Yacht of the week: SHE
Sanlorenzo's 25.5-metre SHE has a nostalgic nod to the 1960's la dolce vita.
- Words by: Rory FH Smith
Retro-styled cars have gone down a treat in the past decade. Just look at the new electric Renault 5, the Fiat 500 and the Ford Bronco. All have been met with affection because they hark back to a charming, bygone era when cars were more than metal boxes. The same has not been true of the yachting world. Until now, that is.
SHE's exterior lines are by Zuccon International Project and reimagine a 1960s Italian yacht.
Introducing SHE, the new retro-inspired 25.5-metre yacht from Italian boatbuilder Sanlorenzo. As the first of the yard's new Heritage line, the design brief for SHE was simple: reimagine a 1960s Italian yacht but bring it up to today’s standards. Think of the kind of craft Gianni Agnelli would have hosted long lunches in Portofino on, but give it state-of-the-art, hybrid engineering. Fittingly, Agnelli’s protégé Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the former Ferrari chairman, has already ordered one. For a yard founded in 1958, Sanlorenzo didn’t have to look far to find the right kind of inspiration. "Innovation rooted in respect for tradition," is how executive chairman Massimo Perotti describes his latest work.
Once the anchor is down, SHE's stern becomes a sea-level terrace.
The exterior lines are penned by Zuccon International Project, while the interior layout is by Lissoni & Partners. In a world where most yachts of this size attempt to look like a stealth bomber or a floating nightclub, SHE is a very welcome proposition in the sub-30 metre category.
But SHE is more than an exercise in taste and retro restraint. Part of a wider trend towards yachts that don’t need to shout, SHE pulls up alongside Picchiotti’s 24-metre Gentleman, and will be joined by Feadship’s F80, its first 24-metre yacht since 1970. Part of the appeal is nostalgia, but part of it is discretion. People are more conscious of how their wealth comes across, and a yacht that nods to the past reads as taste rather than excess. Old money, or at least the look of it, is having a moment. The first five boats from Sanlorenzo’s Heritage line were sold before SHE made her official debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September 2026. "True luxury is not measured by trends, but by its ability to endure," says Perotti.
SHE's main saloon has full-height glazing and opens straight onto the cockpit.
Inside, life on board is spread across three levels. A mezzanine links the main and lower decks and holds the dining area, a fully equipped galley and the crew quarters, while the main saloon gets full-height glazing and opens straight onto the cockpit. Aft sit a lounge and the bar, which is a short reach across the stairs from the helm station, so making a Martini while you’re navigating the Mediterranean is no issue whatsoever. Agnelli would surely approve. Accommodation runs to a full-beam owner's cabin, a VIP and a guest cabin, all en suite, with a crew of three.
SHE sleeps six guests in a full-beam owner's cabin, a VIP and a guest cabin, all en suite, with room for a crew of three.
Outside, there's a solarium on the foredeck, a flexible sundeck with Sanlorenzo's Smart Island furniture, and a stern that becomes a sea-level terrace once the anchor is down.
Where SHE stops short of the retro references is in the engine room. The first Sanlorenzo to use Volvo Penta's IPS Hybrid propulsion, SHE pairs diesel with electric power, and her hull is laid up with bio-based resins using sandwich lamination to save weight. The bespoke 3.9-metre carbon-fibre tender is electric too, so arrivals at the beach club can be made in near silence.
SHE is the first Sanlorenzo to use Volvo Penta's IPS Hybrid propulsion, which pairs diesel with electric power.
Expect to pay upwards of £5.6 million for a boat like SHE, with Sanlorenzo open to orders for similar boats from its new Heritage line. While it’s certainly not an insignificant sum, it might be the best value for money when it comes to standing clear from the crowd on a packed day in Portofino.
