The Adorable Mimi La Sardine Might Be the Best Mini-Explorer Today

One of the greatest luxuries of modern yachting is that individual owners can literally cruise around the world in perfect comfort and total privacy. This is mostly due to the advancement of luxury explorers, which combine the ruggedness of expedition vessels with all the qualities of superyachts. The so-called mini-explorers are even more practical and popular with more and more yachting enthusiasts.

The couple that helped design Mimi La Sardine already had significant yachting experience, at the time of its build, in 2019. After owning several pleasure craft, they decided to switch to an explorer, mostly for safety reasons.

Explorers are built with sturdier hulls, which gives them the typical chunkier look. They're supposed to cover long distances and handle extended periods of time at sea with no access to infrastructure and external supplies. This implies, among other things, enhanced ruggedness for facing challenging conditions, a longer range, and plenty of storage space.

This Italian-built mini-explorer stands out because, besides its impressive capabilities, it also sports an unusually chic, relaxed, and luxurious style. This style was unique enough to help Mimi La Sardine fetch two important awards: the World Superyacht Award for yachts under 299 GT and Boat International's Best Interior Design Award.

The original owners worked closely with Cantiere delle Marche (CdM) 's in-house design team to create the yacht's unique interiors, and their Pinterest mood board played an important part in that. They wanted to recreate the atmosphere of a family vacation home through the use of organic shapes, earthy colors, and comfortable textures. The result was a luxurious interpretation of the boho-chic style and a warm and friendly ambiance on board.

Mimi La Sardine has everything a modern young family could wish for when it comes to cruising. The generous accommodation includes five cabins with flexible layouts. The owner's suite is surprisingly lavish for a yacht this size, revealing a king-size bed, an elegant en-suite bathroom with a full-size bathtub, generous wardrobes, and a private office.

The other cabins (two doubles and two twins that can convert to doubles) are all located on the lower deck and are all fitted with private bathrooms. Two deluxe Pullman beds are also available for accommodating extra guests. The arrangement is ideal for families with children, and the best part is that all the rooms come with great views.

Designed by the acclaimed Nauta Yachts, this mini-explorer feels remarkably spacious thanks to its ingenious configuration. Mimi La Sardine offers surprisingly-generous open-air spaces at just 111 feet (33.85 meters). The indoor and the outdoor connect seamlessly throughout. The gorgeous sundeck features an illuminated jacuzzi with glass walls, surrounded by comfy sun pads. The panoramic views on this deck are absolutely stunning, and there's enough space left for an al-fresco dining area and a bar protected by a hardtop.

The sky lounge aft houses a second area for dining in the open air – Mimi La Sardine is all about spending as much time outdoors as possible. The main salon perfectly represents the yacht's overall boho-chic style, with nothing outdated or too formal. The main deck also houses a fully-equipped gym, conveniently placed right next to the master suite.

A central staircase connects the main deck to the extendable transom, the perfect spot for enjoying the water. Like all modern charter yachts, this tri-decker also comes with a generous selection of water toys. It even operates as a certified center for watercraft training, allowing onboard guests to become experts in the water toy of their choice.

Mimi La Sardine is contemporary not just style-wise but also due to its focus on sustainability and eco-awareness. On the one hand, its interiors boast plenty of reclaimed materials in addition to natural ones. On the other hand, it was specifically equipped for low fuel consumption and maximum efficiency at sea.

Compared to similar yachts, Mimi La Sardine is a lot slower, reaching 12 knots (13.8 mph/22 kph) at most. In addition to the resilient steel hull, specifically developed by Hydro Tec for enhanced efficiency, it sports a pair of Caterpillar engines of just 533 kW. At cruising speed, they burn only 72 liters per hour – better for the planet and money-saving than similar explorers.

This also gives it an impressive range. Under normal conditions, Mimi la Sardine can cover more than 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 km). At an economical speed of only 7.5 knots (8.6 mph/14 kph), its range increases dramatically to 12,000 nautical miles (22,200 km).

This adorable mini-explorer recently changed ownership following an impressive €13,5 million ($14.4 million) sale, but it's also available for charter. Those who can afford to pay at least $250,000 for a week onboard get the chance to experience one of the coolest contemporary family yachts.