It is the first model with a sundeck and the fourth in the range, but the growth doesn’t stop there because BMA has some others lined up that it will present over the next few months
by Niccolò Volpati – photo by V. Pelagalli
AFTER THREE MODELS OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND A SERIES OF OPENS, BMA – a brand that is part of Ribitaly – has decided to make its first sundeck boat. The X277 appeared for the first time last year at Genoa, in the only boat show that could be put on. But its real debut has come this year, both with the first deliveries over the summer and with the boat shows on the way in the autumn. To ensure they get things right, the yard has entrusted itself to Carlos Vidal, the Spanish designer who is an expert in optimising spaces on smaller boats. Vidal’s work can be admired in some of the details and because of the volumes that he has been able to create below decks.
Underdeck, spaces are cleverly designed to allow a four people family even short cruises. The bathroom is in a separate room.
Even though the X277 only measures seven and a half metres, the interiors have four berths divided between two cabins, with a separate bathroom. That is thanks to a fairly imposing bow, which creates volumes in the cabin below, without weighing down the exterior lines. The deckhouse has been raised and is completely covered by a sun area and the guardrail has stayed a few centimetres above the sides. That way, it doesn’t end up looking like a fisherman, and the sundeck keeps looking sporty.
The dashboard is protected with a windshield, which also includes two side handles to keep you safe while cruising at high speeds.
Under the two driver’s seats, which allow you to steer both standing and seated, there is a refrigerator. The cockpit dinette easily turns into a sundeck.
The details, which are the fruit of Vidal’s design work and the experience of the yard, are all aimed at ensuring comfort when underway. Some of the aspects accentuate the marine feel of the boat, such as the solution that has been used for the anchor right in the bows. To not sacrifice space in the cabin, they have gone for a halfway house between the hawse-hole and the bow. The anchor stands out from the hull, but it does so in the upper part, to avoid having a chain well that is too large and cumbersome. Other details that will be liked by buyers who love to get out on the sea are the ergonomics of the seats and the bridge dashboard.
Everything is at the right distance, including the gas throttle. The seats for the helm and assistant are comfortable, and at the same time protective if the ride becomes more sporty when going over waves. The area where the plotter display can be inserted is also excellent because it is vertical enough to not suffer from direct sunlight on the screen which would compromise visibility.
Over the next two years, BMA will complete the range with seven and ten-metre models.
As far as motorisation is concerned, there are many options, all outboard. You can opt for just one engine with considerable savings on total cost, or a pair of 200 hp engines if you want more thrust and greater manoeuvrability. The transom and respective swimming platforms have been designed precisely to house this option. But there is no stop to the new developments at BMA. Over the next few months, a smaller boat will be presented. It is a boat that will have the same approach, but a certified length below seven metres – since that is the length that counts in some European countries. The name has already been chosen: X233. BMA’s also plans to develop a further three boats over the next two years, and the one that is scheduled after the X233 will be a boat of nearly ten metres.
With these newcomers, the yard is counting on having a range that sufficiently covers the area of the market that it has decided upon, so from five to ten metres in length. And the various models will be available in open and sundeck versions, precisely to meet the various needs of potential owners.
RIBITALY SRL
MILANO, ITALIA
www.bmaboats.com
PROJECT: Carlos Vidal and shipyard technical department
HULL: LOA 8.10m • Certificated length 7.45m • Maximum beam 2.55m • Light mass displacement 2,000 kg • Fuel tank volume 350 l • Minimum power rated 1×200 hp • Maximum power rated 1×350 hp, or 2×200 hp
(BMA X277, attention to detail – Barchemagazine.com – October 2021)
