Luxury marque Belize has commenced the build of the latest in its line of classically-styled motor yachts, the Belize 66.
The new model builds on the heritage, first unveiled in 2011, of a luxury motor yacht that evokes the styles of a bygone era of yachting, of gleaming hand-crafted interiors and, most importantly, of individuality.
The original Belize 54 quickly attracted owners who, after many years of boating, knew exactly what they wanted and had found a marque and a team who could help them create their ultimate motor yacht.
Belize co-founder and Riviera CEO Wes Moxey said: “The marque was born of the desire to work with clients to create a distinctive yacht and we embraced their demands for the highest quality craftsmanship.”
Today, 25 Belize 54s are cruising international waters, from the coral reefs of Queensland to the Great Lakes and New England regions of the United States where style and tradition are part of the yachting bloodline. Owners are supported by the professional Riviera worldwide dealership and services network.
New sense of space, luxury and comfort
Now the Belize marque has taken the concept of a semi-custom motoryacht to a new level with the Belize 66, a vessel that delivers a new sense of space, comfort and luxury and offers an unmatched level of customisation and bespoke elements.
Available in sedan or daybridge models, the Belize 66 offers three or four cabins with a large aft utility room or optional crew quarters.
Power is delivered for this new motor yacht by Volvo Penta IPS.
“We have been able to include more of everything a client could want in the 66 than any equivalent boat in the world,” said Mr Moxey.
With a wide range of options already built into the boat’s design, each owner is assured of selecting an individual configuration that will exactly match their boating and personal lifestyles.
The range of options begins with the overall layout. Clients may select a single-level lifestyle sedan or a daybridge with classic bimini top or hardtop. The hardtop includes a retractable awning sunroof.
Luxury and practicality
From the moment of arrival on board – via side bulwark doors or the transom gates – the Belize 66 speaks of luxury and Australian practicality at every level. The teak-laid swim platform is built in two section.
Three quarters of the platform is fully submersible to assist in tender launch and retrieval while a smaller section remains fixed. The garage under the cockpit holds a Brig 330 or Palm Beach tender.
Step up through the transom gates to the teak-laid cockpit. The starboard fore quarter features a dinette and L-shape seating while owners may choose where to place the barbecue; across the transom with a lounge at the port fore quarter – or vice versa. A third option for daybridge owners is to locate the barbecue on the bridge.
A watertight hatch is hidden under the cockpit lounge. This lifts to reveal access to a space forward of the full head-height engine room that can be configured for almost any purpose: crew quarters, massive storage for water toys or even a walk-in wardrobe to the master stateroom.
Walk-around decks lead forward to a massive sundeck where, with the Belize 66 at anchor, sun-lovers will gravitate to the foredeck with its large sunken U-shape lounge and a central dinette table that can be lowered to create – with an infill – a massive day bed. Lounge backrests are stored in lockers on either side and an insulated cold locker for drinks is forward. The entire area can be sheltered from the sun by a fold-up canopy.
Owners selecting the daybridge layout have the choice of the fabric bimini top that covers the helm and forward lounges while a hardtop option provides cover for almost the entire space. A staircase leads up from the saloon, opening to the helm with skipper and companion chair, a wide dashboard and sports wheel. A viewing lounge is set along the starboard side and, further aft, an L-shaped lounge surrounds a timber dinette. Outdoor chefs will love the food preparation space to port with its large barbecue, sink and long benchtop with fridge and plenty of storage under. There is even more storage available aft of the dinette.
Back in the cockpit, the saloon bulkhead is ship-like and all stainless steel with a large awning window linking this outdoor space with the galley while a sliding glass door provides entry to the saloon.
Spacious interior
Stepping inside to the massive saloon area, a large and efficient U-shape galley with stone benchtop lies to starboard with fridges, freezers and a pantry opposite.
Moving forward and one step up from the galley is the dinette to starboard with a free-standing lounge or armchair opposite. The chair can be moved across the space to add to dinette seating. Owners will individualise this entire space with a select choice of fabrics and bespoke finishes.
A pantograph door opposite the dinette takes guests out to the port walk-around deck.
The lower helm area will reflect the owner’s life and boating style. In the daybridge model, those who love alfresco cruising will probably select the optional minimalist helm layout, opting for a large L-shape lounge and coffee table on the port side and a single-seat helm to starboard for those days when the weather dictates under-cover control. For sedan owners and those boating in cool climates, a more expansive helm is offered featuring a central leather helm chair facing a sports wheel and expansive dashboard with comprehensive navigation systems and controls. Guests are accommodated with a companion seat on the starboard side and a viewing lounge to port.
A massive curved glass windscreen wraps around the helm.
A staircase forward of the helm leads to the accommodation companionway, replete with timber-panelled walls and fine fabrics. Here, owners will further reflect their boating lifestyle; family living, entertaining or couple cruising, perhaps, in three or four cabins with the option of additional crew quarters.
All cabins are fully carpeted. Wardrobes and storage lockers are cedar-lined.
The four-cabin configuration includes a guest stateroom forward with twin wardrobes and en-suite bathroom, bunk cabin to starboard and twin cabin to port. The beds in this cabin can slide together to create a comfortable double bed. The twin and bunk cabins share a bathroom and a stacked clothes washer and dryer are in a companionway cabinet forward of the bunk cabin.
The Master Stateroom amidships includes a bathroom on the starboard side and large twin wardrobes.
The three-cabin option provides for a Grand Presidential suite amidships with full-beam master stateroom and a bathroom in the starboard fore quarter that offers not simply twin vanities but a bidet option. The Stateroom is fitted with large twin wardrobes and there is the option for a massive walk-in wardrobe aft of the stateroom in place of a storage space or crew quarters.
Power for the new Belize 66 comes from the proven Volvo Penta IPS 30 pod drive system, delivering outstanding performance, whisper-quiet ride and industry-leading fuel efficiency. It includes Volvo Penta’s Station Hold and joystick control for fingertip manoeuvrability.
Designed after owner feedback
Mr Moxey said he and designer Stephen Ford worked for two years on concepts before extensive consultation with current Belize 54 owners.
All of the design concepts were developed utilising the very latest version of Unigraphics 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) software, exactly the same systems as used by Formula 1 motor racing teams around the world. The software models Stephen Ford and his team developed allowed them to provide a virtual walk-through tour of the proposed motor yacht.
“The development of Belize motor yachts has always been driven by discerning and highly experienced clients who know exactly what they need to make their boating experience perfect,” said Mr Moxey.
“We showed these valuable clients our ideas, listened closely to their input and then incorporated the ideas and wishes and returned with refined concepts.
“Our clients offered a diverse range of requests and requirements and we have been able to incorporate virtually every one of those into the final design.
“A key demand was a motor yacht large enough to fulfil all the requirements of long-range cruising and live-aboard luxury while maintaining the flexibility for a couple to handle the motor yacht without crew.
“The fact that we can deliver a 66-foot luxury motor yacht that fulfils that demand is a combination of 21st century technology and a very considered design.”
After the extensive consultation process which spanned more than a year, Ford began the final 3-D modelling.
“The motor yacht would have to include myriad tightly packaged elements, yet every component must be easily accessible,” Ford explained.
“The owners involved in the extensive consultation are delighted with the result. They can see their personal DNA in the final motor yacht designs.
“We have layouts of the Belize 66 with individuals’ names on them.”
Ford said the team have developed a total of nine layout options for the Belize 66 from a single structure.
“The versatility and custom capabilities of this motor yacht are extraordinary,” he said.
As well as developing concepts and walk-through virtual tours, Ford and the design team utilise the Unigraphics design software to develop every element of the Belize, down to the smallest components.
The hull of the new Belize 66 is based on the original Belize 54 hull, with all of the ride and seakeeping qualities so well loved by Belize owners.
With designs completed, the team despatched the computer files to three different five-axis routing machines, each working in parallel to create the plugs for all components.
“These routers work to a tolerance of less than one millimetre,” said Ford. “If our files contain a single element that is greater, the system would reject them and we would need to refine our work. I am happy to say not a single file from the thousands we created has been rejected!”
Development begins
The Belize 66 is now in development, with the first boat – a sedan – scheduled for delivery to its owner in the United States in mid-2018. Two more yachts have already been ordered, including a hardtop daybridge model for a client in Australia.
Riviera’s Motor Yacht Specialist in charge of overseeing the Belize 66 build, Doug Nelson, said the plug work for the Belize 66 hull is now almost completed.
“The plug gives us the first opportunity to see in real life the exact shape and lines of the hull.
“The mould we develop from this plug will be divided into three parts, one for the transom and two pieces split down the centreline of the hull. We need to make it in three parts because of the complex design of the transom and aft detail of this design. When we complete lamination of the hull, we will not lift the part out as we normally do with a build. We release the mould flanges and the two mould sections slide away horizontally.
“All of the 5 Axis parts have been carefully connected with the use of GRP in the Belize facility. The next stage is the fairing of these connections by our team of skilled tradespeople to ensure that the completed hull will be perfectly fair and smooth ready for moulding.
“We will complete this highly technical plug within the next 2 weeks ready for the moulds to be created.”
The deck plug, as well as plugs for small components on this magnificent new luxury motor yacht are also being cut and will be carefully connected and faired ready for moulding in the coming weeks.
“Development of the new Belize 66 is a total commitment for our team,” said Mr Nelson. “This is taking all the resources of the dedicated Belize team while maintaining the current Belize 54 production orders and I am delighted to report that we are right on schedule.”
