450
The Ferretti 550 is a 55-foot luxury motor yacht with a flybridge that was launched by iconic Italian yacht-building firm Ferretti in 2016. Crafted in collaboration with Italian design house Studio Zuccon, this sleek, mid-size yacht drips with the sort of chic contemporary styling and comfortable amenities that make it the perfect place to live your la dolce vita. Yet this is also a serious piece of cruising kit, and the vessel’s combination of powerful engines, hi-tech electronics and a proprietary GRP planing hull make it an enjoyable and dependable ride.
There’s nothing to separate you from sun or starlight on the al-fresco, fiberglass-lined flybridge, where an angular Venturi-style windscreen wraps around the front and edges to protect from spray on this Ferretti model. The theme up here is clean and minimalist, and the U-shaped aft-sofa and forward sunpad look and feel like something out of an Ibizan villa. There is also room up on this level for a wet-bar station with a grill and chilled storage, as well as a port-side helm for owner-operators who prefer to feel the rush of the elements as they pilot.
There is yet more outdoor lounge space on the main deck, with a foredeck lounge hosting a pair of Portuguese Bridge-style sofas and a marina-facing sunpad where guests will enjoy hours of blissful sunshine. If you wish to stay clear of the summer rays then head back to the aft deck, where a sheltered transom sofa has been paired with a timber table that has been designed with aperitif hour in mind. Side steps back here lead down to an optional H&B electro-hydraulic swimming platform that is robust enough to store and lift modern jet tenders.
The 550’s galley is located aft of the salon and flows freely towards the aft-deck when rear sliding glass doors are flung fully open. Here you will find a Siemens oven with a four-zone hob, a stainless-steel bucket sink, under-counter fridge-freezer units and granite or marble-effect work surfaces. The salon presents a restrained look that allows the high-quality materials to speak for themselves, and bronze-effect accents, taupe lacquerwork, steel fixtures, light oak floors, sliced walnut veneers, plush leather furnishings and curved glass glazing demonstrate an impeccable eye for the mise-en-scene. A three-seater loveseat sits across from a U-shaped dinning sofa with a timber-lined table, and this sociable area is sure to be the beating heart of this yacht on colder evenings or overcast days. At the front of the main deck there is a port-side main helm station with Side Power thruster controls, a trio of Simrad NSS evo2 display panels, a docking joystick, VHF radio, hydraulic steering and switches for an optional Seakeeper stabilizer.
Warm and welcoming lower deck cabins benefit from trapezoidal hull windows and plenty of storage space throughout, not to mention the soft feel of carpeting underfoot. There are three rooms for up to six guests on this level, including a port-side twin, an en-suite VIP double cabin to the bow and a full-beam owner’s suite amidship. This lavish suite boasts space for a mini-dinette booth, a queen-sized bed, bedside cabinets, hanging lockers and a bathroom lined in Venetian mosaic tiles.
There are three engine options available to power the Ferretti 550, ranging from a pair of 715MHP Cummins QSM11s through to MAN i6-800CR diesels. Top speeds of up to 32 knots are available, while at cruising speeds of 9 knots you should be able to traverse around 670 nautical miles.
