Less than two weeks after the second A80 and following the launch of an A96 in early June, Arcadia Yachts launches the third A80, marking the shipyard’s third launch in under two months. This highly customised model was created for owners who have long been loyal to Arcadia and have developed a deep understanding of the sea through cruising some of the world’s most beautiful waters. Developed as part of the Arcadia Bespoke programme, the project reflects the shipyard’s ability to transform highly specific requirements into bespoke solutions through sophisticated materials, artisan craftsmanship and specially developed finishes.
This new A80 confirms Arcadia Yachts’ skill at developing custom projects, retaining the architecture of the model and turning the customer’s vision into reality. The result is the outcome of ongoing exchanges between the yard, the owners, and the suppliers and craftsmen involved, during a year-long shared journey of production and construction centred around highly personal tastes, habits and sensibilities.
The customisation is immediately clear to see in the outdoor spaces, where the white hull is set off by details enhanced by specially developed Maine Blue, a deeply personal and fully bespoke colour developed specifically for this yacht and reprised on the furniture, along the yacht’s exterior profile and on multiple interior accents, creating a precise and recognisable sense of stylistic continuity. The same blue note is also echoed by the loose furniture in the cockpit and on the Upper Deck, selected for the project and then personalised by the yard to become an integral part of the boat’s colour scheme.
The salon on the Main Deck features a white parquet floor, fully leather-clad walls and loose furniture selected from leading Italian design brands. Choosing the leathers involved meticulous research into custom colours and textures, while some of the lacquer work features a special shade of grey that involves a complex manufacturing process and was developed specifically for this yacht. The yacht’s interiors feature electric doors normally found on larger superyachts, revealing an exceptional level of attention to detail rarely seen in boats under 24 metres.
The galley plays a key role and has been designed as one of the boat’s most lived-in spaces. For the owner – a food critic and passionate chef – this area is an essential part of her on-board lifestyle. That’s why it features multiple custom solutions, from the selection of appliances and the functional layout to the laminated glass cabinet doors in the Maine Blue colour shade that is one of the recurring themes running through the entire project.
The master suite shares the same tailored approach. The bed was personally selected by the owner from a trusted artisan and is complemented with furnishings designed by Italy’s finest designers. The carpets – entirely custom-designed and artisanally made – feature hand cutting, special colours and patterns inspired by the movement of the sea, working in tandem with original mirrors from the 1960s and art and design pieces that the owners wanted to exhibit on board.
The same level of care continues on the Lower Deck. Vertical panelling lacquered in shades of grey alternates with white-lacquered open-grain ash inlays and furniture and furnishings featuring bespoke lacquer finishes. Bardiglio Nuvolato marble is a particularly distinctive choice for cladding, flooring and washbasin blocks carved from solid stone. Every slab was selected, studied and installed with great care to point up the continuity of the veining and align every setting with the overall design.
Customisation extends to even the smallest details, such as the creation of a dedicated flag locker in the helm station and a dedicated chart table: subtle but highly distinctive features that conjure up a more traditional and mindful yachting culture. These details reveal the extraordinary experience and genuine expertise of owners who have long been loyal to the Arcadia brand and are accustomed to cruising in some of the world’s most beautiful waters. They give the boat an eclectic and highly recognisable character that reflects not only the owners’ tastes, but also their care, experience and personal attention throughout every stage of the project.
“Working with owners who have such an intimate knowledge of the sea is a valuable experience, because it means we can build a dialogue based on listening, trust and shared expertise,” comments Ugo Pellegrino, Founder & CEO of Arcadia Yachts. “We have worked with them over the years in a process that has involved the entire Arcadia team, helping us to gain an ever-better understanding of their on-board lifestyle. This A80 is the result of our ability to turn an extremely personal vision into a real-world project, featuring fine detailing but without losing the identity of the model and the shipyard”.
The end product encapsulates Arcadia Yachts’ capacity for dialogue with owners and the versatility of A80, which offers the largest Upper Deck in this category, as many as five guest cabins, including a master suite on the Main Deck, expansive glazed surfaces that open, and continuous connection with the surrounding environment. With a length overall of 23.98 metres, A80 retains the distinctive features of Arcadia’s DNA, from latest-generation solar panels to solutions developed to optimise energy efficiency and fuel consumption at ‘slow yachting’ speeds.
With this launch, Arcadia Yachts confirms its ability to build yachts around people, transforming a range model into a profoundly personal project. This third A80 thus embodies the convergence between the identity of the shipyard and the personalities of the owners, the result of a year of discussion, decisions, details and shared passion.
Life on Water 