There are yachts built to impress, and then there are yachts built to be lived in. Vessels conceived from the outset around the rhythms of those who regard the sea not as a backdrop, but as a destination in itself. The Columbus Atlantique 38m M/Y Principessa Capricciosa belongs firmly to the second category.
Announced from Ancona in July 2026, this latest addition to Columbus Yachts’ Atlantique series is the most compact model in the range and the fourth unit to be launched. Compact, though, is not a word that translates to restrained here.
The Atlantique 38 distils everything that has made this line one of the most respected in contemporary yachting into a platform that is at once more accessible and more intimate than its larger siblings.
A Design Philosophy Rooted In The Sea
The Atlantique 38 was conceived around a deceptively simple idea: that every moment spent on board should feel connected to the water surrounding it. This guiding principle runs through every decision made in the vessel’s design, from broad architectural choices down to the selection of a single lamp or a length of wall cladding. Columbus Yachts describes the project as a harmonious balance of aesthetics, naval architecture and functionality, with each space maintaining a constant dialogue with the sea.
The yacht’s exterior lines are clean and purposeful, evoking the elegant sportiness of Italy’s great grand tourers. Those iconic road cars admired across the world for their ability to marry performance with beauty. The profile draws equally from a different tradition: the timeless silhouette of classic sailing yachts, reinterpreted through a thoroughly contemporary design language. Where older hulls inspired reverence through sheer scale, the Atlantique 38 earns its presence through proportion and precision.
Reinforcing this intimate relationship with the water is one of the vessel’s most distinctive physical features: a recessed stern positioned just 50 centimetres above sea level. It is an architectural detail as much as a practical one, collapsing the distance between guest and ocean in a way that transforms how the yacht feels to inhabit.
Both hull and superstructure are constructed entirely in aluminium, a material choice that supports the vessel’s sporting character while ensuring structural integrity and longevity. Exterior and interior design bears the signature of Hot Lab, with naval architecture developed by the shipyard in collaboration with Names by Francesco Rogantin.
The Intelligence Of 299 GT
One of the Atlantique 38’s most strategically considered attributes is its gross tonnage of 299 GT, a figure that sits just below the 300 GT regulatory threshold and unlocks significant advantages for the owner. Below this boundary, the yacht benefits from extensive customisation possibilities while preserving a highly functional, rational and perfectly organised layout. Crew requirements are reduced, operating costs are contained, and administrative complexity is minimised.
None of these efficiencies come at the expense of genuine comfort. The Atlantique 38 accommodates up to 12 guests across five cabins, supported by a six-person crew plus Captain. A 5-metre tender and a personal watercraft occupy a dedicated garage aft on the starboard side, while a second storage compartment beneath the staircase connecting the beach area to the lounge houses the Seabobs. From a technical standpoint, a semi-planing hull powered by twin 2,000 hp MAN engines delivers a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 17.6 knots, performance figures that reflect the yacht’s grand tourer character with impressive efficiency.
Outdoor Living, Elevated
The aft cockpit immediately communicates the Atlantique 38’s intentions. Conceived as a true terrace overlooking the sea, it gains two fold-down balconies that significantly expand the usable deck area, creating an open-air environment that feels generously proportioned despite the vessel’s compact footprint. A generous sofa, complemented by two oversized poufs, faces aft to offer uninterrupted views of the horizon. A bespoke contemporary cocktail bar with mirrored finishes adds a note of glamour, while outdoor furnishings drawn from Roda’s Laze Collection strike the balance between elegance and ease that defines the best of Italian outdoor living.
Higher up, the upper aft cockpit is furnished with Orlando modular sofas, Ami armchairs and Frame coffee tables, all by Paola Lenti, creating a versatile social environment. A 75-inch television integrated into the hardtop deploys via an electric lifting system, while the large fold-away side glazing transforms the dining area into an open terrace, dissolving the boundary between interior and exterior.
The upper deck’s dining area seats up to ten guests at a table by Ceccotti Collezioni, featuring a wengé-stained ash wood frame topped with Calacatta marble. A pairing that speaks to the quality of material research running throughout the vessel. Ami chairs by Paola Lenti in two complementary shades of blue complete the setting. Moving further forward, a swimming pool with an integrated sun pad and a large structural sofa creates a dedicated wellness space, while the sun deck above accommodates a generous sunbathing area alongside a secondary helm station.
Interior Spaces: Material Research As Craft
Stepping into the main saloon, guests encounter an interior that rewards close attention. Lacquered wood panelling in cream and grey-beige tones frames light marble inserts, and the staggered pattern of the wall cladding introduces depth and visual dynamism without ever feeling busy. Natural European oak plank flooring grounds the palette in warmth. White fabric-covered Minotti sofas and poufs encourage relaxation and conversation; two dark grey armchairs and a coffee table featuring an aluminium frame with a marble top provide counterpoint. The Yokohama rug by Loloey in delicate light grey tones completes the composition.
Throughout the main deck and upper deck lobbies, a bespoke lighting design developed entirely by Cantalupi works through the architectural volumes through a sophisticated interplay of light and shadow. The spacious galley is fully equipped with professional-grade appliances and benefits from direct access to the crew area, ensuring that service operates without intruding upon the guest experience.
The Owner’s Suite: A Private World
The full-beam owner’s suite, occupying the forward section of the main deck, is the project’s most personal expression. A warm palette of brown and cream runs from the entrance, where a generous walk-in wardrobe features sliding doors embellished with aluminium detailing. Opposite, a dedicated wellness area with a treadmill, framed by a large picture window, opens to expansive sea views.
The sleeping area is anchored by a king-size bed with a bespoke three-dimensional light limestone headboard, flanked by Freccia Uno Avorio wall lights from the Moss Series. The owner’s bathroom divides into two separate areas, centred on a marble-clad shower. On the port side, integrated cabinetry in elegant brown tones incorporates a vanity with leather detailing and an Artemide Laguna table lamp in satin bronze finish.
Perhaps most coveted of all is the suite’s private terrace, furnished with two custom-made Roda armchairs and a coffee table. An exclusive retreat that places the owner in direct, immediate contact with the sea.
Guest Cabins: Individual Character, Consistent Quality
The lower deck’s four guest cabins each carry their own dedicated colour palette and bespoke finishes, ensuring that no two spaces feel identical. Two cabins offer double beds; the remaining two feature twin beds convertible into doubles, each with an additional Pullman berth for flexible configuration. Bathrooms are enriched with refined marble detailing throughout. Lighting combines Bilia table lamps by FontanaArte, offered in both white and satin nickel finishes, with Blimp glass wall lamps by Bomma. A pairing that speaks to the precision with which every aesthetic decision has been made.
Sound As Architecture: A Reference-Level Audio Experience
Among the Atlantique 38’s most extraordinary distinctions is its audio installation. A system conceived not as an afterthought, but as a fundamental element of the onboard experience from the earliest stages of the design process. The brief was unambiguous: to satisfy an owner with a particular appreciation for uncompromising sound quality.
Throughout the vessel’s interior spaces, Bowers & Wilkins ceiling speakers managed by the Sonos ecosystem deliver a natural, perfectly balanced listening experience with intuitive operation. Within the main saloon, the system reaches an altogether higher level of expression. Sonus faber loudspeakers, representing the finest of Italian acoustic craftsmanship and refined industrial design, are paired with McIntosh electronics, long regarded as a global benchmark in high-fidelity audio reproduction.
The result is a listening environment in which technology and interior design converge into a single sensory experience. Music is not merely reproduced, but revealed in its full depth, detail and emotional weight. The same philosophy extends to the exterior, where a high-power system built around JL Audio components creates an expansive soundstage across every deck. The Main Deck Aft Cockpit receives particular attention, with dedicated acoustic engineering incorporating Paradigm and JBL speakers oriented towards the stern and beach area, ensuring powerful yet controlled audio reproduction that maintains balance and dynamic range even in open-air conditions.
A Debut At Cannes And Monaco
M/Y Principessa Capricciosa will make her official public debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2026, before being presented subsequently at the Monaco Yacht Show 2026. Two of the superyacht world’s most prestigious events, and fitting stages for a vessel of this calibre. The yacht was introduced to Columbus Yachts by Assia Mele and Salvatore Mele of Mele Yacht. For another remarkable vessel making its Cannes première this season, the Sanlorenzo SHE Yacht Heritage Model presents an equally compelling vision of contemporary superyacht design.
The Evolution Of The Atlantique Line
With Principessa Capricciosa, Columbus Yachts continues to develop a line that has established itself as one of the most authoritative expressions of contemporary yachting. The Atlantique range now encompasses vessels sharing a coherent design language, characterised by modernity, elegance and rigorous material research, while each unit expresses its own distinct personality in response to the specific aspirations of its owner.
The Atlantique 38 achieves something that the best superyachts always aspire to but rarely fully realise: a sense that the vessel was made for the sea, and that the sea, in turn, is made more beautiful by the yacht’s presence upon it. In an era when superyacht design can sometimes prioritise spectacle over substance, Principessa Capricciosa makes a compelling case for a different set of values. Intimacy, craftsmanship, and an authentic connection with the marine environment that no amount of scale alone can manufacture.
M/Y Principessa Capricciosa will be presented publicly at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2026 and the Monaco Yacht Show 2026.
