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Limitless Johnson

Sometimes there's only so much an owner can customise in their yacht. Johnson Yachts, though, are looking to change that.

The 70 foot category of yachts is a segment with many offerings, perfect for the first time yacht owner dipping their toe into the lifestyle. However, one aspect of the yacht owning experience that’s usually missing is the chance to customise the design to your heart’s content. A limited choice of standard layouts can create production efficiencies and keep costs down, but you don’t get that special feeling of knowing yours is a unique, one-off design built for your exact needs.

Not so with Johnson Yachts’ new Johnson 70. Like the rest of the Johnson range, the Johnson 70 encourages owner input on the design of the accommodations, as well as the helm area, the saloon, dining area, and galley. Owners will also be able to choose between an open flying bridge or an enclosed skylounge.

Andy Huang, president of Johnson Yachts, says, “With our proven engineering, we have the flexibility to accommodate their needs, and can work with each owner to create a unique Johnson 70. Every yacht owner knows his or her needs far better than we do — but we can build a Johnson 70 to suit each one of them, and create something special.”

With an exterior design from Bill Dixon of Dixon Yacht Design, the Johnson 70 is intended to bring much of the features and comfort of a superyacht in a much more manageable package. Owners who choose a skylounge won’t need a lower helm, meaning the exterior becomes a single-level blank canvas to fill with whatever shared spaces you like.

The interior of the first Johnson 70 to hit the water will showcase a stylish and comfortable environment from Design Unlimited. The design capitalises on its 18-foot-3-inch beam for an expansive space. Owners will be able to choose between a three or four stateroom layout, but Johnson Yachts say these two layouts should be viewed more as guidelines, with the emphasis on personal customisation extending belowdecks. Everything from as large as the layout to as small as the appliances can be tailored to your needs, so if you’d rather give up some freezer or wine fridge space in exchange for more open lounging areas, the choice is yours.

While there is an emphasis on large, open spaces and options to choose from, one area where Johnson say they will not compromise is on engineering quality. Mechanical spaces get their due, for ease of maintenance and other mechanical needs. Weight and balance are also a priority, to ensure the yacht handles well no matter how you choose to lay out its social, cooking and sleeping spaces.

Peter Chang, general manager of Johnson Yachts, says that, “With the design and engineering of the Johnson 70 — together with Design Unlimited and Bill Dixon — we have a yacht designed to be versatile. We want to create a new line of yachts that sets the trend rather than follows it.”

With the ability of the Johnson 70 to be whatever its owner wants it to be, we can hope that it’s a trend others will follow. 


SPECS

PRICE POA

LENGTH 21.46m (70ft 5in)

BEAM 5.58m (18ft 4in)

DRAFT 1.04m (3ft 5in)

FUEL 4278L

WATER 984L

ENGINE 2 x CAT C18 1015hp

WEB johnson-yachts.com