When lounging on one of the enormous sunpads on  the flared bow of the Monte Carlo Yachts (MCY) 70, you may feel like you’re on a superyacht. And you are – except that this yacht is twenty feet shorter than most boats with that title and you can operate it without a professional crew. If that sounds like the best of both worlds, read on.

French boatbuilder Groupe Beneteau joined Italian designers Nuvolari Lenard to create a line of super-stylish contemporary yachts that speak to a sophisticated market. Built in Monfalcone, Italy, the MCY 70 lives up to the styling Italians are known for: a unique exterior is comprised of rounded and swoopy lines and her interior details highlight luxury wherever you look. Her profile is aggressive, like she’s itching to get going, while her rounded portlights add a retro appeal. But this glamour gal is more than just a pretty face as she lights up the waters with ZF pod drives, joystick control and a top speed over 30 knots.

On Deck

A large, hydraulic swim platform lowers to just below waterline so launching the tender or a PWC is easy. It’s also a great place to lounge or have a swimming party. From here, steps lead up either side of the transom to the cockpit, which is protected from the weather by the extended flybridge overhead.

A teak-clad staircase to port leads up from the cockpit to an enormous flybridge that is covered by a hard T-top with an electric, retractable, fabric center sunroof. A double helm seat is amidship behind an all-glass command pod and a small reverse windshield. There is companion seating outboard on either side and aft is a dinette that will seat six for dinner. A galley module is to starboard so you can grill or chill the wine without ever having to venture down to the main deck. There is even additional deck space at the rear to set up a couple of lounges for sun worshipers.

Although the views from here are amazing, the flybridge will compete with the foredeck for the best lounging space aboard. Wide side decks lead forward from the cockipt to the bow via a Portuguese bridge. You arrive via a central walkway between two large half-moon tables surrounded by sunpads. It’s a lovely place to enjoy dinner in the evening, basking in the soft glow of pop-up lights, or to relax during the day with shade provided by a fabric bimini that attaches to four removable carbon poles. Eight can easily spread out here for a meal or a dozen can enjoy sundowner cocktails without feeling cramped. Just ahead, the windlass is up off the deck on a pulpit-less bow and is easily managed without needing to bend over.

Accommodations

Eschewing the aft galley concept, the MCY 70 dedicates the entire aft end of the interior to the salon and its L-shaped lounge to starboard. The cockpit opens up to the salon via glass and stainless doors that fold neatly out of the way creating the indoor/outdoor continuity that has become so popular on boats as well as in homes. The color palette inside is “greige” as it’s called in design circles, with walnut, grey, beige and taupe blending to a soft effect and an upscale appeal.

The galley is also to starboard with Miele and Isotherm appliances and an excellent finish. Across is an L-shaped dinette that can serve as a breakfast nook. Just ahead, is the interior helm. It’s every bit as commanding as you’d expect on a vessel of this size and sophistication with a glass helm layout and the joystick inboard, left of the wheel. The windshield has no center mullion so looking forward is a bit like watching an IMAX movie with nothing in the way but a pair of Gallinea wipers. Visiblity aft is blocked by the galley but cameras monitor every part of the vessel all the way back to the swim platform. Because the only stairs to the flybridge are from the cockpit, the interior has an uncluttered, open and natural flow.

The MCY 70 is offered with three or four cabins. The master amidhsip is full-beam and includes a bed on the diagonal, a starboard L-shaped lounge, a large head aft and a full walk-in closet in the forward starboard corner. If the owner is willing to forgo this closet, a fourth cabin with over/under bunks may be added. All staterooms have en suite heads.

Two crew cabins are aft and may be accessed from the engine room or via the clever lift-up stair case that leads to the flybridge. In the case of an owner/operator vessel, this can become a fifth cabin for guests or kids, because the finish in the crew accommodations is of such a quality that guests would not feel at all put out.

No detail was overlooked in the interior. Everywhere the eye falls are leather-wrapped handholds, contemporary stainless accents and upscale fixtures all of which add up to a functional but sumptuous interior. Two dozen different materials are used on the interior finishes and include walnut and grey oak wood veneers, various leathers, Travertine stone and a selection of luxe fabrics from a bevy of European designers.

Versatile Performance

The standard engines on the MCY 70 are twin MAN V8 1200 HP. V-drives are standard but for real fun, the best option are ZF 4000 pods. Joystick control with engines this powerful is most definitely a heady experience.

Top speed is 31-33 knots at 2300 rpm. A more economical cruising speed is 25 knots that will yield a 280-mile range. With Kevlar in the hull construction, cored doors and cabinetry, and a carbon fiber T-top on the flybridge, the MCY 70 is strong but also light so if you slow down to 10 knots at 1000 rpm, the range increases to 600 nautical miles. That means you’re free to roam exotic isles for extended periods and in abundant superyacht-like style. Won’t that feel nice?

Specifications:

LOA:                            69′ 11″

Beam:                        17’ 9”

Draft:                         5’5″ – 5’11”

Displacement:        92,594 lbs.

Fuel:                           1057 gallons

Water:                        221 gallons

Engines:           2x MAN V8 1200 (V-drive or ZF Pod)