The Italian Sport Utility Yacht That Rewrites Deck Space

A New Calculus for Deck Living

There's a moment, late in the afternoon when the sun hangs low over the Adriatic, when you realize that a yacht's true luxury isn't measured in horsepower or cabin count but in how it handles space. Pershing's GTX90, launched from the port of Fano this summer, makes that argument with quiet insistence. At 92 feet, it sits in the middle of the Italian builder's Sport Utility Yacht range, larger than the GTX70 and GTX80, smaller than the GTX116. But the real story unfolds not in length but in volume, in the way the design team at Vallicelli Design studio and Pershing have reimagined what a performance cruiser can hold.

The GTX90 belongs to a lineage that has always prioritized speed without sacrificing comfort, a philosophy that runs through Ferretti Group's portfolio. Here, though, the emphasis shifts slightly. The sportbridge alone spans 355 square feet, more than 43 percent larger than the average for vessels in this size class, according to Pershing. It's a number that changes the calculus of onboard life, turning what is often an afterthought into a primary social zone. Sunbathing area, dinette, twin sofas, coffee table, all sheltered under a hardtop. The effect is less flybridge, more floating terrace.

Performance Without Apology

Beneath the expansive decks, two MAN V-12 engines deliver 2,200 horsepower each, pushing the GTX90 to a top speed of 35 knots. Cruising speed settles at 30 knots, with a range of 300 nautical miles. These are not groundbreaking figures in the world of high-performance yachts, but they are honest ones, calibrated for owners who want to cover distance without drama. Twin Seakeeper 18 gyroscopic stabilizers smooth out the ride, a feature that becomes essential when you're moving at speed in open water. The stabilizers work silently, invisibly, the kind of technology that reveals itself only in its absence.

The hull design carries Pershing's signatures: a sharp vertical bow, a slightly convex sheer line, a silhouette that reads as contemporary without chasing trends. It's a restrained aesthetic, one that trusts in proportion and line rather than ornament. The beam measures just under 23 feet, wide enough to support generous interior volumes but narrow enough to maintain the sleek profile that defines the GTX series.

Connecting Indoors and Out

At Global Chic Voyage, we've watched the evolution of yacht layouts with particular interest, noting how the best designs dissolve the boundary between salon and deck. The GTX90 achieves this through a wide door on the main deck that links the raised aft cockpit to an open-plan living area. To port, a large bar; to starboard, an eight-seat dining table; at the back, a C-shaped sofa that anchors the salon. The arrangement encourages movement, invites circulation, resists the compartmentalization that plagues so many yacht interiors.

Forward, the helm station features three pilot chairs and an electrically operated skylight that floods the space with natural light. Side walkways lead to a bow lounge with a sunpad and a dinette equipped with an electric up-down table, a detail that speaks to the flexibility built into every corner of the design. This is a yacht that can shift from morning coffee to afternoon cocktails to evening dinner without requiring a crew to rearrange furniture.

The aft cockpit deserves special mention. Two swing-down side terraces expand the deck space to 398 square feet, creating a seaside expanse that feels more like a beach club than a boat. A panoramic sunpad conceals two Seabobs beneath, a clever use of otherwise dead space. It's the kind of detail that distinguishes thoughtful design from mere luxury.

Accommodation and Storage

The lower deck houses four cabins: a full-beam owner's suite amidship, a VIP forward, and two guest cabins (one double, one single) in between. All come with en-suite bathrooms, a baseline expectation at this level. Two double crew cabins with private bathrooms and direct access to the main galley round out the accommodation, ensuring that the operational side of yacht life remains invisible to guests.

What sets the GTX90 apart is its attention to storage, a consideration often overlooked in performance-oriented designs. This is the first yacht under 100 feet in Pershing's range to feature a double garage capable of carrying a Williams 395 SportJet tender and a Sea-Doo Spark Trixx jet ski. It's a configuration that acknowledges how modern owners use their yachts, not as static platforms but as bases for exploration, for days spent skimming across bays and coves far from the mother ship.

The Sport Utility Proposition

The term "Sport Utility Yacht" has been bandied about in recent years, but Pershing's GTX range gives it substance. The concept borrows from automotive design, where SUVs promise versatility, capability, and comfort in a single package. Applied to yachts, it suggests a vessel that can perform at speed, accommodate guests in style, and support a range of onboard activities without compromise.

The GTX90 delivers on that promise by refusing to choose. It offers the performance specs of a sportboat, the deck space of a displacement yacht, and the storage capacity of an expedition vessel. It's a synthesis that requires careful engineering and a willingness to challenge conventional yacht design hierarchies. The sportbridge, for instance, isn't an add-on but a central feature, planned from the outset to maximize usable space without disrupting the hull's hydrodynamics.

A Question of Balance

We've spent enough time aboard Italian yachts to recognize the tension between aesthetics and functionality, between the desire for sleek lines and the need for livable interiors. The GTX90 navigates that tension with a light touch. The exterior remains clean, uncluttered, free of the extraneous details that date a design within a season. The interior prioritizes flow and flexibility, trusting that good spatial planning is its own form of elegance.

It's a boat that rewards movement, that invites you to drift from sportbridge to aft cockpit to bow lounge as the day unfolds. The hardtop provides shade when you need it, the side terraces open when you want connection to the water, the salon offers refuge when the wind picks up. This is the kind of versatility that defines contemporary luxury, the ability to adapt to mood and moment without requiring elaborate adjustments.

Where It Fits

In the landscape of performance yachts, the GTX90 occupies a specific niche. It's not the largest, not the fastest, not the most radical. What it offers instead is a kind of confidence, a sense that every decision has been made with intention. The choice of MAN engines, the integration of Seakeeper stabilizers, the emphasis on deck space over cabin count, these are choices that reflect a clear understanding of how owners will use the boat.

For those who divide their time between marinas and open water, who value the ability to cover distance quickly but also want to linger in a protected cove, the GTX90 makes a compelling case. It's a yacht that doesn't demand you choose between speed and space, between performance and comfort. It simply delivers both, with the kind of Italian polish that makes the engineering invisible.

Photo: Pershing