BETTER PLACE – IMO 9652791

Groundbreaking 50-Metre Wally Carbon-Composite Sailing Superyacht

BETTER PLACE is not a conventional motor yacht but one of the most technologically important large sailing superyachts produced during the early 2010s.

Built by Wally in Italy in 2012, the approximately 50-metre yacht was conceived as a high-performance blue-water sailing sloop combining the handling and performance of a modern sailing yacht with the accommodation, deck space and comfort normally associated with a large motor yacht.

Her significance extends well beyond her striking Bugatti-blue appearance.

At launch, BETTER PLACE was described as:

the largest sailing yacht ever built by Wally

and:

the world's largest sailing sloop constructed entirely from advanced carbon composites.

She was also widely reported as the first sailing superyacht of her scale to combine diesel-electric propulsion with RINA Green Star environmental certification.

Fourteen years after delivery, BETTER PLACE retains her original name and Cayman Islands registry and remains fully active in 2026.

Vessel Details

Name: BETTER PLACE

IMO: 9652791

MMSI: 319189000

Call Sign: ZGCL2

Type: Sailing Superyacht / Performance Sloop

Flag: Cayman Islands

Built: 2012

Builder: Wally / Wally Europe, Italy

Construction Location: Ancona / Italian Adriatic construction programme

Concept: Wally

Naval Architecture: Tripp Design Naval Architecture

Exterior Design: Wally / Luca Bassani with Tripp Design

Interior Design: Wetzels Brown Partners / Wally

Class: RINA

Environmental Notation: RINA Green Star

Gross Tonnage: 310 GT in original/PiraeuShips and several specialist records; 325 GT in some current yacht databases

Length Overall: approx. 49.9–50.5 m depending on measurement source

Beam: approx. 10.2–10.25 m

Variable Draught: approx. 4.2–4.6 m keel raised / 6.2–6.5 m keel lowered

Construction: Advanced carbon-fibre composite

Rig: Sloop

Sail Area: approx. 1,011–1,100 m² depending on configuration

Auxiliary Propulsion: Diesel-electric system

Published Maximum Speed under Power: approx. 14 knots

Guest Capacity: 10

Guest Cabins: 5

Crew: approx. 9

Current Registered Owner / Manager in commercial databases: Vardom Holding Inc., British Virgin Islands

Current Status: Active.

A Sailing Yacht – Not a Motor Yacht

The most important correction to the old short description is the vessel type.

BETTER PLACE is:

a sailing yacht.

More specifically, she is a:

high-performance carbon-composite sailing sloop.

The PiraeuShips archive already placed the vessel under both yacht and sailing-ship categories, but the short description should not present her simply as a generic luxury yacht.

Built by Wally

BETTER PLACE was built by:

Wally

and launched in:

May 2012.

The project was one of the most ambitious yachts developed by the company under founder:

Luca Bassani.

At approximately 50 metres, she became the:

largest Wally yacht built up to that point.

She remains listed by specialist databases as:

the largest yacht built by Wally.

Advanced Carbon Construction

BETTER PLACE was groundbreaking because of the scale of her:

carbon-fibre composite construction.

Tripp Design describes the yacht as the first megayacht of this size constructed entirely in advanced composites in Italy.

At launch, Wally and specialist media described her as the:

world's largest carbon-fibre sailing sloop.

For a 50-metre sailing vessel, reducing structural weight has major implications for:

performance,

stability,

sail-carrying ability,

and:

overall efficiency.

Tripp Design Naval Architecture

Naval architecture was developed by:

Tripp Design.

Rather than creating a motor yacht with sails, the project was specifically intended to remain a genuine:

performance sailing yacht.

Tripp describes the design philosophy as combining:

“lifestyle and sport”

with the comfort and interior volume expected of a large modern superyacht.

Wally / Luca Bassani Styling

Exterior styling combines the work of:

Wally

Luca Bassani

and:

Tripp Design.

The yacht has several features associated strongly with Wally:

a flush deck,

minimalist superstructure,

large open aft areas,

clean deck hardware,

and extensive glass.

The distinctive:

Bugatti-blue hull

became one of the yacht's most recognisable visual characteristics from launch.

Wetzels Brown Interior

Interior design was developed by:

Wetzels Brown Partners

together with Wally.

The design emphasised:

open spaces,

panoramic views,

natural light,

and visual continuity between the interior and exterior deck areas.

Five Guest Cabins

BETTER PLACE accommodates:

10 guests

in:

five cabins.

Current specialist specifications give:

one Master Suite,

two double cabins,

and:

two twin cabins.

Crew accommodation is provided for approximately:

nine.

Variable-Draught Keel

One of the yacht's most important technical systems is her:

lifting keel.

Published design figures vary slightly, but the keel changes draught from approximately:

4.2–4.6 metres

when raised

to approximately:

6.2–6.5 metres

when lowered.

The deeper position gives the yacht improved sailing stability and righting moment.

The shallower position provides better access to harbours and anchorages.

More Than 1,000 m² of Sail

Tripp Design publishes sail area of approximately:

1,011 m².

Contemporary yacht reporting, depending on sail configuration, quoted figures around:

1,100 m².

This enormous sail plan allows BETTER PLACE to remain a genuine performance sailing vessel despite her:

50-metre length,

large interior,

and:

roughly 250-tonne displacement.

Diesel-Electric Propulsion

One of BETTER PLACE's most technologically unusual features at launch was:

diesel-electric auxiliary propulsion.

Instead of a conventional large direct-drive diesel installation, generators provide electrical power for the propulsion motor and hotel systems.

Contemporary specialist reporting described BETTER PLACE as:

the first sailing yacht fitted with diesel-electric propulsion.

This arrangement was particularly innovative for a performance sailing yacht in 2012.

RINA Green Star

BETTER PLACE was also notable for her environmental certification.

At launch, she became the:

first sailing yacht to receive RINA Green Star notation.

The Green Star standard recognises measures designed to reduce:

air pollution,

marine pollution,

and environmental impact.

This was an important element of the yacht's original design philosophy rather than an after-market addition.

14 Knots under Power

Published maximum speed under auxiliary propulsion is approximately:

14 knots.

However, evaluating a yacht like BETTER PLACE purely by engine speed misses the point of the design.

The yacht was created to achieve substantial performance:

under sail,

with the engine used principally for manoeuvring, low-wind operation and passage support.

“Terrace on the Sea”

Another Wally signature feature incorporated into the yacht is the aft:

“Terrace on the Sea” concept.

The aft deck and owner's accommodation are designed around close visual and physical contact with the water.

Contemporary design descriptions also highlighted:

large opening areas,

swimming access,

and:

convertible exterior spaces.

Three Jacuzzis

The original yacht specification included several unusually ambitious leisure features.

Contemporary descriptions recorded:

a large foredeck Jacuzzi,

another on the sun deck,

and additional outdoor leisure areas.

These features helped demonstrate that a performance sailing yacht could provide accommodation approaching the standards of an equivalent motor yacht.

International Design Awards

BETTER PLACE received major recognition after delivery.

Awards and nominations included:

ShowBoats Design Awards 2013 – Interior Design Award

ShowBoats Design Awards 2013 – Holistic Design Award

and:

International Superyacht Society Awards 2013 – Best Sail 40m+.

She was also a finalist in the sailing-yacht category of the:

World Superyacht Awards.

310 or 325 GT?

There is a genuine tonnage discrepancy in current sources.

The original PiraeuShips page gives:

310 GT.

SuperYacht Times also publishes:

310 GT.

However, current VesselFinder and some commercial yacht databases give:

325 GT.

Rather than silently changing the historical figure, the updated article should explain:

Original / specialist published figure: 310 GT

Some current registry databases: 325 GT.

The physical yacht has obviously not become significantly larger; this is a registry/database measurement discrepancy.

49.9, 50.0 or 50.5 Metres?

A similar variation exists for length.

Current specialist databases generally give:

49.9 m.

Tripp Design gives:

50.0 m.

Contemporary Wally reporting used:

50.5 m.

For PiraeuShips, the simplest accurate presentation remains:

approximately 50 metres.

Piraeus Connection

BETTER PLACE was physically recorded by PiraeuShips in Greece.

The PireasPiraeus photographic archive identifies footage taken on:

11 June 2018.

PiraeuShips published the dedicated:

BETTER PLACE – IMO 9652791

article in:

June 2018.

The original entry recorded:

Cayman Islands flag

310 GT

50 m length

10 m beam

2012 build

and:

RINA class.

Those fundamental historical details remain valid.

Same Name and Flag

Unlike many yachts in the archive, BETTER PLACE has retained remarkable identity continuity.

She remains:

BETTER PLACE

and continues to sail under the:

Cayman Islands flag.

Current radio identification remains:

MMSI 319189000

and:

Call Sign ZGCL2.

Current Ownership Database

Current commercial databases identify:

Vardom Holding Inc.

of the British Virgin Islands as both:

registered owner

and:

ship manager.

Because private-yacht beneficial ownership is often intentionally opaque, PiraeuShips should avoid naming an individual owner unless supported by an authoritative public registry.

Still Active in 2026

BETTER PLACE remains fully active in:

2026.

AIS records from September and October show Mediterranean movements involving:

Valencia

Barcelona

and:

Monaco.

The yacht was moored at:

Barcelona

after arriving on:

26 September 2026.

Current AIS histories also show a recent:

Perama

call within the preceding year, demonstrating that the yacht has continued to return to Greek waters long after the original PiraeuShips recording.

Fourteen Years without an Identity Change

By 2026, BETTER PLACE has reached:

14 years since launch.

Unlike many large yachts that are sold and renamed repeatedly, she has retained:

the same name,

the same distinctive blue visual identity,

and:

the same broad sailing concept.

That continuity makes the original 2018 PiraeuShips footage particularly easy to connect with the vessel seen today.

PiraeuShips Record

BETTER PLACE was recorded by PiraeuShips in June 2018 during the continuing career of one of the most technically significant large sailing yachts of the modern era. Built by Wally in Italy in 2012, the approximately 50-metre vessel was conceived by Wally and Tripp Design as a genuine high-performance sailing sloop rather than a motor yacht with auxiliary sails. Her advanced carbon-composite construction made her the largest carbon-fibre sailing sloop of her time, while diesel-electric auxiliary propulsion and RINA Green Star environmental certification introduced technologies then highly unusual in large sailing yachts. BETTER PLACE combines a variable-draught lifting keel, more than 1,000 square metres of sail and accommodation for ten guests with the volume and comfort expected of a modern superyacht. Still sailing under her original name and Cayman Islands flag in 2026, and continuing to operate actively throughout the Mediterranean, BETTER PLACE remains one of the most distinctive sailing vessels preserved in the PiraeuShips visual archive.

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