After a 50-year hiatus, the Bellini Astor 36 marks the Bellini Yachts' return to the new boat market with its trademark glamour
Bellini Yachts may be a new name to most of us but back in the 1960s, this family-owned Italian yard was building wooden runabouts of similar style and performance to Riva. Sadly, its founder Battista Bellini, fell ill in the early 1970s and production ceased a few years later.
The company shifted its focus to storage, sales, and restoration. However, in 2023, after a 50-year hiatus, a younger generation of Bellinis returned to their roots by launching the Bellini Astor 36, a brand-new GRP sportscruiser with all the style and glamour of its forebears.
Folding balconies are standard and add 2.1m to the beam
With styling by Brunello Acampora of Victory Design and input from none other than Norberto Ferretti, the new Bellini Astor 36 has some serious pedigree behind it. That shows not just in the styling, which does a good job of mixing classic retro proportions with sophisticated modern detailing, but also in the build – the lacklustre finishing and over zealous use of mastic that often betrays new boatbuilders are refreshingly absent.
There’s nothing wildly innovative about the layout but it ticks all the right boxes for an open Med-style sportscruiser. The folding balconies, which extend the beam to over 6m when open, are included in the price and the neat looking T-top provides just enough shade to protect the helm and dinette.
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Open-plan lower deck is bright and practical
Hinged backrests on the two benches either side of the dinette allow occupants to sit facing each other when eating but then flip over so the middle row can face forwards underway. The back one then becomes the headrest for an extended aft sunpad, which also lifts up to reveal a large locker for lines, fenders and water toys – but not a tender as it’s too shallow for that.
Deep cockpit coamings at the aft end morph into shorter gunwales where the side decks rise up a couple of steps to meet the foredeck but they still feel relatively safe, especially when fitted with the plug-in carbon fibre stanchions and ropes that wrap around the bow.
There’s a useful amount of space around the island bed forward
A steep companionway leads down to the lower deck and once again, this appears better resolved than most newcomers. There are no hull windows but a deck hatch and vents provide natural light. It’s more spacious than we expected too, with an island bed forward and a small double mattress tucked behind the stairs.
There’s a wide choice of petrol and diesel sterndrive engine options and, unusually for a niche Italian brand, there’s a UK dealer, Sebino Yachts, based in Christchurch, Dorset. We’ve yet to test it but based on first impressions from the British Motor Yacht Show, we have high hopes for it.
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Bellini Astor 36 Specifications:
LOA: 37ft 1in (11.3m)
Beam: 12ft 10in (3.9m)
Engines: 2 x Volvo Penta 350hp V8 petrol or 300hp D4 or 400hp D6 diesel
Top speed: 36 knots
Price: From €450,000
Contact details: www.belliniyacht.it
The Astor 36 is a welcome return to Bellini’s glamorous 1960s roots
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