Yachts

NISI 2400

The Setzer Design Group mixes classical and modern themes in a different sort of composition.

By Dennis Caprio

Updated: December 21, 2010

NISI 2400

If the NISI 2400 were a piece of music, she’d be the Suite for Cello & Jazz Piano Trio, written in the 1980s by jazz pianist Claude Bolling, and performed by him; Marc Michel, bass; Jean-Luc Dayan, drums; and the incomparable Yo-Yo Ma on cello. In this composition, Bolling masterfully combined classical and contemporary jazz themes. The result is a delightful romp that leaves listeners agape — loving the sound or hating it, but simply unable to ignore it. I suspect that the NISI 2400 may affect yachtsmen in the same way.

Tricon Marine, builder of the NISI line of yachts, and the Setzer Design Group collaborated on this design, and the thinking behind it appears in the company’s brochure: “Size and length are no longer taken as the key expression of an owner’s needs. Now owners are turning toward a yacht with a focus on design and function that is a unique expression of themselves.” Even a casual examination of the rendering tells us that they got the unique part right.

The NISI 2400 is a complex blend of traditional and modern themes. Her nearly plumb stem recalls an element that appeared consistently on the commuter yachts of the 1930s. Although Setzer’s take on this classic design cue looks very much like its antecedents from the waterline up, it hints at a finer and deeper entry than was common in the 1930s. Tricon calls it a wave-piercing bow.

Another deviation from the classical style is the absence of flare in the forward sections. Instead, Setzer has divided the nearly vertical topsides into lower and upper sections, delineated by what seems like a simple character line — something common on modern automobiles to break up the expanse of metal. The lower section reminds me of the business end of a World War II destroyer. Above this line, the hull broadens, which increases volume inside the yacht and enhances reserve buoyancy in the bow, helping to keep it from burying in steep head seas. Under less boisterous conditions, the chine that you see in the rendering discourages the sea from climbing up the topsides.

This is a busy design, and maintaining a civil relationship among its various elements — design cues from early in the 20th century mingling with contemporary ones — could not have been easy. The small, round portlights, for example, hark back to the early 1900s and fit well with the stem. Farther aft, the windows are definitely modern but wouldn’t look out of place in an art deco exhibit. The shape of the smaller windows, and the bar that splits each in half, extend the “character line” to its logical conclusion in the vent back aft. The large window, though it has a greater aspect ratio than its mates do, still enhances our perception of length along the topsides.

The sheer line of the NISI 2400 appears to have a tiny bit of reverse curvature, accented by the plunge of the transom and the beveled cap rail. It’s perfect for this design, giving the fanciful superstructure a solid visual base on which to rest. The house is as upright as that of a steam yacht from the early 1900s and, in a less thoughtful design, could have overwhelmed the aesthetics — made it top-heavy. Although the structure is tall, the slender mullions of the windows and the apparent space between the flying buttresses and the coachroof seem to make the structure above it float on air. The large windows of the house will give the owner’s crew and guests nearly unobstructed sight lines and, along with the skylight, flood the salon, galley and inside helm with natural light.

Tricon Marine plans to introduce the NISI 2400 to the public at the 2011 Miami International Boat Show in February.

LOA: 78’0″
LWL: 74’0″
Beam: 19’0″
Draft: 3’7″
Displ.: 80,000 lb. (dry)
Fuel: 1,409 gal.
Water: 338 gal.
Power Options: 2 x 1,000-hp Cat-C18/ZF-POD or Volvo IPS; 3 x 600-hp Cummins/Zeus or Volvo IPS
Top Speed: 28 to 33 knots depending on power option
High-Speed Cruise: 25 knots w/ Cummins/Zeus
Concept & Design: Tricon Marine and Setzer Design Group