Auto-inspired style meets nuts-and-bolts practicality in the second ISA GT45, UV II. Sam Fortescue enjoys the result
Inspiration can be hard to pin down. Sometimes it is a joyous golden thread that swoops from one idea to the next, splitting, digressing, merging as it goes. In the case of ISA Yachts’ new GT45, however, it is more of a straight line. Enrico Gobbi’s striking design firmly positions this fantastically spacious yacht in ISA’s automotive-inspired GT range.
The line has been a big success for the Ancona-based shipyard that builds yachts from 33 metres up to 100 metres. In fact, it has become something of a signature for ISA, which has been part of Palumbo Superyachts for less than a decade.
With long foredecks echoing the lines of a car bonnet and powerful arches that link the decks of the set-back superstructure, there is more than a hint of the Bentley Continental GT to these yachts. It is something that designer Enrico Gobbi explicitly acknowledges in the 45-metre.
“A typical sports coupé was for me one of the main sources of inspiration,” he says. “Looking at the yacht’s profile, there are some specific details that make it dynamic. The sleek arch and a slim, fin-shaped hardtop make the yacht seem in movement even when anchored.
Another automotive-inspired detail is the thin, almond shape of the hull openings, designed to provide a wide panoramic view from the two main areas on board: main deck saloon and master cabin.”
