A sporty boat over 21 metres long designed by Fulvio De Simoni, with a high-performance hull, Surface Drive Top System transmission, surface propellers and 1,800 hp Man V12 engines combining to achieve a top speed of 50 knots
by Francesco Michienzi – photo by Alberto Cocchi, Leonardo Andreoni
THE PERSHING 7X BLENDS PERFORMANCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN, and has been built to exceed 50 knots, a feat we achieved (recording 50.2 knots) when we tested it in the Adriatic Sea outside Marina dei Cesari in Fano.
The Italian shipyard’s designers and engineers have worked particularly hard and with incredible attention to detail to achieve the maximum performance with the minimum possible fuel consumption. To this end, they opted for a fibreglass construction with plenty of carbon fibre, worked on the hull’s waterlines, and chose specially designed surface propellers for the propulsion system. This wasn’t my first time behind the wheel of a Pershing – I’ve been lucky enough to try all of them, apart from the 140, which I hope to test out soon – and every time I get the chance it is always extremely satisfying.
The saloon features an L-shaped sofa around an expandable table seating up to eight diners, opposite cupboards and a concealed TV.
Once onboard, after the standard checks, engine room inspection and checking the fuel levels, we get started. We leave the port at 1000 revs per minute at 9.8 knots, with seven people on board, as well as 2000 l of petrol and 800 l of water, with a full equipment list and a freshly cleaned hull. The weather conditions are light winds and a slightly rough sea, with long south-westerly waves.
We are powered by a pair of 1,800 hp Man V12 engines, both paired with Surface Drive Top System transmissions. The joystick, combined with the surface drive, offers various user modes, including ‘easy handling’, which affords excellent manoeuvrability in the harbour and in tight spaces, as well as the option of handling the two drives independently, paired with a 48V manoeuvring thruster.
The two separate pilot’s armchairs are made of Poltrona Frau Interior in Motion leather, which on this first unit are combined with two 19” monitors on a single dashboard with the carbon fibre control panels, and two consoles featuring throttles and joysticks on each side of the helmsman’s chair.
The Dynamic Positioning System keeps the boat’s position stable even in strong winds or currents, ideal when preparing to berth or waiting to fill up on diesel. Once the engines have warmed up, we prepare to plane: the trim is adjusted automatically by the Easy Set system, integrated with a single interface managing the propulsion, the electrohydraulic steer-by-wire steering, the manoeuvring systems, the navigation and the on-board monitoring. We increase the throttle and the revs go up, and we are trimmed in 16 seconds, at 1950 revs per minute. Then we turn the electronic control levers up to the maximum.
Using a manual system, to reach top speed we would have had to optimise the position of the transmissions and flaps to raise the bow and give the hull more lift, but the Easy Set does everything automatically, keeping the boat at the optimum trim. The on-board instruments show a top speed of 50.2 knots at 2350 revs, with fuel consumption of 351 l per hour for each engine. These performance levels are no fluke; they are the result of painstaking work from the Ferretti Group’s engineering team, headed by Michelangelo Casadei. The variable-shaped hull has a very deep V, with a 17° angle at the transom and two spray rails on each side.
The boat tackles the sea boldly, without any hesitancy. We do a 360° turn at 43 knots, with the engines at 2000 revs, and the driving seat holds us in place, preventing us from being thrown overboard by any unexpected movements. Although it is designed for cruising, the chair has a sporty spec. As we hit the waves we have created with our movements, they are barely noticeable, and there is no vibration, a sign that the boat is impeccably built.
The keel is gentle on the waves, the acceleration is rapid and the boat remains dry. Even when cornering, the tilt never exceeds around 13°. At 2000 revs the system lowers the transmissions by a degree, and the consumption rate is 273 litres/hour per engine. We go down to 1800 revs and sail at 38.5 knots. The engine capacity is an excellent indicator of the perfect combination of hull, keel, engines and propellers. This speed provides the best ratio between consumption and performance, with a range of 313 nautical miles and a consumption rate of 11.4 l/mile, the best this boat can achieve. We reach the minimum planing speed at 1480 revs per minute.
The design of the boat’s exterior takes traditional Pershing features, like the imposing side wings, and adds new stylistic elements, like the racing car-inspired air intakes in the body of the hull.
We remain in this position and measure the time it takes to reach top speed at full throttle: 45 seconds to get to 50.2 knots at 2350 revs. This is impressive given the power-to-weight ratio of almost 16 kg for every available hp and stems from the carbon-fibre construction, the work carried out to lighten the furniture, the materials used in the furnishing, the use of lightweight timber and the installation of a lithium battery instead of a traditional one. These solutions add up to a displacement of just 35 tonnes, reducing fuel consumption at equivalent speeds considerably compared to previous models.
The lower deck has an open galley with plenty of space and a full-height fridge.
The interior surfaces are beautifully flowing, and the various spaces onboard are welcoming, simple and refined at the same time, combining aesthetic balance and functionality, with a different light-coloured timber marking the transition from one room to the next. Small, dark accents highlight the design of the leather cladding, the window surrounds and various geometric designs.
The sleeping quarters contain a full-beam master cabin amidships, lit by rectangular portholes, a VIP cabin at the bow and a starboard guest cabin with two twin beds. All cabins have an en-suite bathroom, with a separate shower. The guest cabin doubles as a day toilet.
The mood of the decor is dominated by square and oblique lines and by 3D patterns on the walls, with colours that explore various shades of grey and beige, paired with both lighter and darker hues. The main timber used is pale and with a streaked appearance. In the saloon, the fabrics used on the sofa and chaise longue match the coloured lines on the cockpit chairs, the leather surfaces of the furniture, the satin-finish steel handles and the dark-coloured parquet floor, while the curtains and nubuck leather ceiling are lighter in colour. The lower deck repeats the patterns and hues of the main deck, with the addition of furnishings including Armani Casa bedspreads and Casamance cushions.
The main deck provides a 360° view over the sea, thanks to large side windows and a glass roof that, when combined with the saloon’s fully retractable glass door, ensures visual continuity between the interior and exterior spaces.
Pershing – Ferretti Group
www.pershing-yacht.com
PROJECT: Fulvio De Simoni (design) • Ferretti Group Engineering Department (naval architecture)
HULL: Loa 21.11m • Hull length 20.27m • Waterline length 16.13m • Maximum beam 5.35m • Draft 1.52m • Light mass displacement 35 t • Full mass displacement 42 t • Fuel tank volume 3,600 l • Water tank volume 800 l
MAIN PROPULSION: 2 Man V12 • Outlet mechanical power 1,323 kW
STABILIZERS: 2 Seakeeper G6
CERTIFICATON: EC CAT A • RINa Class B + F + Aa (sound emission)
PRICE: From 2,720,000 €, Excl. VAT
(Pershing 7X, bewitched by speed – Barchemagazine.com – October 2020)
