Wally yachts make waves

When it comes to making a statement of having arrived, nothing quite says it like a yacht, especially one with more square footage and amenities than an average luxury apartment.

The base price of each 43m Wally sailing yacht is Dh130 million and the sky is the limit after that as all of the vessels can be fully customised.

One such yacht, the Wally 143 Esense sloop, is characterised by its innovative design both on and below deck, combining vintage and contemporary concepts. This mega yacht is the fourth wave of the Wally revolution and features the distinctive lines of Tripp Design Naval Architecture and interiors by designer Odile Decq.

Luca Bassani, President and CEO of Monaco-based Wally, told Emirates Business: "The design of the Wally 143 was born to build a really large sailing yacht – not a compromise between sails and a motor, or, if you prefer, a Motorsailer, like all the so called sailing yachts over 40 metres are. Like the classic yachts show us, the real sail yachts are the most beautiful and fast."

The exterior and interiors follow the Wally concept of seamlessly merging the lines of the indoor with the outdoor. Bassani said: "This size already provides for very big volumes. It offers large and comfortable interiors without having to increase the volume on deck by adding deckhouses and super structures that, even when sleek, interrupt the magic of a flush and clear flowing deck from bow to stern.

"This is why the new Wally 143 is a real contemporary classic – a sail yacht featuring sleek and modern lines that can be included in the category of the "big" sailing yachts of all times with the only difference that she is more comfortable and can be handled by a very small crew."

The deck is characterised by the bulwark that represents an innovation for a contemporary yacht but is in fact derived from vintage large yachts. As a result, the hull lines remain pure while the deck offers more privacy and protection.

Furthermore, the deck layout recalls an urban loft building. It is a continuous, uncluttered area, like an open cockpit 43.7 metres long and any part of it can be used in anyway according to the different moments, requirements and moods one experiences on the waters. This versatility had already been applied to previous Wallys like the Wally B and 118 WallyPower.

Esense has a very aggressive look, similar to that of a huge America's Cup boat, but at the same time it offers great comfort because the whole deck – almost 180 sq m of space – can be used. The stern features the so-called terrace on the sea – a 21 sq m area looking out on the waves.

The main salon is aft and opens onto the terrace creating the inside-outside living area introduced in 1998 with Tiketitan.

The salon can be further enlarged for two guest cabins, thanks to the sliding bulkheads.

The interior features two double cabins for the crew and a larger one for the captain, the owner's stateroom, two guest cabins, an aft guest-social area and two salons.

The Wally 143 is a high-performance mega yacht due to its displacement of 140 tonnes, obtained with the use of advanced composite building technology.

She features a lifting keel, reducing the draft from four to six metres to allow access to shallow waters without compromising performance. The mainsail is 500 sq m and the jib area is 352 sq m, and they can be easily controlled thanks to the Wally sail handling systems.

Bassani summed it up: "We selected Bill Tripp for the naval architecture while the project in its whole was already developed by Wally. Bill Tripp was chosen due to his experience. We felt he was the designer who could have best interpreted our project. This is why the result is exceptional. The yacht is fast in all conditions; she floats on her theoretical lines, and she is very beautiful."