Arcadia Yachts launched its first revolutionary long-range Sherpa cruising boat at the Düsseldorf boat show ten years ago. Now it is returning to that show, starting January 18, with its latest version, the Sherpa XL, with a lot of innovative interior and exterior design features and a range of 1,400 nm at 10 knots.
Sherpas don’t look like many other boats. The name means that they’re ready to carry owners and guests to far corners of the globe in safety and comfort, while also putting them in touch with the natural environment of the sea. Arcadia, with a yard near Sorrento, worked with the Hot Lab design studio in Milan for the interior and exterior design of the new XL.
The new Sherpa is almost 79 feet long and it comes with either three or four staterooms. In either version, the master stateroom is full-beam amidships, and it measures a massive 236 square feet. It’s open and full of light coming in from panoramic windows in the hull sides, and it has a large en suite head and shower. The VIP cabin in the bow is built on the same principles; the third cabin is on the starboard side with two berths.
A sky lounge on the top deck also is large, fully 376 square feet, and it has a settee and various chairs and tables for lounging and dining al fresco. In the boat’s three-cabin arrangement, it has an enclosed galley, and a bar. The forward portion has windows that fully raise and lower, like car windows.
The aft deck is open and connected to the extended swim platform via a few steps; it has a large aft-facing lounging area with a settee facing forward. Moving forward, under the protection of the sky lounge above, the topsides have openings so you can enjoy the views and get ventilation when the weather is right. A table there seats eight to ten for meals.
The garage is built into the starboard side of the boat, so that there’s more room aft in the cockpit. It’s just forward of the engine room, and it’s large enough to hold a 13-foot tender.
The Sherpa XL is powered by twin 880-hp Volvo IPS1050 pod drives. It topped out at 23 knots in tank testing.
Specs.: 78’8”’ Beam: 22’11”; Draft: 4’7”; Disp.: 138,000 lbs.; Fuel: 1,930 gals.; Water: 435 gals.; Power: 2x 880-hp Volvo IPS1050 diesel pod drives.
