Gran Turismo 35
Length Overall
11.2 m / 36'9''
Beam overall
3.24 m / 15’3’’
Michael Peters Yacht Design
The naval architects behind the powerful, elegant lines of BENETEAU motorboat models
Naval architect
For more than 45 years, Michael Peters Yacht Design (MPYD) has been shaping high-performance motorboats that combine technical innovation, refined aesthetics, and unmistakable character. Based in Sarasota, Florida, the studio is internationally renowned for its patented hull designs and its award-winning creations in both offshore racing and luxury yachting.
With over 500 designs and more than 50,000 boats built worldwide, MPYD has become one of the most influential design studios in the marine industry. The team’s expertise spans composite, aluminum, and wooden construction, offering a fully tailored approach ranging from high-speed boats to premium cruising yachts. With 20 offshore world championship titles, and numerous design awards, the studio has earned a reputation for engineering excellence and performance-driven design.
Interview with Michael Peters Yacht Design
BENETEAU: MPYD, how would you describe your design philosophy?
MPYD : Our belief is that good design comes from discipline rather than expression. It is a performance-led study where hydrodynamics, proportion, and intent are resolved as a single architectural whole, resulting in a form that is both highly functional and inherently timeless.
We approach every project with the understanding that a successful boat must perform predictably and efficiently in real-world conditions, not just under ideal circumstances. From hull development through to the final details, each decision is guided by function, proportion, and the user experience. The objective is to create designs that are not only technically sound, but enduring in both performance and appearance.
BENETEAU : You have collaborated with BENETEAU on models such as the latest Gran Turismo range. What do you value most in this partnership?
MPYD : Our decades long partnership with BENETEAU works well because it brings together our complementary strengths. There is a shared mentality in how projects are approached, balancing innovation with practicality, and design ambition with production realities. That alignment is especially important on ranges like Gran Turismo, where performance and design both need to be resolved at a high level.
BENETEAU : Your stepped hulls have become a signature feature. What makes them so special?
MPYD : The SVVT (Stepped-Vee Ventilated Tunnel) hull is one of MPYD’s most significant modern contributions to high-performance naval architecture, patented and developed through Michael Peters’ long evolution of stepped and ventilated planing hulls.
Our SVVT hull focuses on improving high-speed efficiency, stability, and range through controlled ventilation and optimized planing hydrodynamics. It has been adopted across several leading builders and programs, including major U.S. center console brands, European performance yachts, and military craft applications where speed, range, control and safety are critical.
BENETEAU: How do you see the future of naval design?
MPYD : Advances in manufacturing, materials, and propulsion will expand what is possible, but the fundamentals will remain unchanged. Great boats will still be defined by sound hydrodynamics, balanced proportions, and predictable behavior at sea.
The future is about refinement; designing vessels that are more seamlessly integrated, efficient, and capable, while remaining intuitive and comfortable to operators and passengers in the real world.
