“The first Flexplorer will be a game changer, there is no doubt about it. It is actually already a trend-setter project if we look at many of the latest renderings published by other yards on the press after we presented the project. This makes us very proud, indeed,” says Vasco Buonpensiere, co-founder and Sales & Marketing Director at CdM.
“Being the first interpreters of a new trend and being those who lead the pack, launching this kind of yacht years before our competitors… well, it is just priceless and a perfect reward for all the efforts we did to create the Flexplorer range of vessels!”
Being at the forefront of innovation and setting new benchmark in the explorer yachts segment is in CdM’s DNA. When CdM started its activity, explorer vessels were almost unknown to most yacht owners and neglected by most shipyards. Nowadays explorer or expedition vessels represent one of the most interesting typology in the yachting market and many shipyards are proposing explorer-like yachts. Since its inception, Cantiere delle Marche has been pioneered the explorer vessels’ segment to meet the tastes and requests of a growing number of discerning owners. We can safely say that CdM set a trend and still master the explorer vessel segment. Recently CdM is moving forward with one-off projects and new series among which the Flexplorer line represents a highlight as well as a turning point. The embrace of both design and technological advancements and deeply held commitment to move forward define what a CdM’s explorer vessel is today. Flexplorer is a testament to these values.
The Flexplorer line embodies all features of a pure explorer vessel, robustness, seaworthiness and comfort in all sea conditions adding to these qualities an extra dose of flexibility and functionality. It goes without saying that the Flexplorer encompasses CdM’s superlative levels in both construction and equipment. The first Flexplorer, Aurelia, is indeed a stunning piece of technology wrapped in an elegant design by Sergio Cutolo/Hydro Tec with groundbreaking interiors by Francesco Paszkowski Design.
Her eye-catching superstructure, almost vertical bow, huge aft deck are not styling exercises as they serve to provide the yacht with all feature that make her a perfect ocean-going vessel designed to face all sort of weather conditions in total safety and comfort. At 39.37m and with a beam of 8.60m, Aurelia has a displacement of 392t. Powered by twin Caterpillar C32 A Rating delivering 746kW each, she reaches a top speed of 14 knots and has a remarkable range of above 5,000nm at 10 knots. According to her Owner’s wishes, she has only four guest cabins, a large Owner apartment on the Main deck forward while two Vip suites and a twin are on the Lower deck. A maximum of nine guests is pampered by a crew of six.
Among Aurelia’s genuinely unique aspects it is worth mentioning the A-frame crane that is perfectly encompassed in the deck’s flooring. This feature itself is a remarkable piece of engineering purposely developed by CdM’s to provide the yacht with a powerful crane to launch an 8.5m tender without interfering with full use of deck space. It goes without saying that the A-frame crane also allows much safer loading and offloading operations and it eliminates inclining issues. The fact that the tender is loaded and offloaded in the protected water at the stern of the vessel is another plus, indeed.
Another remarkable feature are the bulwarks that are collapsible on both sides for around 7 metres to increase the deck space astern. Once the bulwarks are folded down it becomes an immense beach area of more than 115 sq mt. A lot of attention has been also dedicated to toy storage and long permanence onboard and non-stop passages to remote destinations: a dedicated stainless steel drainable storage space with a boards rack which electro hydraulically pops up on the deck, different slots for a carbon fiber removable 500kg crane, and a very big lazzarette are only a few of the features which will make the Flexplorer a perfect vessel for those who like to stay active when cruising. As requested by her Owner, Aurelia has a proper gym with plenty of natural light thanks to six skylights. A fully equipped, large and airy gym was indeed one of the main requests of the Owner. A huge wine cellar is another peculiar feature on board Aurelia. It spans two decks -Main and Upper deck – and is meant to be a remarkable design feature as it occupies the entire stairwell. Aurelia has an asymmetrical layout on the Main deck. The starboard side of the salon encompasses the side passage on starboard side becoming larger and benefiting from open views onto the sea through large side windows.
Aurelia is a displacement yacht with a bulbous bow. Her hull is deep and flared in its forward sections to keep the deck dry in all weather conditions, even the worst, while they flatten and enlarge astern to allow large diameter propellers. “The transverse frame, in line with the shipyard approach, allows for better spaces optimization, increasing the internal volume thanks to reduced internal structures,” says Sergio Cutolo. “It also provides additional design flexibility, allowing for easier modifications/ customisation. She has two pairs of electro-driven stabilizing fins. This solution grants better functionality also because, thanks to a sophisticated software, they work together with the two independent electro-driven rudders to improve the seakeeping. This allowed the installation of smaller machines and blades, minimizing the ‘rudder effect’ caused by larger fins while offering redundancy in case of blade failure.” A gallery/tank deck runs below the guest area to connect the engine room to the crew area. This technical space also allows easy access to equipment and tanks. Thanks to the hull’s large volume, easily accessible storage compartments and freezers are located below the crew area.
“The Flexplorer is the perfect example of how the same content can be expressed in different shapes: with Cantiere delle Marche we have totally revolutionized the concept of explorer vessel to get to a synthesis which encompassed this typology’s core characteristics, coupling them with centuries of naval tradition and creating a new shape and a model able to be tailored to each and every client”. Sergio Cutolo, Hydro Tec (Exterior design, naval architecture and engineering).
“One of the characteristics which differentiate a successful company from the others is its ability to keep its commitment towards improvement always at full speed. CDM and its fantastic group of people have proved once again that – despite the incredible success they already have – they are always aiming higher and higher, putting 200- of their efforts to make things happen even if – like for the Flexplorer and the A-frame crane idea – it seems impossible to achieve the result they envisage. Bravo Ennio, bravo Bruno, bravo Vasco and the whole team at CDM: I could have never dreamt of something better than this under every aspect!” Aurelia’s owner
“I have followed personally this build both because it is a very special project with many technical challenges and because of my close relationship with the owners who gave us – for the second time – the privilege of building for them a very special yacht which, for sure, will turn heads wherever it will cruise. This is definitely one of those projects which remind us why we love so much what we do!!! grazie!” Ennio Cecchini, CDM’s Ceo
