Breaking New Ground - Benetti Vision Island Counter

In October 2022, Boat Style commenced an extensive interior and exterior refit of Motor Yacht More, a 44m Benetti Vision superyacht. As part of the space re-planning of the Main Saloon, a large entertainment cabinet and the timber dining table were removed from the centre of the room and replaced with a ceiling lift widescreen television and an innovative & adaptive counter that takes full advantage of the ocean views.

The counter fully embraces the yacht owner’s desire for a convivial yet sleek, design-driven space. The design is a major departure from the traditional layout for onboard dining, but careful integration has ensured that it looks as though it has always been there. The yacht has another formal dining space in the upper Skylounge and two outdoor ‘al fresco’ dining areas.

Curved and fluted walls are a striking feature throughout the Main Saloon, an by using thermofluted Corian waterfall ends and a curved shaped countertop we were able to pay homage to the original épure design by Francois Zuretti.

Now very much ‘the hub’ of the yacht for the owner and guests the counter is a casual 'drop in' zone for morning coffee, a fully functioning workspace with hidden, wireless charging within the counter top and a safe haven for dining in inclement weather. The raised height of the counter now allows clear and uninterrupted water views through the windows to both the Port and Starboard sides and provides dining for up to 10 guests.

Because of the unique challenges of a moving vessel, consideration had to be given to the effects of 'flex' from the pitch and roll movements whilst underway. The counter’s position across the ‘centreline’ of the vessel and close to ‘midships’ meant that torque would be a significant factor. A fully engineered sub frame was fabricated from aluminium plate allowing the counter to be tied down through the floor and provide a strong substrate that minimised any flexing of the fluted ends and bench top slab. The counter was rendered using computer generated imagery and shop drawings detailed the substrate. The substructure and stone components of the counter were craned onboard the yacht whilst on the hard stand and then carefully lifted into place by our team, the frame and stone were assembled and finished insitu.

The generously proportioned, solid oak counter stools were custom made with a lime washed finish to allow the timbers natural beauty to shine through and then upholstered in a high performance matte finish vinyl. A modern pendant made of Swedish glass discs and stainless steel was chosen to hang above the counter and gives off a luminous warm glow.

The superyacht is certified by Lloyds Yacht Registry, and the counter meets all necessary structural and fire standards for the yacht’s international classification.