The most recent Lagoon model in the motor-powered range, Lagoon Seventy8, is a highly-desirable 24-metre catamaran, which provides the same living space as a maxi yacht
by Maria Roberta Morso, photo by Nicolas Claris
Lagoon was founded in 1984 and is part of the CNB division of the Bénéteau Group, the French yachting colossus. The Lagoon brand started out with some excellent racing multi-hulls, which over the years have accumulated prizes and records in regattas and Atlantic crossings. And there’s an interesting detail: the large catamaran used in the celebrated film Waterworld was built by Lagoon.
The step from racing to cruising was inevitable and the experience acquired in competitive sailing has proved useful in ensuring that calmer, leisure-time sailing boats have excellent seafaring qualities, both in terms of naval architecture and space optimisation. Adding engines was another natural step. In parallel to its extensive wind-powered range, the French brand currently offers two motor-powered catamarans: the 630 and the Seventy8, which is Lagoon’s largest model of any type.
Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Prévost (VPLP) are behind the Seventy8’s naval architecture, as for all Lagoon boats, while the clean and essential exterior lines were designed by Patrick Le Quément.«A yacht can be considered beautiful when it is well proportioned», says the designer of the exteriors, and this model proves him right. The refined interiors were created by Nauta Yachts, who have created a beautiful interpretation of the holiday spirit of this extremely spacious yacht.
‘Only’ 24 metres long, with its 11 metre beam, the Seventy8 provides very generous spaces, both internal and external. Once you are on board and have gone through the extremely luxurious cockpit area, the size of the living room is genuinely surprising with its various different areas for socialising or relaxing, for eating or for steering the boat. Given the room’s dimensions, the designers have included an L-shaped central piece of furniture, which holds multi-functional containers.
The bridge deck benefits from the entire width of the two hulls connected by wide platforms. You can get from the stern to the bow through two wide and well protected side passages.
The large Lagoon Seventy8 cockpit is a continuation of the interior lounge and houses both a conversation area and a dining area, both of which are protected by the projection of the flying bridge. Because of its size, the bathing platform – which is reached by two wide symmetrical staircases – can be fitted out with a deck chair and armchairs to enjoy the proximity of the sea.
The central section of the platform, which is raised when sailing and holds the tender, can be lowered below water level both to help the launch and recovery of the tender, and also to make it easy for guests to get in and out of the water. The living room gives access to a further very extensive external area in the bows, with 30m2 of free space, equipped with sun loungers. Two L-shaped sofas fitted between the bow terrace, which is two steps higher, and the superstructure are the ideal refuge for a relaxing moment while under way. There is no lack of on-board space, nor is there any shortage of areas to relax in complete tranquillity!
«We have tried to create as much continuity as possible between interiors and exteriors. The homogenous decor helps to emphasise the seamless continuation between the open-air areas and the internal ones, while very large windows mean you can enjoy the view even when you are sitting on the sofas or at the dining room table», says Massimo Gino from Nauta Yachts. «There is also a generous amount of sunlight below decks, thanks to the extensive rectangular windows with portholes that can be opened. The light colours chosen for the wood, textiles, bedspreads and decorative elements all help to create extremely fresh and relaxing spaces».
The yard offers various different layouts, and customers can choose how many cabins they want. The port hull can be configured in various different ways, while the starboard one has a standard layout with two cabins – a large owner’s one in the bow section and a VIP one in the stern.
The Lagoon Seventy8 owner’s cabin is very spacious and is fitted out with a large dressing area and an elegant and luminous bathroom, which occupies the entire width of the hull.
In the three-cabin version, the port hull houses a VIP cabin in the bows, crew area in the middle and a large and light galley with dinette in the stern. In the four-cabin version, the layout changes completely with the galley in the central area, the crew cabin at the stern end, a double and a twin room at the bow end which can be reached by a ladder in the cockpit.
In the configuration with the galley located centrally and the crew quarters in the bow, the amidships section going aft can have various different layout options. One with a guest double room that can be accessed from the living room and a massage room available for guests which is also accessed from the living room, but with its own staircase; a second option has a large meeting room that can be accessed from the living room; and another as a cinema or games room. In these three configurations, the yacht has only two guest cabins, both of them in the starboard hull.
The yard and designers have provided a further optional: a fold-out balcony in the owner’s cabin. The unit that we visited in Cannes had one and I have to say it is a fantastic option. The cabin is already spacious and luminous, but with the balcony down it becomes a magical place. Lying on your bed with the surface of the sea just a step away is a real luxury, and a joy for the senses.
Going back on deck, we visit the flying bridge that crowns the soft lines of the superstructure. The spiral staircase is to port, just before the living room, squeezed between the windows and the cockpit sofa. Once we get onto the flybridge we can look on admiringly at another enormous, well-equipped area which is well protected by a hard top, the middle section of which can be opened. To get the best out of this panoramic space which also has a fully-equipped bar and exterior steering position you can opt for sofas and an armchair, or a single sun lounger, or two sun loungers that go next to a Jacuzzi.
The high-quality finish and the materials used, both in the interior and exterior areas, combined with an excellent design, give this yacht a lot of aces and that it can attract a sophisticated and elegant clientele.
Lagoon Seventy8 is a crossover between the worlds of sail and of motor-driven vessels, somewhere between being sporty in feel and having the comforts of a luxury yacht. This model offers a very interesting alternative to those who want a beautiful, functional yacht, with extraordinary living spaces, but don’t intend to buy a yacht of fifty metres or more.
Powered by two 510hp Volvo D11s or, upon request, by 580ph John Deer N13s, the Lagoon Seventy8 has a top speed of 19 knots. The hull design and overall width mean that seakeeping is tremendous so that even the longest trips can be undertaken in complete safety and great comfort.
(Lagoon Seventy8. Heading towards distant horizons, Luglio 2018)
