By admin 
The global yachting community recently witnessed a significant evolution in the mid-size motoryacht category with the debut of the Maiora 36 Exuma. Following its world premiere at the Monaco Yacht Show 2025, the 36.9-meter vessel has established a new benchmark for owners seeking a blend of high-speed performance, shallow-draft versatility, and an interior volume that challenges the conventions of the sub-300 Gross Tonnage (GT) regulatory threshold. Built by the Next Yacht Group at the historic Maiora shipyard in Italy, the first hull of this series represents a strategic shift toward a design language that merges the sleek aesthetics of a sport yacht with the functional capabilities of a modern explorer.
Strategic Vision and the Yacht Boutique Concept
The development of the 36 Exuma series marks a pivotal moment for Next Yacht Group as it refines the design direction for the Maiora brand. The objective was to create a vessel that is more sporty and dynamic than its predecessors while significantly increasing onboard liveability. Stefania Delmiglio, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Next Yacht Group, characterizes the shipyard’s approach as a "yacht boutique." This philosophy prioritizes high-level customization and uncompromising quality over mass production.
With a production capacity of approximately 19 units per year across its various brands, Next Yacht Group focuses on delivering highly personalized vessels that reflect the specific vision of each owner. For the 36 Exuma, this meant maintaining a volume of 295GT—just under the 300GT limit that triggers more stringent international regulations—while providing the amenities and spatial feel typically reserved for yachts in the 40- to 45-meter range.
Engineering Excellence and Waterjet Propulsion
At the core of the 36 Exuma’s appeal is its sophisticated engineering. The yacht is powered by a triple waterjet propulsion system, consisting of three 2,000hp MAN V12 engines. This configuration includes two steerable waterjets and a central booster, allowing the vessel to reach a top speed of 33 knots. Beyond pure speed, the waterjet system offers several operational advantages over traditional shaft-and-propeller setups, including reduced vibration, enhanced maneuverability, and a significantly shallower draft.
The 1.45-meter draft is a critical feature for the first hull’s owners, who have utilized the yacht for private cruising throughout the Mediterranean since taking delivery in August 2025. This shallow draft allows the 36 Exuma to access intimate ports and secluded anchorages that are off-limits to larger displacement vessels. The owners’ itinerary has specifically targeted shallow sea beds and coastal areas where the yacht’s agility and accessibility provide a distinct advantage for private, off-the-beaten-path exploration.
Exterior Design: The Quartostile Collaboration
To achieve the desired balance of "size impression" and dynamism, Maiora collaborated with the Turin-based design studio Quartostile. The 36 Exuma is 1.91 meters longer than its predecessor, the award-winning 35 Exuma, of which four hulls were delivered. The increased length is most evident in the flush deck profile and the sharp-angled, full-beam plumb bow.
Andrea Sartori, one of the founding partners of Quartostile, noted that the full-beam bow was a significant design challenge. The goal was to define the right balance between open and closed areas without compromising the yacht’s sleek profile. The resulting silhouette features a vertical, blade-like shape that tapers toward a multi-level aft beach club. This area includes a large central sunpad and two integrated teak-clad chaise longues set into the aft bulwarks, creating a seamless connection to the water.
One of the most innovative features of the exterior is the "Nest Deck." While the previous 35 Exuma model featured a retractable roof in the skylounge, the owners of the first 36 Exuma opted for a pocket sundeck. This "Nest Deck" provides an elevated, private sanctuary with 360-degree views and large sunpads, serving as the most secluded area on the vessel.
Interior Innovation: The Acube Design Perspective
The interior of the 36 Exuma, penned by Acube Design, focuses on maximizing the 295GT volume to create a sense of openness and luxury. Alessio Merciadri, co-founder and Co-Chief Designer of Acube Design, emphasized that the project was treated with the logic of a much larger vessel. The circulation between spaces is intuitive and generous, reflecting the comfort standards of a 45-meter yacht.
A signature element of the interior-exterior integration is the "Infinity Door" system. These sliding glass doors are designed to fully retract and disappear into the bulwarks, effectively erasing the boundary between the main saloon and the aft cockpit. This feature, combined with continuous large-scale glazing, allows natural light to penetrate deep into the yacht’s social areas.
The main deck is home to the full-beam owner’s suite, which is positioned forward to take advantage of the widest part of the hull. The suite is designed around the concept of light and vistas, featuring large windows on three sides. A unique architectural detail is the owner’s headboard, which contains an organic opening that channels light into the master bathroom. The suite also includes a private study and a walk-in wardrobe.
While earlier models in the Exuma line included a side terrace door for direct bow access, the owners of hull one chose to omit this feature, preferring to maintain the suite as a fully enclosed, cozy sanctuary. However, the shipyard’s flexibility was demonstrated in the second hull (launched in June 2026), where a retractable stairway was engineered to provide clear views from the bed, solving the visual obstruction caused by fixed stairs on the first hull.
Chronology and Market Reception
The timeline of the 36 Exuma series demonstrates the rapid success and iterative improvement of the design:
- Late 2024: Construction begins on the first 36 Exuma hull as a speculative build by Next Yacht Group.
- Early 2025: The current owners join the project six months into the build, allowing for significant custom modifications.
- August 2025: Delivery of the first hull to the owners.
- September 2025: World premiere at the Monaco Yacht Show, where the yacht receives acclaim for its volume and speed.
- June 2026: Launch of the second hull in the series, featuring a redesigned "roll-up" stairway for the master suite.
The market reception has been bolstered by the yacht’s ability to carry an extensive collection of water toys—a rarity for a 36-meter vessel. The 36 Exuma features two aft tender garages. A transversal garage can accommodate a 6.25-meter tender, while an additional aft garage houses a jet-ski and various water toys, supported by an integrated crane. These garages are strategically located beneath the raised cockpit to act as a sound buffer between the engine room and the guest accommodations.
Broader Implications for the Yachting Industry
The Maiora 36 Exuma reflects several broader trends in the luxury yachting market. First, it highlights the growing demand for "crossover" vessels that combine the speed of traditional Mediterranean cruisers with the volume and toy-carrying capacity of explorer yachts. By staying under the 300GT mark, Maiora has created a yacht that is easier to manage and operate while still providing a "big boat" experience.
Second, the use of unconventional features, such as the relaxation netting in the bow—a feature typically found on sailing catamarans—shows a willingness to borrow from different maritime disciplines to maximize usable space. In the case of the 36 Exuma, the netting allows the area to remain "open" for tonnage calculation purposes while providing a unique lounging area that lets natural light reach the owner’s suite below.
Finally, the success of the 36 Exuma underscores the importance of the "boutique" shipyard model. In an era where many shipyards are moving toward standardized platforms to increase volume, Next Yacht Group’s commitment to bespoke engineering and owner-specific layouts provides a competitive edge. The 36 Exuma is not merely a standardized product but a flexible platform that can adapt to different lifestyles, whether the focus is on high-speed transit between Mediterranean hotspots or quiet, private exploration of shallow-water archipelagos.
As the second hull enters the water and the first continues its Mediterranean tenure, the Maiora 36 Exuma stands as a testament to Italian design’s ability to innovate within strict regulatory boundaries, delivering a yacht that is as technically capable as it is aesthetically alluring.
