Moonen has handed over the first of its semi-custom 30-metre Matica models
Named Bijoux, and now cruising with her owner, the Moonen Matica is set to appear at the Monaco Yacht Show in September. After a christening party at the yard, attended by the owners’ family and friends, the yacht headed for a maiden cruise to Malta.
“As launch customers, the owners have had a significant influence on the design and layout of the first Matica,” says project manager Nicky van Zon. “Although they have visited the yard on a number of occasions during the build, they were delighted that she looked even better in the water than they had imagined. The owners were also impressed by the views from the pilothouse and the second steering position on the flybridge. And it was wonderful to see the superb colour combination of a grey hull, white superstructure and black striping come into its own.”
Designed by René van der Velden, the raised pilothouse version of the new Caribbean series features curved windows on the main and bridge decks and a finely recessed hull. The transom is one of the key design elements that distinguishes the Matica from any previous Moonen project: it transoms into a giant hatch, which opens aft to form a large swimming platform. A fixed stairway on the starboard side connects this leisure area to the main deck.
Adam Lay Studio developed a refined interior that plays with the available abundance of natural light. A wide VIP stateroom is in a prime position forward on the main deck, with the full-beam owner’s stateroom and two guest suites on the lower.
Bijoux’s hull is based on the Moonen 97, providing good seakeeping and low fuel consumption, while the steep bow gives a narrower waterline entrance and a longer waterline for enhanced comfort and fuel economy. The Matica models have a limited draught and are designed with well-protected propellers so that they can easily explore shallow waters.
The hull of Moonen’s first 37-metre Caribbean Martinique is almost complete and her superstructure is taking shape. Buyers interested in taking over this yacht should contact the yard.