Technology, beauty and innovation have always been the hallmarks of Wally, the boatbuilding yard founded in Monaco in 1994 by Luca Bassani, a passionate yachtsman and visionary. Over the years Wally has built revolutionary sailing and motorboats that have become points of reference in the yachting world. The latest addition to the Wally range - now a brand of the Ferretti Group - is wallywhy150, featuring taut, pure minimal lines, large interiors and a shade of "power grey" that constantly changes with the angle of the sun creating beautiful reflections.
Interiors have been designed together with Studio Vallicelli Design and are the fruit of Wally's research into a very clean formal design since its first sailing boats. The day space on the main deck develops over two areas; the dining area, on the same level as the cockpit, and the living area which is on a different level. Full-length windows make for direct contact with the sea and a sense of continuity between inside and outside that is intensified by the use of teak to connect indoors and outdoors.

The contrast between traditional nautical materials like wood, and modern metal lacquers whose reflections emphasise the boat's three-dimensional qualities, are another feature. So is the owner's cabin, situated in the prow with a 270-degree panoramic view. The interiors are lit up with yellow accents that stand out against dark surfaces. The focal point of the living area is Edra's Essential sofa. Welcoming, elegant and sober it sits with the space perfectly, allowing freedom of movement and an opportunity to enjoy views of the yacht's wake in a uniquely comfortable setting, only intensified by the choice of a velvet fabric for the upholstery, rather unconventionally for a boat.
Collaboration between Edra and Wally had previously proved successful on board Wally B, a 1998 sailboat with interiors designed by Lazzarini Pickering Architetti. The L'Homme et la Femme sofa in the Wally B living space offered an original vision of how spaces can be transformed by using different configurations of the same elements, thus turning a conversation area into a living room with chaise longue, and then into a dining area.

For the wallywhy150 debut Edra Magazine spoke to Luca Bassani, founder and chief designer of Wally.

What is this project's strong point?

Definitely the dual-level living area. As you walk in you have a sensation of phenomenal height. Then as you go up to the higher level and sit down on the sofa you never lose sight of the sea, which is essential. You have the same view you did on the flybridge, but you're protected, and immersed in absolute silence.

You always present innovative projects. What is it that inspires you?

Always, in every project, there are some beautiful solutions and some shortcomings. The distance between what you manage to achieve and perfection is the stimulus for thinking up a new project and trying to eliminate the gap.

Sails or engine?

My passion has always been for sails, but motorboats intrigue and interest me just as much as a designer. In the sailing sector progress has been made in several areas, but at the moment there is a lot that needs to be done with motors.
When you design a sailing boat you learn to work with volumes because you have less freedom. So then if you bring this approach to motorboats you can offer new solutions.

How do you manage to maintain the Wally identity in boats that are always different?

Consistency is key. A Wally is a Wally. This is something you have to be very careful about and give your best according to your own formula, never abandoning it.

What made you choose the Edra Essential sofa?

We are delighted to have Edra on board. We chose Essential because it is a beautiful piece of furniture. It sits just inside the yacht and commands the space. Working with the concept of open space in the living area we were able to use designs from the terrestrial world.

Mariateresa Campolongo With a PhD in Yacht Design Campolongo lives between Genoa and La Spezia where she devotes her time to research, dissemination and teaching activities. She has always been passionate about boats and the sea, and teaches Interior Yacht Design, Naval and Nautical Design and Three-Dimensional Modelling at the University of Genoa. She is a contributor to the sector’s trade journals, and deeply fascinated by the history of boating, design, architecture and art, and by possible correlations between different disciplines.