Tankoa floats Spirit, a 52m full-custom Vitruvius with a hybrid drive

The first bespoke T52

Tankoa put Spirit in the water at its Genoa yard on 11 July, the first fully custom boat built on the 52-metre T52 Vitruvius platform. Naval architecture and the exterior are by Vitruvius Yacht Design, the studio of Philippe Briand and Veerle Battiau; the interior is by Italian studio FM Architettura. The yacht carries 12 guests across six cabins, with nine crew in five.

For a buyer, that distinction matters at resale. A series hull competes on a shared spec sheet, while a one-off Briand design is valued on its own provenance and can be marketed as a singular boat. Tankoa says Spirit is in final commissioning, with sea trials and technical testing under way.

A hybrid drive that answers the rulebook

Spirit runs an E-motion full-hybrid system that pairs conventional engines with electric motors and a battery bank. Top speed is 17 knots and she cruises at 15, with the electric mode kept for silent, low-emission running at anchor and in port.

The choice is not only about fuel. Tightening emission and noise rules across the Med and the charter markets increasingly reward a clean drivetrain, and a hybrid boat is easier to place with the younger buyers now setting the tone at the top of the market.

A beach club built around wellness

The owner's brief put a gym and spa at the heart of the beach club, a space designed to be used under way rather than only at anchor. It opens onto the aft terrace, with a plunge pool and fold-down side platforms on the stern.

That reads as a lifestyle choice, but it is also a value one. A wellness-led layout is what a growing share of buyers now ask for first, and a boat built to that template is easier to sell on than one designed around a formal saloon that rarely gets used.