as the dance floor. Everything is catty-corners, sunpads to tables to staircases to benches. And there’s not a curve in sight – unless you count the teak covering the symmetrical side garages, which bends the planks of wood like a Thonet chair.

Stefano de Vivo, Wally’s managing director and chief commercial officer of the Ferretti Group, knows that the wallywhy200 is an eyeful but he also knows that Wally has always been a step ahead. “Bassani sees it straight away, but even at the shipyard it took the rest of us a while to understand it,” he says of the yacht’s design. “We’re not expecting anyone to say that they love the exterior look but like all Wally yachts it will take time and it will grow on you. The exterior is just a consequence of the quest for interior volume and the volume-to-length ratio will create a new market segment because it allows for a new way of using the yacht,” he says.

The yacht’s name is a kind of cypher where the W is for Wally, the HY is for hybrid and 200 stands for the yacht’s gross tonnage. But hybrid here does not refer to the yacht’s propulsion system; it stands for the hybrid uses you can get from the yacht. “It’s a real crossover,” Bassani says. “It’s more than just a semi-displacement yacht, it’s a semi explorer and a semi fly. And its living spaces are like a semi loft.”

Entering the saloon, you do get that wow effect that comes with large and light lofts. The openness of space is spectacular, with just a carbon-fibre spiral staircase enclosed by glass at the centre and a continuous ribbon of windows letting the views inside. With six main deck layout options to choose from, the full-beam space – devoid of bulkheads – can be fitted out as you prefer, with a show kitchen and dining area, for example, or just as a living area.

There’s plenty of space, but length was not the driver for this project, the beam was. “We have found that for today’s owners, beam is worth more than length,” de Vivo says. “This yacht’s seven-metre [23ft] net beam is wider than any other yacht in its size range and gives you the volume you normally have on a 50-metre [164ft] yacht. The wallywhy200 is the beginning of a range that Luca has inspired; there will be more yachts, both smaller and larger than the 200, where the concept will remain the volume.”

But volume was not the starting point. “As always with Wally, we began by thinking about the hull. Semi displacement is very difficult in terms of riding through the water; it’s as if you’re always on the hump of a wave,” Bassani says. “So with Laurent Giles and the technical office at Ferretti we developed a hull shape that we’re very happy with. We have 1.5 degrees of trim instead of the usual three to five, so it’s more comfortable – you’re not on the incline of a mountain. Being wide, it also has a lot of space and stability.  But if we have a hull that’s good through the waves  we can go faster, say at 15 to 20 knots, and still stay comfortable.” He has a twinkle in his eyes as he mentions speed. “That brings a different set of problems because if you don’t have a high bow you’ll get a green wave of water coming over the boat. So we raised the bow and then we found we had created a new volume, a new space and we thought: why not have the master cabin there? It’s a really nice spot. The boat is very stable and there isn’t a lot of pitch, so sleeping fore is feasible.”

“He makes it all sound easy,” de Vivo says with a laugh as Bassani explains the concept.

“There are three points where you can do something better on a boat: the stern, the bow and the upper deck,” Bassani continues. “On the WHY200 we tried to exploit these areas as much as possible. The stern is very open, big and spacious with a transformer platform and fold-down bulwarks that also give access to the garages; the bow has the master cabin and the fly has the wheelhouse and another open space aft.”

Although it is the designer’s choice, the forward owner’s cabin is an option – the Wally WHY200 is also offered with a dining space forward, framed by windows. When the space is used as the owner’s cabin, the scenery visible from the centrally placed bed is limitless. Other configuration options include the choice of three or four en suite guest cabins on the lower deck. These also get all the light and views you could ask for, but the real fun is to be had on the upper deck, where the wheelhouse is located.

That’s the most Wally part of the boat. The glass and carbon top is distinctively angular, but there will be curves all around – in the form of smiles – as soon as you step up to the controls. The wallywhy200 runs on four Volvo Penta D13-IPS1350 engines, the most powerful package in the IPS range and specifically designed for semi-displacement yachts. This compact engine and pod package can be mounted farther aft than a conventional shaft drive. Aboard the wallywhy200 they’re mounted under the aft deck, optimising weight distribution and leaving space for cabins for five crew, a proper galley and a crew mess on the lower deck.

And when it’s time to move you’ll be tempted to tell the crew to just stay below. The joystick controls live up to their name; the yacht is quick, manoeuvrable and stable. Simrad touchscreens display info on all the running systems and run she does: the engines can deliver up to 1,000 horsepower each and you can nudge the boat up to her 23-knot top speed without noticing it.

Enough has been said about Volvo Penta IPS fuel efficiency, silence and lack of vibration. Or has it? With the WHY200’s engines in a sound-insulated space under the aft deck you can feel the silence and enjoy the roar of the wind more than that of your engines.  In the owner’s and guest cabins engine noise is barely audible. You can motor along at 15 knots enjoying this hull’s stability and zero- to one-degree pitch or cruise at 10 knots using two engines to reduce wear and tear and burn less than 26 gallons of fuel per hour. Since the bow slices through the water there’s no slamming. Speeding along is serious business but feels like child’s play.

Bassani’s angles are starting to fit together like a puzzle for me and when we cut the engines and open the boat’s side terraces to create our own private beach, I realise there’s more at play than volume and space aboard the WHY200.

I confess to Bassani that I had boarded ready to dislike the boat because it looks so….

“Bulky?” Bassani suggests, sparing me from having to find the word to describe what had looked like a combination of hard-edged and bloated when viewed from the dock. “Angles are cleaner,” Bassani says with a chuckle. “And triangles are beautiful.”

And he’s right, different angles on things are what make this smaller yacht so large. The wallywhy200 is not fat, it’s phat.

This feature is taken from the February 2022 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue

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First look: Wally 101 – new 101ft yacht due in 2023

• July 12, 2021

The luxury yacht manufacturer is due to launch a new boat in 2023, the new Wally 101 inspired by the well-respected Wallycento design rule

Wally has sold its first new sailing yacht since the buy-out by Ferretti in 2019 – a 101-footer inspired by the Wallycento box-rule design, called the Wally 101.

The fully custom carbon racer displaces just 56.4 tonnes, much of which lies in the keel. It will bristle with technology, including double low- and high-pressure hydraulic systems for faster sail handling, a lifting keel and retractable prop. This last is estimated to reduce drag by 5%, giving a 10-second edge for each mile sailed.

For all that, the Wally 101 is also described as a family-friendly boat, which retains Wally’s original ethos. A Magic Trim system allows the boat to be sailed with a minimal crew, and she offers comfortable dining in the cockpit, or sunbathing aft.

Founder Luca Bassani describes the yacht as “flying the flag for the planet”. The claim rests on the Judel/Vrolijk-designed hull being very easily driven, making 18-20 knots in cruising mode, but exceeding wind speed even in light airs. Delivery is scheduled for spring 2023.

Wally 101 specifications

LOA: 30.80m / 101ft 1in LWL: 29.35m / 96ft 4in Beam: 7.49m / 24ft 7in Draught: 4.70m-6.80m / 15ft 5in-22ft 4in Builder: wally.com

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Sean 'Diddy' Combs' luxury yacht draws comparisons to Epstein Island amid sex trafficking probe

W ith federal investigators looking into Sean "Diddy" Combs in a sex trafficking investigation after multiple women and at least one man accused him of bad behavior, the hip-hop mogul is drawing comparisons to Jeffrey Epstein.

Like Epstein, a financier who had his own private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands , Combs has been accused of luring victims with his luxurious lifestyle and – in some cases – assaulting them aboard a yacht he rented for trips to the Virgin Islands and Saint Barthelemy. 

Some of the most explosive allegations have come from a February lawsuit producer Lil Rod, whose real name is Rodney Jones, filed against Combs, alleging a pattern of sexual assaults and sex trafficking he claims are recorded on hidden cameras throughout the mogul's homes.

RAPPER SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS' HOMES RAIDED BY HOMELAND SECURITY

Combs' mansions in Los Angeles and Miami were raided earlier this week in connection with a federal human trafficking investigation , months after similar accusations emerged in a series of lawsuits.

The lawsuit also alleges Combs had an aide who played a role similar to Ghislaine Maxwell's, Epstein's madame who is now a convicted trafficker.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Just a few weeks ago, Combs, 54, was riding high, receiving the ceremonial key to New York City and celebrating the release of his first album in years on the same day.

"The bad boy of entertainment is getting the key to the city from the bad boy of politics," Mayor Eric Adams said as he presented a giant key to Combs in Times Square, according to FOX 5 New York.

SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS LAWSUIT NAMES 50 CENT'S EX-GIRLFRIEND AS ONE OF MUSIC MOGUL'S ALLEGED SEX WORKERS

"He escaped a lot because of who he was," said Derrick Parker, a former member of the NYPD's rap intelligence unit who investigated the 1999 nightclub shooting that landed Combs and Jennifer Lopez in handcuffs. "Now, a lot of stuff is just coming back to him."

From a deadly stampede early in his career, to a nightclub shooting where a protégé took the fall and recent sex trafficking allegations, Bad Boy Records founder Combs has largely prevailed in his legal battles. 

Combs has been acquitted of gun and bribery charges and been mentioned in connection with hip-hop feuds that led to real-life violence without being implicated in any crimes.

SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS' LIFE ON STAR ISLAND: EXCLUSIVE MIAMI ENCLAVE BILLIONAIRES, A-LISTERS CALL HOME

But the recent lawsuits kicked off a federal investigation that resulted in raids on his mansions in Los Angeles and Miami last week. Combs and his lawyers denied any misconduct.

The hip-hop icon and founder of Bad Boy Records rose to prominence in the music industry in the early 1990s, then branched out into clothing design, liquor and other businesses, making himself a billionaire.

SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS' FEDERAL RAIDS ON HOMES, SEXUAL MISCONDUCT LAWSUITS: WHAT TO KNOW

He came from humble beginnings. His early rise to prominence involved a feud between emerging hip-hop stars on the country's East and West coasts. 

In 1991, Combs promoted a benefit event at the City College of New York that turned deadly when an altercation in the crowd led to a stampede of fans that crushed eight people to death.

SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS DECLARES INNOCENCE AFTER FEDERAL AGENTS RAID HIS HOMES

Combs and girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were arrested in New York City in 1999 on weapons and bribery charges after an altercation with another man led to a gunfight at Club New York that injured three people.

The couple left, but after blowing a red light, police found a gun in their car.

Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector and now a Fox News contributor, happened to be working in the same precinct the following morning but was not involved in the investigation.

SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS HUMAN TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATION RAID IS ‘JUST THE BEGINNING’ OF LEGAL HURDLES: EXPERT

"Diddy was not there, I remember that," he recalled. "She was all distraught. I just remember she had her head down, and I have this recollection of her looking very small and very, very diminutive and kind of shellshocked."

Police held Lopez for about 14 hours before releasing her without charges. Combs was later indicted and then acquitted of gun charges and of bribing his bodyguard to take the fall.

His friend, rapper Shyne, wound up in prison for assault in connection with the bar brawl and recorded part of his next album behind bars.

One of the three people wounded in the Club New York shooting, Natania Reuben, told NewsNation Thursday that it was Combs' bullet that struck her, not Shyne's, whose real name is Jamal Barrow.

"I literally watched them pull out the guns," she told the station. "I had a clear point of view. I mean, for God's sake, I got shot in my nose."

RAPPER SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS' HOMES RAIDED BY HOMELAND SECURITY

Even after becoming a well-established leader in the music industry, allegations of violence continued to follow Combs. Police in Los Angeles arrested Diddy in 2015 after he allegedly attacked an assistant coach at the University of California's LA campus with a kettlebell. He claimed self-defense, and the district attorney declined to prosecute.

Jones, in his lawsuit, alleges Combs continued exhibiting violent tendencies in 2022 and 2023.

Last year, his ex-girlfriend, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, filed an explosive federal lawsuit alleging rape, forced prostitution and physical abuse. They settled the lawsuit a day later — without Combs admitting wrongdoing.

But more allegations emerged of abuse spanning decades.

Joi Dickerson-Neal filed another lawsuit, alleging Diddy drugged, raped and abused her on tape while she was a college student at Syracuse University in 1991.

SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS' ACCUSER ADDS CUBA GOODING JR. TO SEXUAL ASSAULT LAWSUIT

Another woman, Liza Gardner, also filed a lawsuit, claiming Combs allegedly coerced her into having sex at a party and that his friend also raped her . Days later, according to the civil complaint, Combs allegedly beat her up.

He was also named in a third lawsuit from a Jane Doe who was underage at the time of her alleged sexual assault. In 2017, a former personal chef sued him, claiming he made her work during sex parties. They settled the case two years later.

Filings in the Jones case are so alarming that his lawyers included a "trigger warning" at the top of the civil complaint.

Jones alleges that there are "HUNDREDS of hours of footage and audio recordings of Mr. Combs, his staff, and his guests engaging in serious illegal activity" at mansions in multiple states and on a yacht that traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Saint Barthelemy. 

Jones, whose lawyers describe him as a musical prodigy, spent a year living with Combs and producing nine songs for Diddy's new album, "The Love Album: Off the Grid," the record released the same day he received his key to the city.

During that time, he claims to have witnessed Combs "providing laced alcoholic beverages to minors" and prostitutes and committing other crimes.

The lawsuit also alleges two unnamed individuals, one a rapper and the other an R&B singer, were "consorting with underaged girls" on Combs' yacht and at his Los Angeles mansion. Jones also claims actor Cuba Gooding Jr. assaulted him in a studio onboard the yacht.

Gooding did not immediately respond to a request for a response to the allegations.

"It is like Epstein," Parker told Fox News Digital. "It borders on that … and the reason being is that these video tapes are going to be very interesting."

An expert on the intersection of crime and the hip-hop industry who has written a book on the issue, Parker said he expects HSI investigators to be pouring through any footage seized in the raids to determine if any crimes were committed and if any other high-profile people were present. 

The more lawsuits that emerge, the more accusers Parker said he expects to come forward.

And the evidence in the lawsuits , even those that were settled, will likely play a role in the ongoing federal investigation, Mauro said.

"That stuff is very penetrative," he said. "[Federal prosecutors] are going to subpoena all of that stuff."

Diddy has denied wrongdoing. In a statement pinned to his X profile, the mogul said accusers have been trying to "assassinate" his character.

"Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday," he wrote. "Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name. my family and for the truth."

Fox News' Elizabeth Stanton, Lauryn Overhultz and Tracy Wright contributed to this report.

Original article source: Sean 'Diddy' Combs' luxury yacht draws comparisons to Epstein Island amid sex trafficking probe