Roberto and Luisa Lacorte are passionate sailors with enviable track records of yacht ownership, including Flying Nikka, the Mark Mills-designed Mini Maxi that uses similar foiling technology to the America’s Cup (see video and more on that at yachtingworld.com).

When it came to choosing a yacht to sail as a couple, or with family and friends, they turned to Giovanni Ceccarelli who created the standout Ceccarelli 42 spirit of tradition yacht. Slender hull lines with low freeboard and a beam of only 3.16m (10ft 4in), plus extensive external woodwork echo a style of earlier times, as do the deep bulwarks and long aft deck.

The Ceccarelli 42. Photo: Fabio Taccola

Yet the Ceccarelli 42 is absolutely a contemporary yacht, with a near plumb bow and stern, a powerful square-top mainsail and long bowsprit for reaching sails and asymmetric spinnakers. Below the waterline is a high-aspect deep draught torpedo bulb keel and efficient single rudder, while a displacement of only 6,400kg puts the boat firmly in the high-performance category.

Tiller steering suits a boat of this style perfectly and helps make for easier solo and short-handed manoeuvring. It also maximises cockpit space that can be freed up for après sail socialising. Despite LuluNikka’s sleek lines there’s also welcoming accommodation for weekending in an interior that shows off her construction.

LuluNikka’s spirit of tradition design shows in her pleasing hull lines and an interior that highlights her timber construction at its best. Photo: Fabio Taccola

LuluNikka was built at the Checchi Shipyard in north-western Italy, and is expected to be a regular at regattas and rallies on the Mediterranean classic circuit.

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Ceccarelli 42 Specifications:

LOA: 14.5m 47ft 6in
Hull length: 12.86in 42ft 2in
Beam: 3.16m 10ft 4in
Draught: 2.78m 9ft 2in
Displacement: 6,400kg 14,100lb
Contact details: ceccarelliyachtdesign.com

Photo: Fabio Taccola

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