There is a particular line on the MCY 66 that you can’t help but notice. It begins at the bow and sweeps gently past broad shoulders, beneath the flybridge supports and tapers to a delicate summit at the transom.

It’s so simple and elegant, but it gives the boat an unmistakable profile and, for a craft over 20m in length and 36 tonnes, a tightness and proportional balance unique among its competition.

Carlo Nuvolari, who designed and engineered the 66 with Nuvolari-Lenard partner Dan Lenard, speaks of ‘evolution not revolution’ with this boat.

The MCY 65 it replaces was similarly attractive. The 66 is more cohesive, yet retains the recognisable Monte Carlo Yachts cues of flared bow, circular hull windows and the clamshell outline of the superstructure. In a world of high-sided floating apartments, the MCY 66 is a breath of fresh air.

The designers may refer to evolution, but the boat is no mere spruce-up of the 65. It’s an all-new boat from top to bottom, with a fresh hull design and a flybridge deck that’s the same size as that on the former MCY 70, a model succeeded this January by its namesake, the first of what the brand calls its ‘second generation’ of models, with the 66 next to arrive.

In most areas, the 66 feels larger than it is, partly down to things like the part-covered side decks, substantial hardtop and intelligent foredeck, and partly due to the volume of the hull and the headroom this delivers within the accommodation.

The materials are a class above, too, especially the likes of purple Calcutta marble on the galley tops and saloon table. Expensive flourishes of this nature are not always expected on a boat of this size.

It’s the same story in the cockpit where the flybridge overhang, double access points from the bathing platform, substantial mooring gear and space for freestanding chairs around the table add to the impression that you’ve stepped aboard a bigger craft. This, after all, is a range that started life in 2010 with a 76 and has a 105 as its flagship, so the Italian yard knows a thing or two about building boats on such a scale.

OUTDOOR SELECTION

It’s hard to choose between the deck spaces because they all offer something a little different. The cockpit is well protected and within easy reach of the aft galley in the saloon.

The flybridge feels vast and is versatile thanks to the sunroof embedded within the hardtop, plus a wetbar with all the amenities needed to keep guests fed and watered.

And the foredeck is quite possibly the finest in the class apart from Galeon’s 640. Its Portuguese bridge style allows easy passage from side to side and the central walkway has a superyacht feel about it.

The entire area can be shaded with a Bedouin-style canvas and it’s an ideal spot for some secluded sundowners if you’re moored stern to the quay.

LIGHT INTERIOR

The main deck has a cool, beachy vibe due to a décor featuring a light palette with dark highlights in the flooring and Venetian blinds. Light sycamore makes up the bulk of the woodwork and lends brightness to an interior that’s already endowed with a generous supply of natural light because of massive saloon windows.

There isn’t as much natural light on the lower deck, but intelligent use of indirect artificial lighting offers an inviting warmth that’s welcome in the sleeping spaces. The full-beam master suite feels huge and is without obstructions on the floor or overhead until you get close to the aft end.

There’s space for a stylish vanity station in the entrance hall and the walk-around bed is flanked by comfortable low-slung sofas. There’s thoughtful detailing down here as well, like the rose-gold wraps on drawer and cupboard handles, as well as a chunky, leather-encased handhold that runs from floor to ceiling on the bathroom bulkhead.

Guest accommodation comprises a VIP en-suite forward and a twin cabin to starboard, which also has an en-suite, although it plays the part of day head, too. The VIP is obviously the pick of the guest cabins, but the twin is as well finished as the double cabins and has a decent amount of natural light through attractive portholes.

For crew, there’s a well-appointed twin cabin aft, with shower and toilet, accessed via a door in the transom. It’s compact, so not ideal for long periods at sea, but will do the job for the occasional overnight stay.

COMFORTABLE CRUISE

Both helm stations suffer the same pitfalls of not-enough adjustment and driving positions that do little to engage the person at the helm. This is a boat set up for cruising and will spend most of its life on autopilot, but it wouldn’t hurt to add some adjustment to the seats so the helmsman can sit closer to the major controls. They both lack storage for loose items, but the yard says it is looking into a solution.

The annoyances melt away in cruise, though, with the meaty yet refined Man 1,200hp V8s effortlessly driving the 66 through the water with very little to disturb the peace on board.

Even at its 26-knot cruising speed, sound levels remain well below 70 decibels and there is such effortlessness to its progress that long journeys won’t feel a chore. Although 30 knots is a perfectly achievable top speed, it’s the low to mid-20s where the boat feels most comfortable and at a laid-back cruise of 22 knots, the engines are using a combined 293 litres per hour.

Fin or gyro stabilisers are offered on the 66, but the benign conditions of our sea trial did little to prompt the use of the Seakeeper fitted to the test boat. The fuel tanks are mounted midships and as low as they can possibly be in the hull, so weight distribution is good, meaning the boat has a comfortable natural running attitude without the need to rely on the trim tabs.

Monte Carlo Yachts has never been afraid to do things differently, be it the modular way in which it constructs its boats or the way they look. Chief Executive Fabrizio Iarrera makes the point that to encourage customers into the brand, you have to begin with the aesthetic, but with the MCY 66 the attraction runs far deeper than that.

It’s solidly engineered, attractively decorated and has some of the finest deck spaces in the sector. A case then, if ever there was one, of beauty being more than skin deep.

www.montecarloyachts.it

The original article appears in Yacht Style Issue 48. Email [email protected] for print subscription enquiries or subscribe to the Magzter version at: www.magzter.com/SG/Lux-Inc-Media/Yacht-Style/Fashion/

By Mike Ellis