Utopian Vision
Thoughtful design has brought a bit of luxury to a compact space
Arcadia Yachts certainly don’t have a monopoly on classical references within the world of luxury boat designers, but perhaps they come closest to living up to their lofty ambitions. With a focus on large, convertible social spaces that minimise the separation between the interior and the environment, and on environmental friendliness in their designs, Arcadia’s yachts have a harmony with nature that makes their name more than just an allusion. In the Arcadia Sherpa, they’ve produced an agile pocket yacht that reaffirms their place as a shipyard known for innovation and beauty.
Arcadia set out to design a “forward thinking yacht” with the Sherpa, bringing key features of larger yachts to its compact 18.28m length and 5.58m beam. The 50sqm aft-deck provides plenty of social space, but it’s the sky-lounge that’s really special. The large side windows can be raised or lowered entirely, transforming the space into an open air or sheltered deck. Perfect for socialising, it flows freely down into the aft-deck and wrap-around walkway, but the airy design and picture windows ensure it will feel open even when you close it up in rougher weather, or just because you want to use the air conditioner.
That shouldn’t be too often, however. Unsurprisingly for a yacht with such a modern outlook, the Sherpa has been designed with efficiency and environmental friendliness clearly in mind. Shaded spaces with excellent airflow reduce the need for air conditioning. An impressive bank of solar panels cover almost the entire superstructure, providing enough energy to power much of the onboard systems, including fridges, toilets, lights, water circulation, audio-visual and the electronic instruments. Even the hull itself has been carefully designed to minimise the Sherpa’s environmental impact.
The high-performance semi-planing “NPL” hull takes its name from the National Physical Laboratory of England, where the Sherpa’s design was tested for hydrodynamic efficiency. This design, along with a light superstructure, allows the Sherpa to get impressive performance out of relatively low-power engines. That offers significantly reduced fuel consumption, so you can enjoy longer range without worries, as well as reducing your environmental footprint.
The Sherpa can reach a max speed of about 20 knots, with a cruising speed of 17 knots. The Volvo IPS engines, along with the carefully designed hull, provide comfortable manoeuvrability. That along with the Sherpa’s surprisingly compact size, for the generous social spaces it provides, should make slipping into your spot at the pier relatively stress free. Always nice when you have guests watching your performance.
If you do happen to keep those guests onboard for a night or two, and take advantage of the Sherpa’s long legs to get away to some hidden cove for a while, you have the option of a layout with a two person guest cabin just off the main suite. Or if day trips are more your style, you can go with the lounge option for a little bit of below-decks relaxation space, too.
Any other 'pocket' yacht like this might be seen as occupying a bit of an odd space, straddling the line between a casual day-trip boat and a luxury design meant to be lived in for weekend-long parties or idyllic journeys. However, with its artful use of spaces that blur the line between indoor and environment, advanced design and beautiful Mediterranean look, the Arcadia Sherpa leaves no doubt about its luxury yacht pedigree.
FACTS & FIGURES
PRICE POA
LOA 18.28m (60')
BEAM 5.58m (18'4”)
DISPLACEMENT 30t
FUEL 3400L
WATER 730L
ENGINE 2 x Volvo Penta IPS 600
WEB arcadiayachts.it/en