This boutique shipyard has really branched out with its latest luxury day cruiser. The Italian-based Wooden Boats has crafted a 40-foot custom tender from, you guessed it, wood.

While wood is not a material one typically associates with modern luxury yachts, the shipyard has combined it with advanced carbon composites to create an intriguing dichotomy between progressive marine tech and everlasting nature.

The first-ever yacht to be constructed using this particular technique, the WB40′ Classic features a hull and deck made of mahogany plywood and carbon fiber, which are sandwiched together using an epoxy-vacuum method. That means it’s strong, light and fast on the water, while looking elegant and refined at the dock.

Built for a European owner, this day cruiser has all the requisite creature comforts. There are three separate sun decks, including one atop the deckhouse, plus a spacious double bed and a bathroom with a shower. Up to 14 guests can fit aboard, and there’s even a kitchenette where you can whip up snacks and cocktails.

Perfect for weekend cruising, the vessel boasts a deep-V hull engineered for water jet propulsion, along with the latest generation joystick controls that promise to turn any novice into a true captain.

The wooden beauty gets her grunt from twin 420-hp Yanmar engines which deliver a top speed of 40 knots and a cruising speed of about 36 knots. There’s no deadwood here.

“The client came to us as the only yard able to build to his very specific criteria,” says the yard’s founder Marco Arnaboldi. “He wanted a custom boat with classic lines that was lightweight to improve performance and reduce fuel consumption. He also required low maintenance and wanted the boat to have minimal environmental impact in case of demolition.”

That’s a tall order, but Wooden Boats appears to have delivered. Of course, it helps that Arnaboldi has yacht building in his blood. Before his latest venture, he worked alongside his father at AB Yachts, developing ways to introduce waterjets and sandwich construction to fast yachts.

“I set up Wooden Boats as a boutique shipyard to continue the progressive research that has always characterized Studio Arnaboldi,” says the naval engineer. “This time I was interested in combining wood, the noblest of boatbuilding materials with its outstanding mechanical properties, with advanced carbon composites.”