Spirit P70

Spirit Yachts has delivered its largest modern classic motor yacht to date: the Spirit P70. The 21.7m P70 was designed and built by Spirit Yachts for an experienced motor yacht customer who requested an owner-driven yacht capable of cruising 1,000nm at an average of 18 knots across the North Sea without having to refuel. As with all Spirit yachts, the P70 has been completely customised to suit the owner’s itinerary and criteria.

Spirit Yachts managing director Nigel Stuart commented, “The launch of the P70 represents a significant step forward for the Spirit Yachts power range. Whilst the company’s core business remains sailing yachts, we are seeing increasing demand for larger motor yachts tailored to suit an owner’s cruising plans. We are responding to that demand by investing in innovation and expertise devoted to delivering beautiful, highly engineered motor yachts that perform on the water.”

With regards to the design of the yacht, Spirit Yachts founder and chief designer Sean McMillan explained: “The owner will keep the P70 in the UK and cruise to Scandinavia in the summer, so the yacht had to be capable of undertaking long passages in comfort but aesthetically stay true to Spirit’s timeless style and classical elegance. He liked the design of our existing motor yachts, so we combined the flared bow and tumblehome stern from the P40 with the 1930s-style of our sailing yachts and applied it to a larger design. We added deep bulwarks to allow guests to move around the decks safely, particularly when underway out at sea.”

Constructed using Sapele ring frames to which Douglas fir longitudinal strips were bonded, the P70 build followed the same core processes of Spirit’s sailing yacht hulls. Once the initial structure was complete, diagonal layers of kaya wood planking were laid down, sanded and vacuum infused with a thin layer of epoxy resin. This lightweight method of construction means that at 24tonnes (light) the P70 is almost half the weight of its GRP counterparts. Twin MAN i6 800hp engines will generate a cruising speed of 18 knots and a maximum of 25 knots.

Nigel Stuart added: “The owner is very knowledgeable when it comes to motor yacht engineering and he was keen to keep noise and maintenance to a minimum. He requested Seatorque oil-filled BOSS shafts, which are mounted to the hull structure using low noise fittings. The connection to the propulsion engine is flexible in order to reduce shaft-line noise and vibrations. The yacht has an easy-access, spacious engine room and a lithium-ion battery bank in the stern that will power the air conditioning and Sleipner curved fin stabilisers overnight without having to run the generator.”