Columbus' 38m Atlantique stays at 299GT, all aluminium

The first 38, the fourth of the line

Principessa Capricciosa was launched at Savona on 10 March and, according to BOATPro, delivered in June. She is the first hull of the Atlantique 38 and the fourth boat of the Atlantique line overall, after two Atlantique 43s, Frette and Night Fury, and the Atlantique 47 Acqua Chiara. Columbus is the custom brand of Palumbo Superyachts.

The line runs 38, 43, 47, 55 and 65 metres, and the tonnage ladder is the shape of it: 299 GT at 38 m, 462 at 43, 499 at 47, 900 at 55 and 1,300 at 65. Only the 38 is built entirely in aluminium. From the 43 upwards the hulls are steel with aluminium superstructures.

299 GT, and what 300 would change

The 299 GT figure is the one that matters to a buyer. At 300 GT a yacht over 24 metres shifts off its home country's rules and onto the IMO regime. That brings stability studies and load line compliance, STCW certification for the captain, first mate and engineer, Marpol pollution rules, and MLC standards for crew accommodation and working conditions.

Staying a tonne under all of that is a design fight at 38 m with this much volume inside. All-aluminium construction is how Columbus wins it, since weight saved buys interior space that would otherwise push the measurement over. What comes with it is a semi-planing hull and a quoted range of 1,900 nautical miles at 12 knots on 33,000 litres.

The yard's own figures have moved

At the launch in March, Columbus published a top speed of 22 knots and a cruise of 19 on twin 2,000 hp MAN V12s. The interior release in July gives 20 knots and 17.6 for the same boat and the same engines. SuperYacht Times and BOAT International's directory still carry the March pair, while BOAT's July article carries the new one.

The naval architecture credit moved as well. In March the yard said the naval engineering was carried out in house. In July it credited the shipyard in collaboration with Names by Francesco Rogantin. Anyone quoting a number for this boat should say which release it came from and on what date.

What the volume bought

The owner's suite is full beam and forward on the main deck, with two bathroom areas around a central marble shower, a walk-in wardrobe, a wellness area with a treadmill and a private terrace. Four en suite guest cabins sit on the lower deck, two doubles and two convertible twins, each carrying an extra Pullman berth. Crew is six plus a captain in four cabins.

The stern is recessed to 50 centimetres above the water. A garage aft to starboard takes a 5 m tender and a personal watercraft, with a second compartment for Seabobs. Hot Lab drew both the exterior and the interior, and because one studio owns the whole look she reads as a single idea and not a hull with an interior bolted on.

EUR 18.5m for the next one

The second Atlantique 38 is on the market as a new build on spec with delivery in 2028, asking EUR 18,500,000, and has been quoted at that level since March. That is the figure a buyer weighing this against a heavier production 40-metre actually has to price. Columbus publishes nothing for the delivered hull.

Principessa Capricciosa makes her public debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival from 8 to 13 September. She then moves to the Monaco Yacht Show from 23 to 26 September. Both are shop windows for the sub-40-metre custom market, where Columbus is pushing against series builders offering more standard product at the same length.