Sunny Day Refit

Motor yacht from another era is a masterpiece of rejuvenation

The refit brief for the 81ft Sunny Day was not only to modernise her, but to blend  features of her original 1989 build with contemporary design. The result is spectacular.

Sunny Day has been in the same family ownership since her launch by the Italian yard Spertino Alalunga srl in 1989, so when it came to a major refit it was important her owners could still recognise the style and ambience they have enjoyed for almost 30 years.

Built of marine plywood over mahogany frames Sunny Day was lengthened in the stern by almost 10ft (3m) before she arrived at Baltic’s Bosund yard more than two years ago. All our skills, including woodworking, were immediately brought into play.

Rare opportunity

The yacht was completely stripped with each piece of furniture and equipment due to return to the yacht, carefully recorded and refurbished. Mark Tucker’s Design Unlimited in the UK, who has worked with the owner of Sunny Day on a number of projects, then specified a finish not only matching the owner’s taste but retaining the atmosphere and beauty of the yacht’s original Italian design. Mark Tucker said: “It was a rare opportunity to upgrade a family yacht and preserve key elements of her original design.”

Textiles expert Nicola Brook of Design Unlimited specified materials including velvets to emulate the 1980s style. “We’ve used dusty pinks, mauves, purples and olive green, all of them rich but subtle,” explained Nicola.

Exotic materials

In conjunction with Rook’s Books, a London-based specialist in exotic decorative materials, she also designed polyester lacquered fish-skin surfaces in the owner’s and VIP suites producing a highly original finish on selected furniture.

All wood furniture throughout the yacht is finished in a pearl lacquer, which we at Baltic re-created to perfectly match coatings originally seen in the 1980s. This combines well with the use of timber cabinetry retained in some cabins including the wheelhouse, wheelhouse saloon and the original limed oak seen in the amidships guest cabin.

Fittings stripped and chromed

All the bathroom and head fittings were originally gold-plated but in the interests of practical maintenance and aesthetics, all these items have been stripped and chromed. The galley has also undergone a total refurbishment and a beautiful cherry sole has been laid in the wheelhouse saloon.

Special attention has been paid to the wheelhouse and control consul. “It was important to retain the feeling of the period so we have used uncomplicated styling to enhance the beauty of the Italian design,” said Mark Tucker who was also responsible for upgrading the exterior including masts and biminis.

Engines deliver 3,200hp

Project Manager Patric Brannbacka was tasked with re-engining the yacht upgrading the original twin diesels to V10 MTU units delivering a combined 3,200hp, almost twice the power of the originals. Sunny Day comfortable attains speeds in excess of 30 knots.

Twin Northern Lights generators and a set of Seakeeper stabilisers were also fitted and there is room in the stern quarters for a tender garage equipped with an electric recovery winch. One benefit of advanced technology is that the new engines take up barely any more room than the originals even though they deliver twice the power so there is room for additional equipment.

Superb metallic finish

The yacht’s spectacular exterior has also been carefully re-conditioned and updated, Design Unlimited working on the style of masts and biminis to maintain her 1980s look. Paint systems from Awlgrip and International have provided a superb metallic finish, which tops off a remarkable overall upgrade.

Dimensions

Loa                                      25.07m

LL                                       22.25m

LWL                                    21.55m

Bmax                                   5.87m

Max Speed    31 knots

Gross tonnage 66.87 tons

Light ship      52.3 tons

Half load       58.3 tons

Full load        63.9 tons

Main engines   2 x MTU 10V2000M94 2X1193kW /1600hp

Generators       2 x Northern Lights M864W 20kW@1600rpm