Fabbrica Italiana Motoscafi’s new flagship is a 15-metre that is sporty both in looks and performance, with many formal and functional innovations
by Luca Sordelli
The name Fabbrica Italiana Motoscafi – Italian Motorboat Manufacturer – says it all. FIM is paving its way by reinterpreting the most iconic of yachting categories: the powerboat. Last year it was the Regina 340, and now comes the larger model, the 470. And it is no coincidence that the best word to describe the new fifteen metre, from bow to stern, is “surprising”. It should be made very clear that they have stayed true to what the DNA of a true Mediterranean motorboat should be, but all the same there is an unbridled propensity to innovation.
FIM is a young brand, only founded in 2019, and is led by a team with twenty years of experience in the yachting world working at production in big yards, as well as refitting and service. Regina 470 is a successful combination of this maturity and the desire to come up with new ideas. The most striking of the new developments is at the bow. As is now the case on much larger superyachts, the idea has been to use this area to its full capacity, both on the main deck and in the accommodation area below.
FIM has brought in the novelty of fitting a mechanism to split the bow sun deck in two, freeing up an area in the middle to be used as a small second cockpit. Below it, rather than the traditional teak grating, there is a transparent surface that delivers a good amount of natural light to the double room below. The entire bow triangle can also be shaded with a classic collapsible awning with four telescopic supports made from carbon fibre, and a kit is available (with a rubberised fabric and a system for drawing up seawater) to change the middle part of the cockpit into a mini swimming pool (around 50 cm deep). So that means the first third of the boat is no longer relegated to just being used as a sun deck, but it is truly an area to relax, both when at anchor and in the harbour.
The base layout of the Regina 470 has two large bedrooms, either of which could be considered the master cabin. Alternatively, you can go for a set-up with three rooms, the third with bunk beds along the starboard side.
But FIM and Ferragni Progetti haven’t forgotten about the traditional stern cockpit, which has become a real beach area that slopes down to the water: the sides can be opened up, the stern platform can be lowered into the water, and even the swimming ladder folds away, as does the awning with a pantograph movement that fits into the T-Top. The central sun pad is modular, and that means both that there is abundant usable surface area, and also that it is very easy to get around on board, not least because of the large door that opens onto the starboard side deck alongside the bridge.
THE ENTIRE STERN AREA BECOMES A LARGE AND EASILY USABLE BEACH AREA, THANKS TO THE PLATFORM THAT CAN BE LOWERED DOWN TO THE WATER, AND THE SIDES WHICH FOLD DOWN.
The lower deck also harbours surprises: the bow cabin is very spacious and, thanks to the openable top/cockpit and the side windows, it is also noticeably bright. It could be the master cabin, as could the other stern room, which has an original layout with the bed placed diagonally and a large bathroom with a shower cubicle opening onto it, like some of the latest generations of top-class hotels. It is worth underlining that the headroom in this stern cabin, in contrast to what can be seen in other boats of this size, is more than sufficient throughout (184 cm at the lowest point) which means there is no restriction to movement at all.
The most spectacular of the innovations on board the Regina 470 is the disappearing cockpit area, which is created by moving the bow sun pad. It can be adapted with a kit to create a small swimming pool.
As I suggested earlier, all these innovations haven’t meant there is a lack of performance. The engine room houses two Volvo Penta IPS 800s linked to 600-horsepower D8s, so there is plenty of power. The design of the Regina 470 shows it is a sporty boat, and that also comes through when at the helm. It is fun, without being nervous or over the top. The boat heels to 28 degrees and then rests nicely on the strakes and is precise in finding a course. On a completely calm day with no wind at all, we couldn’t really get a feeling of quite how dry it is when going through waves, but in flat water, its trim is very much centred, and the power is delivered fluidly. The top speed with all the available revs is 34.4 knots, while it uses 6.7 litres of fuel a mile (190 litres per hour) when cruising at around 28. To grind out a large range and not use too much fuel, the best speed is 24 knots, at 2400 rpm, where the figure goes down to 6.2 litres per mile (149 litres per hour).
Engine room
In the engine room, there are two choices – both of them Volvo Pentas. You can install two IPS 600s, or two IPS 800s, like the one on the boat we tried, and with which we travelled at over 34 knots.
FIM
Via Cortenuova, 21
24050 Cividate al Piano (BG)
T. +39 035 1996 4739
[email protected]
www.fimotoscafi.com
PROJECT
Ferragni Progetti
HULL
LOA 15.1m • LWL 11.75m • Maximum beam 4.4m • Draft 1.4m • Light mass displacement 15,500 kg • Fuel tank volume 1,540 l • Water tank volume 300 l • Max 14 people on board
MAIN PROPULSION
2 Volvo Penta D8-IPS 800 • Outlet mechanical power 441 kW (600 hp) • Bore&Stroke 110mm x 135mm • Swept volume 10.8 l • 6 cylinders • Maximal rotational speed 3000/min • Weight 840 kg
EC CERTIFICATION
CAT B
PRICE
847,000 € as standard, powered by 2 IPS 800 (March 2023)
(Regina 470, much more than a motorboat – Barchemagazine.com – March 2023)
