MON COEUR: Cantiere delle Marche’s Bold New RJ Explorer Arrives

At 31 metres, this steel-hulled explorer is the smallest yacht to join the RJ family to date. Yet far from feeling like a compromised version, MON COEUR emerges as a highly personal, go-anywhere vessel created for owners who wanted an intimate platform from which to explore the world in comfort and confidence.

The project was born from a clear owner vision. Rather than adapting an existing design, both the yard and designer Francesco Paszkowski worked closely to translate the commanding DNA of the larger RJ explorers into a more compact form.

‘We faced a puzzle when entrusted to design the RJ102: how do you preserve the commanding presence and go-anywhere confidence of a larger yacht in a rather small package?’ said Francesco Paszkowski. ‘The proportions are unmistakably RJ. That bold, purposeful profile has been translated into the form the owners asked for.’

Beneath her contemporary lines, MON COEUR packs impressive blue-water capability. With a beam of 7.25 metres and a full-load displacement of 250 tonnes, she offers a range in excess of 3,500 nautical miles at 10 knots, supported by 30,000 litres of fuel. Twin Caterpillar C18 Acert engines each producing 533kW provide reliable power for long-distance cruising.

This is very much an owner-driven yacht. Interior designer Giorgio M. Cassetta created spaces that reflect a specific lifestyle, that of a couple using the yacht as a private base camp for adventures, rather than a vessel for large groups or formal entertaining.

‘MON COEUR’s mission is to serve as a base camp for a couple exploring the world from aboard her,’ explained Cassetta. ‘Every element of the interior design, from the expansive owner-operated galley to the warm, natural materials and textures, and the organically shaped bespoke furniture, was conceived from the ground up for the owners. The style is both understated and elegant, yet warm and richly detailed.’

Accommodation is provided for nine guests in four suites, including a full-beam owners’ suite, with a crew of five. The layout feels deliberately generous for the yacht’s size, prioritising quality of space and privacy over sheer numbers.

Vasco Buonpensiere, Co-Founder and CEO of Cantiere delle Marche, captured the spirit of the project when he said: ‘We built this yacht for her owners, their vision. The RJ family had never ventured this compact before MON COEUR came along. She exists because someone dreamed her.’

The owners themselves described the build as the journey of a lifetime, praising the yard’s collaborative approach and the resulting yacht as something far more meaningful than just another hull.

In an industry often obsessed with ever-larger vessels, MON COEUR offers a refreshing reminder: you don’t need 80 metres to chase the horizon. Sometimes the most rewarding explorer experiences come in a more intimate, thoughtfully conceived package.