SANLORENZO: DESIGNING FREEDOM ON THE WATER
THE NEW LANGUAGE OF LUXURY YACHTING. From asymmetry to art, Sanlorenzo is reshaping how we live on water.
Nick Hatfield on why tomorrow’s yachts are less Bond villain lairs and more floating extensions of the home.
For years, yachting was shorthand for excess: a floating palace for oligarchs and oil barons, a nightclub with propellers. But step aboard a Sanlorenzo today and you’ll find something altogether different. Discreet elegance. Thoughtful spaces. A sense that this isn’t just a toy, but an extension of a lifestyle.
Founded in 1958, the Italian yard has always championed its “made to measure” philosophy. Yet, as Nick Hatfield, Managing Director of Sanlorenzo UK and Ireland, explains, personalisation in 2025 means much more than choosing veneers or fabrics. “Our clients don’t want floating hotels,” he says. “They want a floating home, somewhere to live as comfortably and naturally as they would on land. That means daily routines, wellness rituals, and even remote work, all part of the brief now.
“Our clients don’t want floating hotels. They want a floating home, somewhere to live as comfortably and naturally as they would on land.”
A New Kind of Owner
The younger buyers are not chasing size alone. Vessels in the 24–30 metre range are increasingly popular: compact enough for weekend cruising yet expansive enough for long Mediterranean summers. “They’re ideal for flexible living,” Hatfield notes. “Spaces that reconfigure, interiors that feel open and intuitive. It’s about living freely onboard.”
That freedom extends beyond square footage. Fold-down terraces bring the sea to the salon. Asymmetrical layouts maximise interior volume and natural light. Interiors flow without unnecessary formality. These yachts are not relics of Riviera excess but contemporary living spaces: light-filled, modular, and clever.
And yes, the toys matter. Garages are now meticulously designed to hold jet skis, foiling boards, diving rigs and tenders. “People want to connect with the water differently now,” Hatfield says. “It’s not just about sunbathing with a drink, it’s about being in the sea, on it, and under it.”
“People want to connect with the water differently now. It’s not just about sunbathing with a drink, it’s about being in the sea, on it, and under it.”
Redefining Luxury
If Sanlorenzo has a design signature, it is asymmetry. The SL110A, launched this year, exemplifies the approach: floor-to-ceiling glazing, terraces that drop to the sea, and a full-beam owner’s cabin offering a 270-degree sweep of the horizon. It’s less a yacht, more a floating pavilion.
Exterior spaces are being rethought, too. The SD132 boasts an 85-square-metre fly deck with a crystalline bow pool; the SX120 conceals an entire glass swimming pool beneath a sliding sunpad. It’s indulgence that reveals itself only when required — luxury by discretion rather than by display.
THE NEW LANGUAGE OF LUXURY YACHTING
Culture on the Water
Art and design aren’t decorative extras but core to the Sanlorenzo ethos. Under art director Piero Lissoni, each yacht becomes part of a broader cultural dialogue. Owners commission bespoke furniture, curate collections, and treat their vessels as much as cultural spaces as retreats.
Earlier this year, Casa Sanlorenzo opened in Venice, affirming this ambition. More than a showroom, it’s a platform for exhibitions exploring creativity, design and sustainability. It signals a brand unafraid to expand its role beyond the marina.
Travel Reimagined
The Mediterranean remains the traditional summer playground, but explorer yachts are now in demand. The 500EXP, with reinforced decks to carry submarines or helicopters and the autonomy to go weeks without resupply, exemplifies this new breed. A base camp for Patagonia or Svalbard, as comfortable in ice as in Ibiza.
Wellness is equally entrenched. Gyms, saunas, spa suites and treatment rooms now appear on briefs as standard. Owners want the same rituals at sea as on land — sunrise yoga, a massage after a dive, a sauna before dinner. Yachting has joined the global wellness economy.
Sustainability and the Future
Sustainability is no longer optional. Sanlorenzo is investing in hybrid propulsion, advanced batteries and eco-conscious materials. The flagship initiative, Life Mystic, aims to launch the first green methanol bi-fuel yacht by 2029. Co-funded by the EU, it promises to cut greenhouse gases by 150 tonnes annually, a step towards reconciling luxury with responsibility.
“Our owners love the sea,” Hatfield says. “They want to know their yacht isn’t harming the very environment they cherish.”
THE NEW LANGUAGE OF LUXURY YACHTING
The Yacht as Home
At heart, Sanlorenzo yachts are conceived as private sanctuaries. “A Sanlorenzo is an extension of the home,” Hatfield explains. “The same comfort, the same security, the same identity, but with the added joy of horizon.”
And the yacht of tomorrow? For Hatfield, it’s both progressive and purposeful. “We’ll see more sustainable design, greater autonomy, and technology that lets people travel further while staying connected. The yacht will be a place to live, work, and explore responsibly. A vessel of freedom, yes, but also of meaning.”
Sanlorenzo isn’t chasing spectacle. It’s rewriting what luxury at sea looks like: quiet elegance over excess, asymmetry over symmetry, cultural dialogue over cookie-cutter interiors. These yachts are less Bond villain fantasy, more crafted sanctuaries, places to live, work and dream responsibly. For a new generation of owners, that balance of progress and purpose is the real definition of luxury.
