NAMED GIO CHI THE BY HER NEW OWNER, THE FIRST CODECASA 43 IN THE VINTAGE SERIES BUILDS SUPERBLY ON HER 42M PREDECESSORS WITH A PORTUGUESE BRIDGE, SUN-DECK JACUZZI AND TOMMASO SPADOLINI INTERIOR.
NAMED GIO CHI THE BY HER NEW OWNER, THE FIRST CODECASA 43 IN THE VINTAGE SERIES BUILDS SUPERBLY ON HER 42M PREDECESSORS WITH A PORTUGUESE BRIDGE, SUN-DECK JACUZZI AND TOMMASO SPADOLINI INTERIOR – AND RECOGNITION AT THIS YEAR’S WORLD SUPERYACHT AWARDS.
THE FIRST CODECASA 43 built in Viareggio has made the headlines twice in recent months. Developing upon the two 42s that started the Vintage Series a few years ago, the first hull in the new 43 line was a finalist at The World Superyacht Awards 2017 held in Florence in May, one of seven shortlisted in the ‘Displacement motor yachts of below 500GT (43m and above)’ category.
Codecasa then enjoyed further good news as the Italian shipyard proudly confirmed in May that the yacht – built on spec and launched last year – had been sold, then named Gio Chi The in honour of the owner’s daughters.
Highlights of Codecasa’s hull F76 include fresh exterior features like the Portuguese bridge and sun-deck jacuzzi, as well as Tommaso Spadolini’s dramatically reworked interior, which includes a full-beam owner’s suite on the main deck with a private office – a first for the Vintage Series.
The Vintage Series is a short but significant chapter in the history of the family-owned yard, whose rich pedigree of building boats in Viareggio – where today it operates three sites, along with one in nearby Pisa – stretches back to 1825. (Fulvio Codecasa has been at the helm since 1973, while his daughter Fulvia is CEO.)
The first Codecasa 42 (hull F73) launched in 2011 to great acclaim, with Magari winning Best Interior Design at the Nautical Design Awards, and was followed two years later by Libra, another Codecasa 42 (hull F75).
The Vintage Series expanded in 2015 with the launch of Gazzella (hull C121), a tri-deck Codecasa 50 that was a finalist at The World Superyacht Awards and the Asia Boating Awards last year.
The shipyard brought the Vintage Series back to more familiar territory with the Codecasa 43, with Gio Chi The (hull F76) built in 24 months and another hull under construction, also ‘on spec’.
Exterior Upgrades
The four-deck superyacht uses similar naval architecture to the two Codecasa 42 yachts that kick-started the Vintage Series to great acclaim, earning praise for their efficiency, stability, comfort, fuel consumption and range. All are below the 500GT threshold, with the F76 tipping the scales at 440 tonnes.
Although the yacht is just a metre longer than its older Vintage Series cousins, it features a totally redesigned interior layout by Spadolini, in collaboration with Codecasa’s design team, exemplifying the fact that the yacht’s interior is totally customisable.
Like Magari – but unlike Libra – F76 has a navy blue-coloured hull and shares the same almost-vertical bow and white superstructure as her two older sisters.
Notable changes to the exterior include the cosy Portuguese Bridge forward of the wheelhouse, which was just a flat, clean area on the 42s.
Accessible by the walkways on each side, this is a relaxing open-air zone with a C-shaped sofa and a table, yet is almost completely enclosed on the sides. Almost sunk into the superstructure, it offers an intimate place for a couple or a few friends to enjoy the outdoors at day or night. The blue-striped white cushions on the sofa exemplifies a maritime theme used in many of the outdoor areas.
The other key new exterior feature is the forward jacuzzi – or hydromassage pool – that livens up the sun deck. There are a series of sunpads on both sides of the jacuzzi, a forward-facing sofa covered by the hardtop and deck chairs aft with white cushions, again dressed in blue stripes.
In fact, all five of the main outdoor zones – which also include the aft areas on the bridge and main decks, and the lower-deck swim platform – feature a combination of wood, white and navy blue, the latter providing a nautical theme and continuity from the hull.
Interior Transformation
However, the biggest changes have taken place inside, both in terms of layout and décor. Overall, the interior is very light, with white or light-coloured flooring and walls throughout, and light-coloured sofas in the main saloon and light furniture throughout the owner’s suite, while wood and leather surfaces also abound.
A panoramic staircase midships connects the three interior decks – lower, main and bridge – which all also feature large, bright hallways. As well as abundant interior lighting, big windows are the key features of the main interior areas, from the owner’s suite up to the main deck and bridge deck saloons.
Italian artisans in the Tuscany region have worked on some of the materials used such as the oak wood, textiles and the marble used most prominently in the owner’s bathroom and in hallway areas.
In the outdoor area on the aft main deck, a four-seat sofa in the stern faces a symmetrical arrangement of two sofas on the sides and two aft- facing chairs around two square coffee tables.
A large glass door opens to the saloon, which features a large lounge to port and long bar running along the starboard side, while the dining area is forward, with portside access to the pantry and galley.
Starboard midships is the main hall, which acts as the hub of the lateral and vertical circuits for guests. Flow was of high importance to the designers and a lot of thought has been given to balancing privacy for the owners and guests with good access for service where required.
Forward of the main hall is a full-beam owner’s suite, which follows the most recent trends on yachts this size, but is a first in the Vintage Series.
The owner’s suite is preceded by a cosy office featuring a small table and two chairs under a huge window, and long cabinets and a TV on the facing wall. The office also accesses ‘his’ walk-in dressing room, which is situated behind the bed.
Accessed by a door beside ‘his’ bedside table, the owner’s suite features a forward-facing, king-size bed and benefits from natural light from the big lateral windows on each side.
To starboard is a day sofa, forward are marble his and hers bathrooms linked by a shared shower, while portside of the bed are ‘her’ desk and drawers, and a walk-in dressing room aft.
Downstairs and Upstairs
Accessed from the staircase in the main hall, the lower deck is totally dedicated to guest cabins and crew quarters. The four guest cabins all have en-suites and comprise two doubles midships – with aft-facing beds – and two twins forward, each with a hull window.
Further forward is the crew area featuring four twin cabins with en-suites, a crew mess with entertainment systems and a big galley connected by a private staircase to the galley and pantry on the main deck.
The staircase leads up to a long hall on the bridge deck, which accesses a day head and pantry to port and the comfortable Captain’s cabin to starboard.
Forward is the classically designed but technologically advanced helm station, which makes the most of the width of the superstructure and is a true ship’s master station.
Aft is the sky lounge, which has been designed with symmetrically arranged furniture and can be used as a cinema or informal lounge area. It’s connected by a sliding glass door to an outdoor deck featuring a round dining table, sun loungers and a service tender to port. The main tender is housed in the garage accessible from the lower-deck swim platform.
The sundeck includes a square Jacuzzi at the bow surrounded by two big sun pads, a bar in the centre and a big area for sunbeds at the stern. The central part of this bridge is covered by an elegant hardtop that offers protection and is the base for technical equipment.
The yacht was deserving of its nomination in The World Superyacht Awards, but her real reward was finding an owner who liked what he saw and justified Codecasa’s confidence in the concept.
Codecasa 43 Vintage Series: Gio Chi The (2016)
Builder Codecasa (Italy)
Exterior Design Codecasa
Interior Design Design Studio Spadolini (Tommaso Spadolini)
Naval Architecture Codecasa
Length Overall 43.00m / 141ft 9in
Maximum Beam 9.00m / 29ft 6in
Maximum Draft 2.60m / 8ft 6in
Hull High Tensile Steel AH36
Superstructure Aluminium 5083 H111/H321
Displacement (Full Load) 440 tonnes
Fuel Capacity 65,000 litres / 17,170 US Gal
Fresh Water Capacity 14,000 litres / 3,700 US Gal
Main Engines 2 x Caterpillar 3512c (1.650hp @ 1.800rpm)
Generators 2 x Caterpillar C 4.4 Acert (99kW each)
Emergency Generator 1 x Caterpillar C 4.4 Acert (65kW)
Propellers 2 x Detra 5 Fixed Blades, S Class
Stabilisers Naiad Dynamics Mod. 575 Zero Speed –
Maximum Speed 16.5 Knots @ light displacement
Range 4,000nm at 11 knots
Guest Cabins 5 for 10-12 guests
Crew Cabins 5 for 9 people
Classifications Lloyd’s Register Emea 100 A1 SSC ‘Yacht’ Mono G6 LMC/UMS/MCA LY3 Full Compliant
Photos 3dSign
