Shambhala is an original boat. Its typology is half way between a large trawler and an exploration yacht. It is totally built in aluminium. Inside, the beam gains in amplitude due to the suppression of the lateral walkways... This yacht built in Brazil has many pleasant surprises.

Shambhala is a GFT 98’, initials that correspond to Global Fast Trawlers, a concept coined by MCP Yachts from Brazil. This shipyard located in the area of the port of Santos, near Sao Paolo, has facilities that allow building units up to 120 feet. MCP Yachts already has 20 years of history, but lately it has stood out for the construction of units of certain importance, such as the 120’ motor yacht Santa Maria, the restoration of Raffaella, a 115’ Benetti and, mainly, for the restoration of a 1920 Herreshoff sailboat, very appreciated in Brazil for being the yacht used by different presidents of the Republic in the past.
Global Fast Trawler is an innovative concept in the long-range super yachts market. Designed by MCP, this model is par t of a range that also includes yachts of 85, 90, 93 and 115 feet, completely built in aluminium and with double hull, as if there were commercial vessels.The concept is based in the use of semi displacement hulls, with a relatively deep V on the bow that gets smoother towards the stern until forming tunnels for the propeller shafts; in addition it also has a keel, an element that is added to provide directional and cross-sectional stability, as well as a protection to the hull and the underwater appendages. In addition, the keel is able to hold the totality of the weight of the boat when this one is docked. All these boats are built according to Lloyds Register of Shipping requirements and classified according to the Special Service Craft regulations.

A QUESTION OF SPACE
One of the characteristics of Shambhala is the suppression of the lateral walkways at main deck level, which is translated in the maximum usage of the inner space, at full beam. Nevertheless, externally this has been disguised extending the blue painting of the hull to all the forward area of the main deck and also changing the rhythm of the windows, in such a way that those that correspond to the saloon, rectangular, are clearly different from the ones belonging to the oval ones of the owner’s cabin. It is also necessary to pay attention to the stern of the boat that has been arranged in motor yacht cockpit format, in such a way that what would be the bathing platform becomes a very low deck completely surrounded by a protection coaming. The central part of this coaming is folding, in the same way as the transom of many yachts, which allows the use of all this area as a bathing platform. In addition, on the port quarter the hydraulic gangway with inner stairs that eases the access to it has been arranged.
The greater useful beam is shown as one enters the saloon from the cockpit. The space is divided in four parts. On starboard there are two living areas, the aft one more sheltered by an L shaped piece of furniture and the forward one opens towards the large television screen; on the other hand the port side welcomes the dining room with a standard capacity for eight or ten occupants and, forward, the galley. The dining room has a large C shaped sofa that surrounds a table whose surface is fixed over guides that allows moving away the table completely to ease the movement of the occupants. The galley deserves special attention because it forms a separated atmosphere, but that can be united completely to the saloon, as it has curtains that when they are lowered bring the required privacy, but that when removed they bring a great transparency and they even allow to work as if it was a bar cabinet. It is so that the pillar that shapes the corner descends from the inside of the furniture itself by means of an electrical device for a maximum communication between the galley and the saloon.
The surface of the galley extends on the lateral towards the bow, allowing having a lot of work surface and space for all the equipment. The vocation for long cruises suggested by the yacht is perceived here in details such as the large pantry located forward or the installation of holding points for the cooking-pots on the vitroceramic plate. The lateral windows are of bellow type, but fixed on their upper side and opened from underneath, allowing the ventilation even in case of rain, in addition they open towards the outside, so that they do not occupy space inside; this system is only possible thanks to the inexistence of the lateral walkways, as otherwise they would disturb the passage through them.

UP TO 14 GUESTS
Shambhala postulates as an ideal yacht for charter or for large families thanks to its capacity to accommodate up to fourteen guests. The owner’s stateroom is forward of the main deck, at full beam; it is equipped with a large central double bed oriented towards the bow, where the dressing room and the bathroom have been arranged.The illumination and the natural ventilation come from the large lateral portholes, two on each side to illuminate the cabin and the third one for the bathroom and the dressing room, depending of the side, but only the central one can be opened. On this yacht the term bathroom must be used in all cases, because each one of the five cabins has its bathroom with bathtub; in addition, in all of them there is a washbasin and the toilet has also the bidet function. However, the one destined to the owner has a special particularity, because the bathtub is placed on the side and also next to the large oval window, so that it is really possible to have a bath with magnificent views over the sea. The dressing room is also very large, as it has also been possible to differentiate closets inside. The lower deck welcomes four cabins. The two stern ones have a double bed, but with the particularity that there are oriented perpendicularly to the centre line, with the bed head on the side, under the porthole, whereas the closet and the bathroom are astern. The other two cabins, more forward, can have an almost symmetrical distribution to the one described or, as it happened in the case of Shambhala, to have two bunks. In this case the port cabin has two double bunks, superposed, whereas the starboard cabin had a superposed bunk and other two individual beds crossed to make the most of the space that staircase block leaves free. Altogether, up to fourteen guests can spend the night on board. For a greater differentiation between the cabins the colours, the tapestries and the cur tains have been combined, but the equipment is similar in all the cases. A door forward allows to go to the crew area, consisting in the dining room, the galley and two cabins with bathroom, one of which has a double bed, for the Captain, and superposed bunks in the other. It is also possible to access directly to this area from the foredeck by means of a vertical stair, allowing separating the circulations between the crew and the guests.
The central staircase that communicates the three decks of the yacht has a great prominence.Through it we will ascend to the upper deck, where there is the steering position and a second living area. The steering position has a completely equipped console presided over by three large Raymarine screens, two of which correspond to the Raymarine E120 system and the central of the electrical systems of the yacht, but there is a fourth almost horizontal tactile screen, supplied by Caterpillar, that allows to control both engines and the levels on a single screen. As we might remember, the E120 system allows to exchange all kind of information from one screen to another, in aspects such as the radar, the GPS, the autopilot and the CCTV cameras, in this case equipped with six cameras: both sides, the bow, the stern and both engines. In front of this console two individual chairs of the American make Stidd, totally adjustable with foot rest integrated, have been installed; the Captain’s one is the one on por t, by the rudder, but the ship can also be manoeuvred with a joystick placed on the armrest that separates both seats. A sofa astern allows several guests to contemplate the evolution of the navigation. The second living area, located astern of this deck, has different seats, a treadmill and a separated bathroom.