Boat of the Week: Meet ‘Vivace,’ a 102-Foot Superyacht Perfect for Cruising the Bahamas [In the News]

“Vivace” won’t be used by its owner. Instead, the superyacht will be strictly for charter. That’s a unique proposition in the yacht world.

This article was featured on Robb Report in February 2022 and was written by Howard Walker.

The latest yacht to join the Bahamas charter fleet is the brand-new 102-footer VIVACE from the Turkish builder Alpha Custom Yachts. With cabins for 10 guests, generous outdoor spaces, water toys and a young, energetic crew of six, the boat is set up to be the perfect Bahamas cruiser.

“Our 5-feet 4-inch draft is going to take us places other superyachts can’t go, and get us closer to the beach than most 70-footers,” VIVACE’s Captain Taylor Bowker told Robb Report during a tour of the yacht at last week’s Miami International Boat Show.

VIVACE’s American owner has never previously owned or chartered a boat before. He bought the yacht—last listed for $13.4 million—at the end of 2021 purely to serve as a luxury charter vessel and not a personal yacht.

That type of investment is a rarity in the yachting world, but makes financial sense in this red-hot market. Typically most charter vessels do double-duty and the owner uses any charters to offset operating expenses, rather than as a moneymaker. Being brand new and stylish should add to its appeal in the charter market. The fact that it’s purely a charter boat also gives it a different vibe, since it’s designed to appeal to the widest possible audience, rather than be limited to the often-eclectic tastes of an individual owner. It’s an interesting concept to buy a yacht as a blue-chip investment.

VIVACE is the second hull in Alpha Yachts’ Spritz 102 series. Penned by Italian designer Giorgio Cassetta, the yacht’s striking lines feature huge hull and superstructure glass to flood the cabins with light, a dramatic vertical bow and distinctive, copper-colored waterline.

The running surface is from the drawing boards of famed British naval architecture firm Laurent Giles. With twin 1,100 hp Caterpillar diesels, VIVACE has a top speed of just under 20 mph, cruising comfortably at 17.

But it’s the abundance of outdoor space, on the back deck, the flybridge and bow that will no doubt prove to be VIVACE’s strongest appeal to charterers.

Wide steps on both sides lead up to the 650 square-foot back deck, with its heated and filtered plunge pool. A teak insert converts it into an under-the-stars dance floor. Here there’s a large shaded and protected dining area, with sliding glass doors opening up the space to the salon.

The flybridge deck will most likely get the most use by guests. It spans well over half the length of the yacht, and is one of the largest in its class. Up front are sunpads for tanning, while at the rear there’s an outdoor kitchen with a bar and movable sofas.

For more dining options, beneath the hardtop there’s a table for 12, with big-screen televisions on either side for dinner and a movie. “It’s just a great place for a party,” says Bowker. “The area just feels vast and the lighting at night is just stunning.”

Down below, the main salon features a bar, plenty of sofa seating, and yet another dining area close to the separate chef’s galley. Steps down from the salon lead to the five en suite cabins, the highlight of which is the full-beam master suite. In addition to a walk-in closet, there’s a spacious bathroom and L-shaped sofa for lounging.

Along the main corridor are two matching VIP suites, and two twin-bed cabins, each with a drop-down pullman berth. Total lower deck space is over 1,100-square-feet.

“What’s so impressive about the yacht is the attention to detail, plus the focus on reducing noise. The doors are over two inches thick, and self-closing, the floors are mounted on rubber, and all the walls are thickly insulated. Underway, you can barely hear the engines,” says Bowker.

As for water toys, VIVACE carries two Seabobs, an e-foil board, stand-up paddleboards, and tows along a 32-foot WorldCat as a tender-cum-fishing boat.

“We’ll run from Florida to the Bahamas in our first year, starting mid-April. Then next year we’ll split our time between the Bahamas in the winter, and Maine in the summer,” says Bowker.

VIVACE is being chartered through Denison Yachting for $95,000-a-week.