to design 21st century yachts - SuperyachtDesign

IS A YACHT JUST 

ANOTHER LUXURY 

PRODUCT? 

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Email: terencedisdale@terencedisdale.co.uk 

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A selective list 

6 THE GREEN, 

of commissions from 

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RICHMOND 

client/designer relationships: 

SURREY 

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ECLIPSE (163.5m) 

MIPOS (140m) 

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MAYAN QUEEN IV (92m) 

TATOOSH (92m) 

AIR (90m) 

SUNRAYS (85.5m) 

ECSTASEA (82m) 

MONTKAJ (75m) 

KOGO (71.71m) 

BOADICEA (70.5m) 

CALLISTO (65.2m) 

AWAL (65m) 

MY SHANTI (64.5m) 

IL VAGABONDO (64m) 

PEGASUS IV (63m) 

CACIQUE (57m) 

PARIS (56m) 

VARMARVE (55m) 

SEA SEDAN (55m) 

HURRICANE RUN (53.3m) 

WEDGE ONE (53m) 

RIO RITA (52m) 

LEOCRIE III (52m) 

DESTINY (52m) 

TIGRE D’OR (52m) 

TOINE (52m) 

AMEVI (52m) 

AIDRE (52m) 

TOMMY (50m) 

SAHAB IV (50m) 

QUEEN M (50m) 

SUSSURRO (50m) 

THUNDER GULCH(50m) 

TIGRE D’OS (50m) 

KERMIT (50m) 

ALEXANDRA K (50m) 

TRICAT (47m) 

RAHAL (46.5m) 

MAUPITI (46m) 

RIMA (45m) 

JOALMI (45m) 

PRINCESS MAGNA(45m) 

AMORAZUR (45m) 

SEA JEWEL (44m) 

SHENANDOAH (43m) 

PARAFFIN (43m) 

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LADY SUFFOLK(42m) 

MATANTHAR (42m) 

SEA SEDAN (42m) 

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Q6CONTENTS: 

08 PREFACE 

10 GUEST SUITE 

22 SPA SPACE 

38 DESIGN DEBATE 

46 DESIGN EVENTS 

52 FOCAL POINT 

58 MATERIALIST 

72 IN BUILD 

76 CASE STUDY 

88 CONCEPTS 

100 RAPID FIRE 

104 TECH TALK 

106 ISSUE INDEX 

108 DIRECTORY 

Cover image: aluminium deck plating. 

58 / MATERIALIST - HEAVY METAL 

6 

52 / Focal Point 

Letter from the Editor 

Tine Arentsen Willumsen / Evan K Marshall / 

David Jensen / Thierry Verhaaren 

SALUS PER AQUAM 

The spa experience by Heather Hawthorne 

LUXURY MARKETING 

Comments from opinion leaders 

HOME & SPA DESIGN / SEATEC 

LASER POWER 

3D printing applications from Wetzels & Brown Partners 

HEAVY METAL 

Aluminium v. steel by Nick Stark 

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY 

M/Y 45m project by Tommaso Spadolini 

THE HUMBLE PROFESSOR 

Giovanni Zuccon by Justin Ratcliffe 

Claydon Reeves / Adriel Design / Hot Lab / Newcruise / 

Impossible Productions / Ruea Yachts / Reymond Langton Design / 

Sigmund Yacht Design 

Q&A 

Andre Hoek 

Hushed Flush 

Planus toilet equipment by Tork Buckley 

Contributors, shipyards 

& manufacturers 

Services & suppliers 

22 / Spa Space

PREFACE 

8 

SIGN OF 

THE TIMES? 

There is a distinct 

Italian flavour 

to this issue of 

SuperyachtDesign, for 

which I offer no apologies. 

For one thing, having 

lived in Italy for close to 

three decades, the country 

holds a special place in 

my heart and many of 

my closest colleagues 

are Italians. Secondly, yet 

more importantly, Italy is 

arguably where modern 

yacht design began and 

one reason why the country 

continues to hold on to the 

top slot in the global order 

book. The phrase ‘Made in 

Italy’ emerged in the 1980s 

as a tool to promote the 

country’s artisan approach 

to industrial production. 

As a marketing motto it 

has been extraordinarily 

successful and studies 

have shown that in terms 

of brand recognition it is 

up there with Coca-Cola 

and VISA. Indeed, in 2009 

specific legislation (D.L. 135 

of 25/9/09, Article 16) was 

introduced to protect 

the slogan. 

Giovanni Zuccon and Tommaso 

Spadolini are both ‘old-school’ 

designers, if you like. By that I mean 

they have not only made significant 

contributions to the heritage of 

yacht design, but as formally 

trained architects they also believe 

passionately in the maxim ‘Form 

follows Function’. This suggests 

they are conservative insofar as 

they eschew radical styling and 

ornamentation for its own sake, but 

in no way implies they are backwardthinking. 

In fact, as becomes clear 

in our features dedicated to Zuccon 

International Project and Spadolini’s 

45-metre displacement motoryacht in 

build at Rossi Navi in Viareggio, the 

two designers hold progressive views 

on industrial process and how form 

can serve function. 

SEATEC, the annual trade show in 

Carrara, Tuscany, is the subject of the 

Events section, along with the Home 

& Spa Design exhibition that takes 

place during Milan’s Design Week in 

April and complements our Spa Space 

feature story. SEATEC is an established 

showcase for manufacturers of 

‘Made in Italy’ products and one that 

The Yacht Report Group supports 

enthusiastically. It is renowned for 

its focus on design, research and 

innovation with events involving both 

young designers and established 

professionals, such as the MYDA 

(Millennium Yacht Design Awards), 

Abitare il Mare (Living the Sea) and the 

Targa Rodolfo Bonetto awards. Home 

& Spa Design, on the other hand, is 

a relatively new event that reflects 

Italy’s leadership in this market sector 

with some 20,000 venues countrywide 

hosting spa treatments. 

The other focus of this issue is 

a topic that arose from the Global 

Superyacht Forum (GSF) in Amsterdam 

last November and deals with how 

the superyacht industry should be 

marketing itself in a post-crisis world 

in which client values have subtly 

shifted away from conspicuous 

consumption—at least in some 

cultures. This is also the topic of 

my editorial in issue 122 of the 

re-branded The Superyacht Report 

and one that many commentators 

believe is key to the recovery of the 

industry as it also looks to emerging 

markets in search of new clients. One 

indication of this process at work 

is the marketing strategy behind 

Rupert Mann’s Aerospeed ‘superboat’ 

design to be built by Danish Yachts, 

which was first reviewed in Q3. The 

investor behind the project broke the 

rules and chose Quintessentially—a 

luxury lifestyle group with 60 offices 

worldwide that describes itself as “a 

club created entirely to make life that 

much easier, that much richer and that 

much more fun for its members”—to 

help promote the product rather 

than the customary yacht broker. An 

exceptional case for exceptional times, 

or a new approach for a new era? 

We hope to report further on such 

developments in the near future.

GUEST 

SUITE 

10 

Tine Arentsen Willumsen 

ABOVE & BEYOND 

Evan K Marshall 

EVAN K MARSHALL / USONIA V 

David Jensen 

NANOLANDUK 

Thierry Verhaaren 

VERHAAREN NAVAL ARCHITECTS 

Four guest commentators present frank 

yet considered opinions on designrelated 

topics of their own choice.

every yacht we build is different to every yacht we’ve built. 

blind date is our eighth 47metre yacht but the world 

superyacht award winner was totally custom built. 

+31 (0)412 66 55 44 sales@heesenyachts.nl 

www.heesenyachts.nl 

at heesen 

there is no such thing 

as a blind date

12 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE / JAMES TREDRAY

LUXURY DESIGN 

TINE ARENTSEN 

WILLUmSEN 

Tine Arentsen Willumsen 

is the founder of Above 

& Beyond, a business 

development agency 

focusing on luxury brands. 

Born in Denmark, she has 

lived in Sydney, Singapore, 

Brussels, Paris, London 

and Zurich, where she 

gained industry expertise 

in the fields of jewellery, 

watches, hi-fi, leather goods, 

accessories, automobiles and 

real estate. It is time, says 

Tine, that the superyacht 

industry takes a closer look 

at brand management. 

What makes a classic or timeless 

design, and why are certain products 

from the past still so alluring and 

seductive in 2011? If we look at the 

world of luxury goods in general, certain 

brands and designers have managed 

to create objects of perfect dimensions 

and beauty that have had a long 

lasting, international appeal that goes 

far beyond form and function. These 

objects become collectables, they 

show up in the auction catalogues and 

are passionately talked about by their 

owners. The products are displayed in 

design museums and eagerly studied by 

the next generation of design students. 

I am not only referring to items such as 

limited edition watches, vintage couture 

from Paris or fine jewellery; it very 

much applies to larger, more functional 

objects such as vintage cars or even 

audio equipment. By extension, we can 

also include superyachts. 

So what is it that makes an Aston 

Martin DB5 attractive today when car 

design and technology has advanced 

so much in the meantime? Or, to take 

a more recent product, the BS9000 CD 

player from Bang & Olufsen, launched 

back in 1995, still has contemporary 

appeal even though the AV industry 

moves faster than any other? 

In part, the answer seems to be that 

we have lived through a long period in 

which the consumption of luxury goods 

has been an aspirational phenomenon. 

High-end products have been perceived 

as luxurious because they are status 

symbols that reflect the purchasing 

power of those who acquire them. 

These items, while not necessarily better 

in quality, performance or appearance 

than their less expensive substitutes, 

are purchased with the main purpose of 

displaying the wealth of their owners. 

Conspicuous consumption, in other 

words. 

This pattern has left some luxury 

consumers with a longing for something 

deeper, less superficial or more 

meaningful, and this is reflected in their 

buying behaviour. The secret of tapping 

into the timeless dimension of customer 

desire lies in the ability of a brand and/ 

or product to be not just aspirational, 

but also inspirational. When we are 

inspired, we experience a whole series 

of emotions and develop an instant 

attachment to the object at hand. 

So-called Tribal Marketing, whereby 

very different types of consumers 

feel a communal bond with each 

other through ownership of the same 

branded product, was born out of this 

phenomenon. It is what was behind the 

revival of Harley Davidson brand after 

the company came close to bankruptcy 

in the mid-‘80s. 

So how does this relate to the 

yachting industry? Quite significantly, 

as I believe it is now increasingly 

important to keep in mind that the 

yachts being designed today should aim 

to not only display purchasing power, 

but also inspire future generations of 

potential customers. If incorporating 

too many gadgets or technical 

innovations means compromising on 

classic design or quality craftsmanship, 

then the yacht will be everything but 

timeless. Those objects that are most 

desirable have a soul and their exterior 

is uncompromisingly beautiful. Yachts 

potentially have this allure, but if they 

begin to look more and more alike so 

that “one size fits all”, they become dull 

and anonymous. If that happens—and 

there are signs it has happened—the 

demand will be short-lived and the 

resale value will suffer. 

What defines a leading luxury brand 

at the moment of purchase is the 

buyer’s conviction in its excellence and 

authenticity. Luxury houses become 

iconic brands when they are desired 

at a level that effectively precludes 

substitutes during the purchase 

decision. Some names in the yachting 

world have made brand image and 

reputation management a priority, 

but there are still many lessons that 

can be learned from the world’s most 

prestigious and desirable luxury 

brands, which manage to exude 

glamour while transcending the past, 

present and future. 

Beyond these considerations, brand 

management in the yachting industry 

will have to take further steps in the 

future. While keeping the all-important 

principle of classic design in mind, 

customers now expect brands to lead 

with invention and a sense of dynamism. 

If this can be linked to a strong brand 

heritage, then success and even market 

dominance is within reach. 

www.above-and-beyond.eu 

13

14 

EVAN K MARSHALL / JAMES TREDRAY

SOLID SOFTWARE 

EVAN K 

MARSHALL 

Set up in 1993, Evan K 

Marshall’s studio on 

the banks of the river 

Thames in London serves 

his clients by employing 

refreshing perspectives 

on all aspects of design, 

be it full or semi-custom, 

exterior or interior. He has 

also branched out into 

other areas of design, such 

as residential projects and 

private coach interiors. With 

a background in both naval 

and land-based architecture 

as well as interior design, 

he is familiar with an array 

of software packages, but 

SolidWorks is at the centre of 

his studio’s repertoire. 

As a designer, I embrace the 

relationship between the creative 

process and the technological means 

to realise those ideas. From time in 

memorial, man has translated his 

creative ideas into reality via a variety of 

constantly evolving methods, from the 

first stick drawings in the dirt to the most 

advanced 3D modelling software. In all 

of these endeavours, the thing I always 

hold on to and instill in my staff is that 

the design process has to be guided 

by the designer, not the technology. At 

the same time, embracing technological 

tools can allow ideas to be developed 

and refined in a way that our designer 

forbears could have never imagined. 

In this regard, I’ve always pushed 

to merge creative conceptual design 

with technological design. My 

company’s name has been altered 

at various milestones, starting with 

Evan K Marshall/Usonia I to its present 

iteration as Usonia V [the word Usonia 

is an abbreviation for United States 

of North America, derived from Frank 

Lloyd Wright’s aspiration to create a 

democratic, distinctly American style 

that was also affordable, Ed.]. Two of 

these milestones have been prompted 

by the embracing of new design 

technologies. Back in 1998, we made 

the transition from drawing everything 

by hand to using CAD design, and the 

name was changed to Usonia III. In 2007 

we made our most recent transition 

from drawing everything in 2D CAD to 

designing in 3D only using SolidWorks. 

One of the first attractions for us in 

adopting this software was that after 

an interior space or exterior profile is 

modelled in 3D, SolidWorks allows us 

to generate all the required 2D design 

drawings as a direct export function. 

In the past, we’ve used both Rhino 

and Alias Wavefront to generate 3D 

interior and exterior models for review 

and discussion with our clients, and 

eventually to generate photorealistic 

presentation renderings. But with 

these software packages once the 3D 

designs were approved, we still had 

to undertake a complete set of 2D 

drawings interpreting the models—a 

very time consuming process that any 

designer will attest to! This always 

seemed to me to be a wasted effort, 

so we set out to find an appropriate 3D 

software package that would generate 

CAD-compatible line drawings directly 

from the 3D models. 

Working only in 3D has also 

offered our clients a much clearer and 

accurate step-by-step view of every 

interior space and exterior detail as 

they evolve. They can now review all 

areas of the developing project in 3D 

renders instead of 2D drawings, and 

we have found that this avoids some 

of the misinterpretations that can 

arise. In the past, changes were often 

made further down the production and 

construction stages when clients saw 

in real-life 3D what was happening, 

which may not have been completely 

clear to them from the 2D drawings. 

Avoiding changes at this stage of the 

construction saves the shipyard and 

furniture subcontractors—as well as my 

office—the costs associated with late 

change orders. 

There are several more advanced 

features of SolidWorks that make it a 

unique software package. These include 

inter-operatibility with other formats 

such as autoCAD, SW, Rhino and IDES; 

real time rendering with screenshots 

and instant feedback during the 

design/construction process allowing 

corrections to be made ‘on the fly’; 

construction tree functions natively 

built into every model to improve or 

alter features during and after the initial 

modelling phase; the SolidWorks library 

allows pieces of furniture or standard 

items previously modelled to be re-used 

or altered to suit the current needs. In 

addition, the software package allows 

users to combine the best aspects 

of both the surface and volumetric 

modelling methods. Relatively easy to 

learn and with an intuitive user interface, 

there is no need to spend months 

learning the basics before becoming 

productive as a designer. 

www.evankmarshall.com 

15

NANO-TECH 

DAVID JENSEN 

Nanotechnology is one 

of the most important 

growth areas of 

science in the 21st century. 

Researchers have developed 

new materials with unique 

strength, weight, colour and 

functionality by manipulating 

molecules at the atomic 

scale (1 to 100 nanometres, 

or billionths of a metre) to 

mimic or adapt the forces 

of nature. In turn, these 

materials can help reduce 

pollution and enhance clean 

energy. David Jensen, chief 

executive of NanoLandUK 

Limited, sees the superyacht 

industry as a hot market for 

such products. 

The superyacht industry is moving in 

a more ecologically-focused direction 

and nanotechnology has a vital role to 

play in achieving these goals. Described 

as the next major global growth engine 

by Merrill Lynch, it is a science that is 

rapidly moving from the laboratory into 

production—and into the shipyard. 

There are a range of nanotechnology 

products tailored to the needs of the 

superyacht industry, including surface 

treatments that make a yacht’s painted 

surfaces self-cleaning and glass 

windows resistant to sea salt deposits. 

This means the quantity of aggressive 

chemical cleaning agents discharged 

into waters in which a yacht is moored 

can be dramatically reduced. Think of 

the joy for the deck crew when water 

droplets are repelled and take the dirt 

with them, offering a faster, top-to-toe 

cleaning routine of the exterior and 

making the stainless steel surfaces 

quicker and easier to polish. Importantly, 

such products also make surfaces 

more scratch resistant. Depending on 

environmental factors, these products 

last between one and three years after 

application, but some treatments remain 

as long as 10 years. Hull performance 

is also improved using surface coatings 

that reduce drag, as well as barnacle 

and algae adhesion, thus improving fuel 

economy. One of our key applications is 

2 K NanoVarnish, an eco-friendly, antifouling 

treatment for steel hull surfaces. 

The same advantages hold true 

for the interior and brushed stainless 

steel surfaces, such as in the galley. An 

extremely thin varnish can be applied 

that is invisible to the naked eye, 

helping to prevent day-to-day scratches 

or marks and the accumulation of 

dirt. Numerous interior surfaces, from 

wall fabrics to carpet, plastic and 

painted areas, can all benefit from such 

technology. Rain-repellent treatments 

on windows make them easier to see 

out of, which on the bridge means 

improved navigation visibility in 

bad weather. 

Other sound insulation treatments for 

engines and gearboxes, for example, 

help reduce fuel consumption, noise 

and vibration. Successfully adopted 

by the automotive industry, these are 

not oil or fuel additives, but act as a 

‘carrier’ for flexible silicone additives 

that adhere to metal surfaces inside the 

engine or gearbox under heat. This in 

turn reduces abrasion and prolongs the 

life of the machinery. Essentially, the 

treatment acts as a coating and does 

not change the oil properties. With 

reductions in fuel consumption of 11 

per cent, CO2 emissions of around 11 

per cent and carbon particle emissions 

in diesel engines of over 60 per cent, 

the savings are significant for owners 

and the industry alike. The world’s 

merchant fleets are starting to use such 

treatments to reduce maintenance 

downtime and repair costs, but 

superyachts can benefit too. 

Nanotechnology can provide UV 

protection to various surfaces exposed 

to sunlight, including interior fabrics, to 

extend the life of materials that would 

otherwise fade. Nanotechnology used 

in flexible photovoltaic solar panel 

power systems are also evolving rapidly 

and provide more efficient on-board 

power generation from the sun. These 

new systems are flexible sheets rather 

than panels, which means they can be 

adapted to the curvature of the yacht 

superstructure for better energy capture 

and aesthetics. Nanotechnology antireflective 

treatments on solar panels can 

drive up energy capture by an average 

of four per cent. 

A hidden benefit of nanotechnology 

is that it could improve the insurance 

outlay for vessels in the superyacht 

sector. Underwriters, for example, 

welcome the reduction in wear and 

mechanical abrasion that increases the 

lifecycle of engines and generators, 

while the lower carbon footprint is an 

added bonus. Relevant to prospective 

buyers and owners looking to sell 

their yacht, a combination of these 

treatments can improve the resale value 

of yachts as items have suffered less 

day-to-day wear and tear. 

Nanotechnology does not change 

the laws of physics, but new physics are 

unfolding daily where the behaviour of 

gravity and electrons generally at the 

nano-scale are leading to exciting new 

products and services, bringing the 

material and digital worlds together in 

ways even Isaac Asimov could never 

have imagined. 

www.nanolandglobal.com 

17

18 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE / JAMES TREDRAY

CONVERT OR REFIT? 

THIERRY VERHAAREN 

Thierry Verhaaren is a 

chartered engineer 

who studied at 

the Ecole Centrale de 

Nantes. Formerly head 

of naval architecture with 

Constructions Mecaniques 

de Normandie in Cherbourg, 

he designed Destriero, fast 

missile boats for the Kuwaiti 

navy and 70-metre missile 

corvettes for the UAE navy, 

as well as managing the 

design of hydrographic 

ships, fast passenger vessels 

and private yachts. He 

created Verhaaren Naval 

Architects in 2004 and is 

presently working on two 

projects of 53 and 47 metres 

in build at Abu Dhabi Mar. 

In naval industry jargon, a ‘conversion’ 

designates a commercial or naval 

vessel converted into a yacht and ‘refit’ 

means the upgrade or modification 

of an existing yacht. Designing for 

conversions or refits is a specific art, 

which requires a lot of understanding 

and adaptability. 

When choosing the basis for a 

conversion or refit, the original hull 

must have ‘potential’ for conversion. 

This means that aside from having the 

required size and volume, it should 

have elegant and well-balanced 

lines. The naval architect/designer 

should be involved from the very 

beginning to give advice on the 

feasibility and to propose a few early 

outlines and general arrangement 

sketches, together with budgetary 

considerations. This preliminary 

design phase should be performed 

before buying. A cheaper hull is not 

necessarily a better hull—it might be 

more cost effective to acquire a more 

recent vessel in good condition and 

with modern equipment, rather than 

having to fit new equipment with all its 

additional piping and cabling into an 

older hull. Many well-built commercial 

vessels are now on the market after 

having had their career shortened by 

the present economic crisis. 

An initial survey should be performed 

carefully to examine the general 

condition of the hull and superstructure, 

including checks on corrosion and 

plating thickness. The equipment should 

also be examined for dilapidation or 

obsolescence, as well as for its general 

condition and the availability of spares. 

Control commands and electrical or 

automation systems are often outdated 

and impossible to maintain with a 

reduced crew. It is also important 

to check for the presence of any 

asbestos, as well as collecting as many 

construction drawings as possible. 

The height between decks is an 

important decision factor for keeping 

or scrapping. Modern yachts require 

a lot of space between decks to 

accommodate a silent and efficient 

air-conditioning system, cabling, 

piping, lighting and entertainment 

systems. Commercial vessels generally 

present minimal accommodation areas 

with small cabins and a general reorganisation 

of the living space is often 

necessary to open up large areas for 

dining, lounges and other recreational 

areas. This implies re-locating piping 

networks, cabling, etc. The owner’s 

requirements and available space 

should be balanced to decide what to 

keep, where to cut and what to scrap. 

The cost of dismounting should not be 

underestimated. 

The project should consider the 

weight and stability of the vessel. 

The natural temptation is to add 

covered areas, cranes, tenders, a 

Jacuzzi, antennas, and the like, which 

all increase the weight and windage 

area, thus raising the centre of gravity 

and affecting stability. The inevitable 

weight increase should be controlled 

to respect the scantling draught, the 

required performance and ultimately the 

freeboard height. Safety aspects such 

as fire control and evacuation are also 

key considerations in redesigning the 

interior arrangement. The designer’s skill 

should charm the owner, yet preferably 

retain the general outline and style of 

the vessel—this is all about customising 

old bodywork—so that the ship’s new 

style accords with the remaining hull 

lines. An Aston Martin’s body on a 

Hummer chassis is unlikely to be the 

best option. 

Fairing the hull and superstructure 

is already an expansive and timeconsuming 

business on a new build 

and the owner must decide if he wants 

to compare his yacht to the latest new 

builds, or retain its conversion status. 

Old hull plating is most often deflected 

by the vessel’s past life at sea and is 

likely to move again after conversion. If 

faired and painted, the owner would be 

wise to budget for new paintwork after a 

few months at sea. 

In most cases, the main motivation 

for an owner to undertake a conversion 

is because it allows for a larger yacht 

at a lower cost and within a shorter 

time schedule. Nevertheless, potential 

owners of conversion yachts should 

bear in mind that the cost of building 

the metal structure of a yacht is only 

about 15 per cent of its overall cost 

and this is the maximum saving that 

they can reasonably hope for if they 

want superyacht quality. The other side 

of the coin is the loss of flexibility in 

the design due to existing architectural 

constraints and a budget that is less 

easily pre-determined. The alternative 

is to accept lesser superyacht 

quality and to benefit from the large 

hull volume that most commercial 

vessels offer. It may be better to rely 

on elegant design, good quality 

equipment and forget about fairing and 

too much superyacht sophistication. 

The best reason for undertaking a 

conversion is to obtain a classic, 

seaworthy and elegant vessel. Rather 

like with old country houses, the charm 

of old vessels is never lost—and can 

often represent real value for money. 

www.tvan-france.fr 

19

We create the extraordinary. You make a statement. 

Romeo is a turn-key marine interior outfitter for new-build, conversion and refits. We specialize in the design development, engineering and execution of 

high end spaces for super yacht interiors and the cruise ship industry. We create the highest quality bespoke interiors and furniture. 

MARINE INTERIORS 

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Dubai. United Arab Emirates. Tel: +971 4 3474040, Fax: +971 4 3474041, Email: sales@romeo.ae. www.romeo.ae 

M E M B E R 

member of Al Rajhi Holding

COURTESY OF HOME & SPA DESIGN 

22 

SALUS PER 

AQUAM

SPA 

SPACE 

The word “spa” is thought to be derived from the Latin Salus per aquam, 

meaning “health through water”. Increasingly, yacht owners are 

incorporating spa spaces into their initial designs, or converting existing 

areas to accommodate massage and beauty treatments. In doing so, they 

are adding to the yacht’s re-sale value and boosting its charter appeal. 

Heather Hawthorne of Charter Spa Services offers her advice on spa design 

having provided onboard spa services to charter guests and yacht owners 

since 1997 and worked as a consultant for new-build projects. 

23

There is no doubt that 

in today’s fast-paced 

world, we are all in 

need of stress-reduction 

more than ever. With the 

growing trend towards 

holistic and alternative 

therapies, many yacht 

owners now realise that a 

spa or massage facility is an 

important addition to their 

yacht, as well as a highly 

marketable attribute, and 

are actively seeking onboard 

treatments that focus on 

health and well-being. 

Having consulted on spa design for 

several yachts and worked on more 

than 60 charter vessels, I believe it 

is essential to have the input of a 

qualified consultant or spa professional 

from the project’s onset to assist in 

the design and implementation of an 

onboard spa. There is much more to 

it than simply buying equipment and 

products or plonking a massage table 

down in the middle of the room. Unless 

you are a spa professional, you may not 

be aware of what is required to design 

and outfit a professional treatment 

space. Because of the space limitations 

aboard yachts, a spa treatment area 

requires careful planning. 

The first consideration is ensuring 

that the room is completely private and 

invokes a mood of relaxation, comfort 

and well-being. This requires controlled 

lighting and music, sound-proofed 

walls and appropriate equipment for 

the services on offer. The treatment 

area should also be large enough for 

the therapist to move around the table 

comfortably, without making the client 

feel ‘cramped’. In turn, clients must be 

able to enter and exit the room easily. 

Since many clients find outdoor 

services appealing, the spa space might 

include an ocean-view, or be located in 

an area with sliding doors to an outside 

deck. The therapist can then provide 

both privacy and allow clients to enjoy 

the freedom of outdoor treatments, 

while avoiding the discomfort of windy 

decks or harsh sunlight. 

24 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

A 

BLOHM 

& VOSS 

25

26 

XANADU 

BENETTI 

RENAMED: ST EKATERINA 

FRITZ VON DER SCHULENBURG, COURTESY OF ANDREW WINCH DESIGNS

There is no reason why an onboard 

spa cannot incorporate all the attributes 

of a land-based facility. Standard spa 

equipment can be used and easily 

modified for the yacht environment, 

especially while underway; wheel locks 

can be fitted to rolling equipment, 

shelves provided with bars or fiddles to 

prevent products sliding or falling off, 

and bases modified to maximize floor 

space. Several manufacturers are able 

to customise spa equipment to exact 

specifications so they integrate tastefully 

into the yacht’s interior. 

Cabinetry should be designed for 

easy storage and include tie-down 

capabilities and door locks. Cabinet 

doors that double as shelving and foldout 

massage tables are also options. 

Never store or use equipment with 

heating elements inside an enclosed 

cabinet, unless there is appropriate 

cabinet ventilation. 

A private toilet and sink should be 

directly connected to, or be included 

inside, the spa area. Water is needed 

for many treatments and a shower also 

comes in handy. Don’t forget to include 

suitable hooks or hanging space for 

robes/clothes, a folding stool and ample 

shelving. If nails and hair treatments 

are offered, then proper ventilation is 

a must. Fumes and odours can cause 

nausea and serious health conditions 

with prolonged exposure. 

Obviously, massage linens and a 

professional adjustable massage/spa 

table are required. Reputable product 

lines are advisable; massage oils and 

lotions and other sundries should all 

be chosen according to the owner’s 

or professional therapists’ preferences 

or recommendations. Hand and bath 

towels should also be considered, as 

well as choosing products according to 

the variety of services on offer onboard 

and the desired outcome and effect of 

each treatment. 

I am currently involved in a project 

on a newly launched yacht. The upper 

deck includes a gym, steam room, dry 

sauna and a treatment room. Since I 

was not involved in the initial design 

process, it is slightly more complex as I 

cannot change the existing space and 

must work with what I have and choose 

equipment that will work within the 

limited space available. I have sourced 

equipment that is state-of-the-art, but 

is available as small tabletop units 

instead of floor models. The equipment 

fits comfortably on the existing counter 

spaces, while products and supplies 

are hidden away in overhead cabinets. 

Everything can be stored securely and 

easily while underway. Rather than 

sacrifice quality or performance of the 

equipment, I have just had to spend 

more time researching and sourcing. 

As an independent consultant, 

the advantage is that I can specify 

equipment from a wide range of 

suppliers to ensure the right equipment 

for the space and the job. The space 

can be set up according to the owner’s 

preferences and for the various client 

needs if the yacht is used for charter. 

Many yachts do not opt for full beauty 

centres, but have convertible spaces 

that can be used as a treatment area. 

The most popular solution is to combine 

the gym and the spa space together. 

By using fold-up beds and treadmills 

and portable massage tables, you can 

gain multiple use from one small space. 

However, this double function can be 

limiting. 

!"#$%!&'()$!%*+&,-./0*1234556768739554:;35.

28 

ROMANCE 

CRN 

GIULIO ORIANI

VISIONS PHOTOGRAPHY 

MAURIZIO PARADISI 

ANNA 

FEADSHIP 

CLARENA II 

CRN 

RENAMED: AZTECA 

29

The room cannot be used as a gym 

and a spa at the same time and guests 

may have to compromise on when and 

how they use the facility. The therapist 

needs to be flexible and able to quickly 

convert the gym space into a relaxing 

spa. When offering spa treatments 

inside a gym, ideally the two areas 

should be separated by a solid dividing 

wall, thereby offering privacy and quiet 

for spa clients. 

Several yachts I have chartered 

with had convertible gym areas that I 

was able to work and sleep in. On a 

recent charter, the guests wanted to 

exercise outside and move the fold-up 

treadmill from the gym to the top deck, 

keeping the ‘gym’ area as a spa. But 

since this was not considered when the 

gym equipment was purchased, the 

treadmill could not be moved. These 

guests were far more interested in 

receiving massages and spa treatments 

than in exercising while on holiday, 

but they wanted to have both options. 

Although there were some limitations 

and they used the room much more as 

a spa than as a gym, by converting the 

30 

MADSUMMER 

LURSSEN 

RENAMED: TV 

space each day the guests were able 

to enjoy the room in both its functions 

and were very pleased at the end of 

their time aboard. 

Some yachts opt for a smaller, 

purpose-built massage treatment 

room in a separate area. However, a 

dedicated treatment room or spa is not 

an absolute requirement. By keeping 

equipment light and portable, I can set 

up a treatment area in many different 

areas of the yacht and still provide a full 

range of services. Additionally, many 

yachts may have unused cabins that can 

be used as a spa area and double as the 

therapist’s accommodation. With a bit of 

creativity and flexibility, we can create an 

onboard treatment space in a variety of 

locations in a matter of minutes. 

Finally, the therapist is as important 

as the spa space itself. The space is only 

part of the service and the real quality 

of the treatment lies in the professional 

spa therapist’s hands. If a charter 

yacht is being advertised as a vessel 

“with a full-service treatment centre 

with a professional therapist”. then 

the spa should only offer the services 

of an experienced and reputable spa 

therapist. Unfortunately, to save money, 

some owners opt for the stewardess/ 

masseuse combination. This is not 

usually a satisfactory option as it may 

not offer the quality of treatments 

that clients expect and require. With 

massage by far the most popular spa 

service, today’s spa-savvy clientele 

expect the best and that is precisely 

what they should get. 

Heather specialises in setting up massage 

and spa areas on yachts that do not 

have purpose-built treatment rooms and 

helping owners convert existing rooms 

into workable spa spaces. She is a US and 

Australian licensed massage therapist, US 

licensed Facialist Specialist and Certified 

Hatha Yoga Instructor. 

KLAUS JORDAN

THE FINEST EUROPEAN INTERIORS 

HAND-MADE IN GERMANY 

Yacht Refi t & Repair Residential Aviation Services Offi ce 

More than 120 new build and refits worldwide 

metrica ® INTERIOR 

Phone +49 2536 330900 • Fax +49 2536 330919 • info@metrica.de • www.metrica.de 

Germany • Switzerland • Turkey • USA

MAURIZIO PARADISI 

32 

ETHEREAL 

ROYAL HUISMAN 

RUBECCAN 

CRN 

NORTHERN STAR 

LURSSEN 

FRANCO PACE 

KLAUS JORDAN

ANDY FRAME 

CAKEWALK 

DERECKTOR 

A PIECE OF CAKE 

DIAMOND SPAS 

Hot tubs or spa pools are de rigeur on even mid-sized superyacHts as a welcome 

open-air addition to tHe overall spa experience. but wHen diamond spas (dsi) 

in colorado were contacted by tHe derecktor sHipyard to supply a custombuilt 

spa, tHey Had no idea it was for tHe biggest private motoryacHt to be 

constructed in tHe usa. krista payne, dsi marketing manager, tells tHe story. 

THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL DOESN’T COME AROUND 

OFTEN, AND WHEN IT DOES SOMETIMES YOU DON’T REALISE THE SCOPE OF IT ALL UNTIL 

THE JOB IS DONE. THE CAKEWALK PROJECT BEGAN WITH A PHONE CALL FROM A SHIPYARD 

IN BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2007. THE YARD’S PRODUCTION 

DIRECTOR WAS LOOKING TO GET A SPA BUILT FOR AN 85-METRE MOTORYACHT THEY WERE IN 

THE PROCESS OF BUILDING, WHICH ALSO HAPPENED TO BE THE LARGEST YACHT EVER BUILT IN 

THE UNITED STATES, ALTHOUGH WE WEREN’T AWARE OF THAT AT THE TIME. 

DSI WASN’T NEW TO SUPPLYING SPAS FOR YACHTS; WE’VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS OF 

CUSTOM FABRICATION OF STAINLESS STEEL AND COPPER AQUATIC VESSELS FOR OVER 

14 YEARS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, AS WELL AS THE YACHTING 

INDUSTRY. BUT THE SHEER SIZE OF CAKEWALK WAS BEYOND ANYTHING DSI HAS HAD THE 

OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON BEFORE. 

STAINLESS STEEL IS THE MATERIAL OF CHOICE AMONG YACHT BUILDERS FOR THIS KIND OF 

EQUIPMENT, BECAUSE OF ITS RESISTANCE TO CORROSION AND COOL, GOOD LOOKS. CALEB 

SALAZAR, OUR SALES MANAGER, WORKED WITH THE SHIPYARD DIRECTOR ON DEFINING THE 

DESIGN DETAILS HE WANTED FOR THE SPA—FORTUNATELY HE KNEW WHAT HE WANTED AND 

NEEDED LITTLE DIRECTION. THE BRIEF BASICALLY PROVIDED FOR A 316 L STAINLESS STEEL 

OVAL SPA THAT COULD SEAT 10 PEOPLE WITH BUILT-IN SEATING AND ENTRY STEPS. 

GETTING THE DESIGN ON TRACK WAS THE FIRST TASK AT HAND AND OUR TECHNICAL 

DESIGN TEAM IMMEDIATELY WENT TO WORK ON FINE-TUNING THE BLUEPRINT. AFTER BACK 

AND FORTH ADJUSTMENTS TO THE INITIAL DESIGN AND FINAL SIGN OFF FROM THE SHIPYARD 

DIRECTOR, THE NEXT PHASE WAS DEFINING SPECIFIC DESIGN DETAILS, SUCH AS CONTOURED 

BENCH SEATING FOR RECLINING COMFORT, A COOL-DOWN SEAT AS A DEPARTURE FROM 

THE HEAT AND ADJUSTABLE HYDRO-MASSAGE JETS. RGB LED LIGHTS WERE ALSO INSTALLED 

TO PROVIDE THE SPA WITH CHROMATHERAPY FEATURES, AS WELL AS A STAINLESS STEEL 

OVERFLOW GUTTER SYSTEM, WHICH IS VITAL ON A MOVING YACHT. 

THE 2,500-LITRE CAPACITY SPA WAS SHIPPED OUT AS A BARE SHELL WITH NO PLUMBING 

ATTACHED AND DSI’S TECH TEAM WAS ON SITE IN CONNECTICUT TO HELP INSTALL THE 

STAINLESS STEEL STRUCTURE ON THE YACHT, A PROCESS THAT TOOK ABOUT A WEEK. 

33

THE PERFECT SPA 

Mark Healy is a Personal Trainer aboard The Maltese Falcon and founding 

partner of Space Concepts, an independent company that assists in the 

design of personalised spa, health and fitness environments. Echoing 

many points made by Heather Hawthorne, here is his list of the top six 

features that no onboard spa should be without. 

01/QUALIFIED, 

EXPERIENCED & 

FRIENDLY STAFF 

It is essential to have the right person offering 

professional spa services, not least because— 

unlike other members of the crew—they are 

dealing directly with the owners and guests in 

an extremely personal and sometimes intimate 

manner. Personality is also important, as the 

conversations are one-on-one. 

02/A WELL-DESIGNED, 

FLEXIBLE LAYOUT 

A good spa space must cater for all the different 

treatments on offer. With limited space available 

on even the largest yachts, considerable thought 

should go into the layout or the therapist will 

struggle to provide a high quality service and the 

client experience will be less than perfect. 

34 

03/TOP-OF-THE-RANGE 

EQUIPMENT & PRODUCTS 

Everywhere else on the yacht is of the highest 

standard and this should be continued through 

into the spa, as it is essentially for pampering 

the guests and cannot be perceived as an 

afterthought. This includes a suitable massage 

couch, nail and hair stations, oils, robes, towels 

and linen. 

04/THE RIGHT AMBIENCE 

Spa treatments stimulate all the senses and 

provide a holistic experience: massage (touch) 

with scented oils (smell), relaxing music (sound), 

mood lighting and candles (sight), and a pre-or 

post-massage relaxing drink (taste), are all part of 

this experience. 

05/EASILY ADJUSTED AV 

& AC CONTROLS 

This is crucial to ensure the client’s comfort and 

relaxation. Some treatments create more heat 

and the temperature in these small rooms can rise 

quite rapidly. Lighting levels and music choice 

should suit the mood, easily provided with kit 

such as iPods or iPads. 

06/SUITABLE DISPLAY & 

STORAGE CABINETS 

This lends the area a clean and professional 

image, while in big seas it is important to have 

secure, rattle-free storage.

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SPA 

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36 

R O D U C T S 

STREAMLINE 

SHIATSU 

SPAS ARE ALL ABOUT CREATING THE RIGHT ATMOSPHERE FOR INDULGENCE. 

WHILE AROMATHERAPY, AMBIENT MUSIC AND A SEA VIEW CAN ALL ADD TO THE 

RELAXATION AND LUXURY, IT IS ULTIMATELY DOWN TO THE EQUIPMENT TO CREATE THE 

PROFESSIONAL, COMFORTABLE AND CALMING ENVIRONMENT. IF THE EQUIPMENT IS 

UNCOMFORTABLE OR CHEAP, THE TREATMENT WILL FEEL THAT WAY TOO. 

FOR MANY, PEDICURES HAVE BECOME A REGULAR GROOMING ESSENTIAL, 

PARTICULARLY NECESSARY IN SUNNIER CLIMES WHEN SANDALS ARE THE ORDER OF THE 

DAY, AND YET A PEDICURE CHAIR IS OFTEN AN OVERLOOKED PIECE OF SPA EQUIPMENT. 

A GOOD PEDICURE CHAIR ENSURES THAT THE THERAPIST CAN PROFESSIONALLY CARRY 

OUT THE TREATMENT AND MAKE THE CLIENT FEEL COMFORTABLE AND RELAXED. 

IT CAN ALSO ADD AN EXTRA LEVEL OF INDULGENCE TO THE TREATMENT WITH ITS 

SPECIAL INTEGRATED FEATURES, SUCH AS BACK MASSAGERS AND INVIGORATING 

WATER-JET FOOTBATHS. 

GAMMA & BROSS, A LEADING DESIGNER AND MANUFACTURER OF FURNITURE 

AND EQUIPMENT FOR HIGH-END SPAS AND SALONS, HAS CREATED A COLLECTION 

OF WELLNESS FURNITURE FOR THE ULTIMATE SPA ENVIRONMENT CALLED 

SPALOGIC THAT FOCUSES ON THE INTEGRATION OF CHIC AESTHETICS AND 

NEW TECHNOLOGY. OF THE COLLECTION, THE STREAMLINE SHIATSU 

PEDICURE CHAIR DESIGNED BY ANTON KOBRINETZ DESIGN IS A 

STANDOUT PIECE. STYLISH AND COMFORTABLE, THE CHAIR HAS 

A RECLINING BACK, REMOVABLE HEADREST, FOOTREST, A STAIN- 

RESISTANT POLYMER FOOTBATH WITH INTEGRATED AIR-MASSAGE 

FEATURE FROM FOUR ADJUSTABLE ROTARY OR DIRECTIONAL AIR 

JETS AND A SOLID HARDWOOD SPA DECK. THE STREAMLINE SHIATSU 

IS AVAILABLE IN AN IMPRESSIVE 34 COLOURS AND GAMMA & BROSS 

MANUFACTURE ALL ITS SPALOGIC PRODUCTS AND COMPONENTS 

IN ITS FACTORY IN ITALY, USING ONLY THE HIGHEST QUALITY, CE 

APPROVED MATERIALS TO GUARANTEE THE TOP INDUSTRY STANDARD. 

www.gammabross.com 

AUREUS BY 

AEQUUM 

AS MASSAGE IS ARGUABLY THE MOST POPULAR SPA TREATMENT, A GOOD MASSAGE 

TABLE IS THE CORNERSTONE OF ANY SPA SPACE. MOREOVER, ON A LUXURY SUPERYACHT 

WHERE EVERYTHING IS OF THE HIGHEST STANDARD, ONLY THE VERY BEST MASSAGE COUCH 

WILL DO. AND IT DOESN’T COME MORE LUXURIOUS THAN THE TOP-OF-THE-RANGE AUREUS 

MASSAGE TABLE BY UK-BASED AEQUUM. COMBINING THE EXPERTISE OF AN OSTEOPATH 

AND THE SKILL OF BESPOKE FURNITURE CRAFTSMAN EDWARD CROWTHER, THE AUREUS IS A 

SOFTLY CURVING, POLISHED HARDWOOD MASSAGE TABLE DRESSED IN THE SOFTEST SWEDISH 

ELMOSOFT LEATHER. FEATURING AN ERGONOMICALLY CONTOURED FACE REST, DETACHABLE 

SIDE ARMRESTS AND EIDERDOWN HEAD AND LEG PILLOWS WITH ELECTRIC OR HAND-CRANK 

HYDRAULICS, THE MASSAGE COUCH USES ONLY THE FINEST MATERIALS AND IS MORE SCULPTURE 

THAN A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. 

“WE RECOGNISED THAT MOST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MASSAGE COUCHES WERE 

NOT IDEALLY SUITED FOR USE WITHIN THE STYLISH, SOPHISTICATED SPACES OF HIGH-END 

CONSUMERS,” EXPLAINS CROWTHER. “THE MAJORITY OF COUCHES WERE FUNCTIONAL BUT 

LACKED AESTHETIC REFINEMENT, OFTEN CHARACTERISED BY A RATHER CLINICAL APPEARANCE, 

STANDARD CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND BASIC COMFORT PROVISION. THIS WAS BECAUSE 

ALL MASSAGE COUCHES ARE DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR THE COMMERCIALLY COMPETITIVE 

PROFESSIONAL MARKET — FOR PURCHASE BY MASSAGE THERAPISTS, RATHER THAN PRIVATE 

INDIVIDUALS.” 

FOR CROWTHER, IT WAS CLEAR THAT A NEW DESIGN OF MASSAGE COUCH WOULD BE 

REQUIRED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE WORLD’S MOST DISCERNING BUYERS; AN EXCLUSIVE 

NICHE OF INDIVIDUALS ACCUSTOMED TO THE HEALTH AND LEISURE BENEFITS OF MASSAGE, 

WHO WOULD INSTINCTIVELY DEMAND THE HIGHEST QUALITY GOODS AND SERVICES. 

THE RESULT IS THE AUREUS, AN INNOVATIVE PIECE OF DESIGN IN A HUMANOID SHAPE THAT 

NOT ONLY LOOKS ATTRACTIVE, BUT ALSO ENHANCES THE MASSAGE EXPERIENCE. 

www.aequum.com

SASHA SPA 

TAKING THE TIME TO RELAX AND RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES IS VERY MUCH A LUXURY 

IN A FAST-PACED WORLD. BUT ITALIAN SPECIALISTS JACUZZI EUROPE SPA HAS COMBINED 

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY WITH RESEARCH INTO CONTEMPORARY DESIGN AND 

LIFESTYLES TO BRING A RELAXING SPA EXPERIENCE ONE STEP CLOSER. COMBINING THE 

INITIAL LETTERS OF THE MODULES—SAUNA (SA), SHOWER (S) AND HAMMAM (HA)—SASHA 

COMBINES THREE DIFFERENT SPA TREATMENTS IN AN ATTRACTIVE MODULAR DESIGN. 

CREATED BY ARCHITECT ALBERTO APOSTOLI, SASHA IS “A RESERVED SPACE THAT 

GENERATES SENSORY GRATIFICATION, A UNIQUE DIMENSION WHERE EMOTION AND 

INTIMACY JOIN TOGETHER IN AN AREA A LITTLE OVER EIGHT SQUARE METRES IN SIZE.” 

COMPRISED OF THREE DIFFERENT MODULES LINKED TOGETHER, THE UNIT OFFERS AN 

AMBIENCE SIMILAR TO THAT OF THERMAL BATHS, WHERE THE SPACE CAN BE ENJOYED BY 

ALL. “SHARING: EVERYTHING COMES FROM THIS WORD,” SAYS APOSTOLI. “SASHA IS A PLACE 

DEDICATED TO WELLNESS, WHICH IS NO LONGER INTIMATE BUT RATHER A PLACE WHERE 

YOU SOCIALISE. TO COMMUNICATE THIS TRANSFORMATION, THE FIRST ACT OF DESIGN WAS 

TO CREATE TRANSPARENCY, MAKING SPACE VISIBLE AND OPEN TO EVERYBODY. THE SECOND 

WAS THE USE OF A LARGE FRAME, WHICH THE MODULAR CONSTRUCTION IS JOINED TO. 

THE THIRD IS THE COMBINATION OF NOBLE MATERIALS WITHIN AN AESTHETIC DESIGN THAT 

EXALTS THE FUNCTIONALITIES OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS.” 

A COMBINATION OF WOOD, CHROME, GLASS AND HIGH-QUALITY FINISHES ARE USED 

IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF EACH MODULE, WHICH CAN OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY OF 

EACH OTHER, ALLOWING THE END USER TO CHOOSE WHATEVER COMBINATION HE OR 

SHE WISHES VIA A USER-FRIENDLY TOUCH-SCREEN INTERFACE. AS A FULL THREE-PIECE 

MODULAR SET, A TOTAL OF NINE SETTINGS ARE AVAILABLE—ALL SET IN COLLABORATION 

WITH MEDICAL EXPERTS TO ACHIEVE THE BEST THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS. THE THREE SAUNA 

OPTIONS INCLUDE BIOSAUNA (60°C), ROMAN SAUNA (70°-75°C) AND FINNISH SAUNA (90°C); 

THE SHOWER OFFERS A COLD FOG (VERY THIN VAPOUR), FINE RAIN (MEDIUM DROPLETS) 

AND TROPICAL RAIN (MASSAGE EFFECT); AND THE HAMMAM OPTIONS INCLUDE TEPIDARIUM 

(35/40°C—MEDIUM HUMIDITY), HAMMAM (40/45°C—HIGH HUMIDITY) AND CALIDARIUM 

(45/48°—HIGH HUMIDITY). 

SMALL TOUCHES SUCH AS THE INSTALLATION OF RGB LED LIGHTING WITHIN THE SEATING 

AND PARTS OF THE BOISERIE HAVE BEEN INCLUDED TO ENHANCE THE SPA EXPERIENCE. 

ADDITIONALLY, JACUZZI EUROPE HAS INCORPORATED A HOME SOUND SYSTEM CONNECTION 

AS STANDARD, WITH A SONY BLUETOOTH MP3/4 PLAYER AS AN OPTIONAL ADDITION IN THE 

SAUNA AND HAMMAM MODULES. 

www.jacuzzi.eu 

T H E 1 0 6 6 P I A N O C O L L E C T I O N 

A UNIQUELY SPECIFIED RANGE OF PIANOS DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY 

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T: +44 1223 881691 E: sales@1066pianos.com www.1066pianos.com 

‘ d e c o o n e ’ by unltd.

DESIGN 

DEBATE 

LUXURY 

MARKETING 

At the Global Superyacht Forum 

(GSF) in Amsterdam last November, 

Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury 

Institute, presented his seven steps to 

reinventing the superyacht industry in 

the 21st century: 

38 

“It seems to me that yacht marketing 

today is still primarily about the product 

attributes; it is still about the yacht 

and the features and ‘benefits’ of the 

yacht,” said Pedreza in his opening 

statement. “But as we know, clients 

care deeply about people and about 

experiences. I think this is a wonderful 

opportunity for us to educate the client 

about what a wonderful experience 

making your loved ones feel special 

on a unique and exciting yachting 

vacation can be.” 

SYD invited key industry representatives 

to discuss this and other issues raised 

during the session.

VISION AND 

SOLUTION 

The specialist for yacht glazing - 

We start where the others give up! 

TILSE 

Industrie- und Schiffstechnik GmbH 

Sottorfallee 12 • D-22529 Hamburg 

Tel.: +49 40 43 20 80 80 • Fax: +49 40 43 20 80 888 

e-mail: tilse@tilse.com • www.tilse.com 

Made in Germany 

®

How can yacht designers 

help to translate 

“product attributes” into 

“wonderful experiences”? 

Richard Beattie 

Aquos Yachts/yacht owner 

The most important element of a successful yacht 

project is the design process itself. If the interchange 

of ideas between a client, his project team and the 

designer is not stimulating, positively challenging 

and actually entertaining, the end result will be just 

another yacht. I am always surprised by owners who 

spend vast sums of money—and designers who 

help direct the spending of those resources—on reinventing 

the same old wheel. Designing a yacht able 

to provide wonderful experiences needs to start with 

a full understanding of the experiences the owner 

wishes to have with his yacht, so the design must be 

driven by function first. Once the functionality of the 

envelope is determined, then the aesthetics can be 

worked on by developing the exterior lines, interior 

design and finishes to suit the owner’s personal 

tastes. My 45-metre yacht Big Fish, for example, 

began with the pre-requisites for long-distance 

cruising, seaworthiness and the ability to carry a very 

large, comfortable tender. Those attributes largely 

determined the shape, construction materials and 

even the length of the vessel. 

Bodo Kuhnhenn 

Metrica INTERIoR 

Designers are the link between the owner’s 

expectations and needs and a stunning and unique 

design. But they are also involved in the technical 

realisation of this process. This means they are 

involved in the ongoing communication between 

the shipyard, the interior outfitters and the technical 

departments and consequently have a massive 

influence in terms of budgets and quality. Keeping 

this in mind, and involving all related parties at an 

early stage, can help a lot in translating technical 

product features into wonderful dreams. 

40 

Sean Ewing 

Pinmar 

By ensuring that the products merge with the key 

requirements, as well as the aspirations and wishes 

of the owner. Strive for simplicity. 

Jacqueline Lyne 

Edmiston Yacht Management 

The definition of what constitutes a “wonderful 

experience” can vary tremendously from one client 

to the next and is completely dependent on their 

particular and sometimes very specific requirements. 

Yacht designers are largely responsible for 

translating a client’s expectations into reality, and 

therefore need to listen carefully to their clients to 

be able to accurately ascertain what it is that actually 

drives them. 

Successful yacht designers have a knack of asking 

the right questions, at the right time, and using 

the information to steer the design process. Many 

superyachts have the same or similar ‘product 

attributes’—a gym, cinema, sauna, spa, deck 

areas for entertaining, Jacuzzis, etc—and clients 

have come to expect these facilities as the norm, 

but often it is the smallest details that give rise 

to a particular “wonderful experience.” This can 

only be achieved if a designer listens, knows and 

understands his client and is able to successfully 

incorporate his ideas and wishes into the design. 

Sonay Günay 

777 Yacht Group 

Sometimes designers forget that the yacht is to be 

used and enjoyed. It is not just about how many 

features the yacht has. What is the point of a sauna 

that is never used and is just an additional storage 

cabinet for towels? Or three formal dining areas 

when in reality such dining rarely happens? I have 

heard designers in the past say that after a yacht is 

sold, it will still be seen as having being designed 

by the designer. Some designers seemed obsessed 

with their own ego and legacy, when they should be 

focusing on making the yacht useable and enjoyable 

for the client that pays for them. 

Gareth Twist 

Yacht Solutions 

Superyachts are deemed the ultimate luxury item, 

but most people will agree that time is the biggest 

luxury in life. To use time wisely is to ensure you 

fill your life with wonderful experiences with 

people that are important to you. What needs 

to be presented to clients is that a superyacht is 

a provider of personal pleasure, rather than just 

a status symbol. It goes without saying that the 

design of a yacht involves working closely with 

the owner, but we can go that one step further by 

creating the yacht as an extension of the owner and 

his or her lifestyle. We really have to ascertain the 

owner’s dreams as well as their needs and wants, as 

a superyacht provides lifestyle benefits as well as 

investment benefits. 

To market this idea, we need to create a tailor-made 

and unforgettable series of experiences for our 

clients. This means sitting down with an owner and 

having an in-depth conversation to work through a 

series of lifestyle questions, so that what transpires 

is what are the most important things to them. 

We touch on some very poignant questions, such 

as: ‘If you were told you only had five years to 

live, what would you do in those five years?’ The 

majority of our clients provide the same answer to 

this question: ‘Spend more time with my family and 

friends and see the world.’ By conducting such initial 

research we then have the tools to set the scene of 

how these wonderful experiences can be achieved 

by either owning or chartering a superyacht, and 

we can respond with, for example, ‘This stunning aft 

deck is where you can sit overlooking Phang Nga 

Bay enjoying your favourite cocktail whilst watching 

your children learn to scuba-dive.’ We need to 

engage the emotional side of the client’s brain by 

encouraging them to seize the day—they already 

understand that life is too short.

What needs to change so that 

superyachts reflect owner/guest 

expectations and notions of the 

ultimate luxury experience in 

a post-crisis world? 



The financial crisis has significantly and, I believe, 

permanently altered the face of yachting. The last 

three years have demonstrated that many vessels 

built on a speculative production or semi-production 

basis have significantly less value in a non-bubbledriven 

marketplace than custom or purpose-built 

yachts. When a yacht becomes merely a commodity, 

its value will always be determined by the lowest 

unit price on the market. With companies laying off 

employees, cutting costs and restructuring, it has 

become unseemly for successful businessmen to 

be seen buying or even chartering luxury yachts, 

despite the fact they can easily afford them. The 

reality is that the vast majority of today’s yachts were 

built primarily for luxury entertaining in the usual 

high-profile watering holes. These two factors—the 

commodity status of many yachts, and that pool of 

owners willing or wanting to participate in yachting 

solely for the social status it confers—will keep the 

market depressed, possibly for years to come. I built 

Big Fish and started Aquos Yachts at this odd time 

in yachting history because the new generation of 

yacht owners, like myself, are more interested in the 

kinds of experiences they can have through using 

their yacht, rather than simply owning the yacht 

itself. Quality of experience, I believe, will always 

trump the luxury card. 

Bodo Kuhnhenn 


As long as the superyacht industry—designers, yards 

and involved outfitters—can hit the target in meeting 

owners’ expectations, nothing needs to be changed. 

On the other hand, when expectations and budgets 

are not in line, everybody involved in the process of 

creating a superyacht needs to sit down together 

in good time and define the compromises required 

to fulfill these expectations. In any case, fresh ideas, 

new production processes, efficient communication 

and a willingness to find the best solutions are always 

necessary to satisfy owner expectations. This is the 

challenge for all parties concerned. 

Sean Ewing 

Pinmar 

Whilst expectations may not have changed, ‘in 

your face’ ostentation is not quite so acceptable 

anymore. To spend 50 million dollars on a cashdraining 

asset, while at the same time cost cutting 

or laying off staff can only cause social issues. We 

need to find ways of enjoying the experience in 

a more affordable and smarter way. This includes 

charter. The rates are too high and need to be more 

realistic and acceptable; low take-up is telling you 

there is a disconnect here. Yields on residential 

property is 2-3 per cent outside of key cities and not 

much more in prime, yet charter rates try to achieve 

a 10 per cent yield for 8-10 weeks. 

In addition, a growing number of owners and their 

guests want the experience to be aware of and 

embrace the environment. We should be making 

an effort to demonstrate this ‘green’ approach and 

convince owners and guests that a superyacht is 

a unique and special place from which to enjoy 

themselves and the world. 



Pre-crisis excesses are a thing of the past. Our 

clients these days are much more aware of cost 

and are more focused on getting value for money. 

However, there has been no decrease in the 

quality of service they expect or demand. They 

are still willing to spend money, but have higher 

expectations and are keeping a closer eye on 

operational budgets. Many of our clients are aware 

that conspicuous consumption in the current 

economic climate is no longer desirable and they 

place a much higher value on discretion. 

Potential charterers are expecting greater flexibility 

with price and availability and a willingness from 

the owner to ‘do a deal’. A noticeable trend is for 

shorter charter holidays, so yacht owners need to 

be willing to adapt to these circumstances to meet 

these market demands. 

Yacht crews have had to become more realistic 

about salary levels and the terms and conditions of 

their employment and much more professional in 

their attitudes. Attitudes are changing as crew are 

starting to realise that it is more about what they can 

do for the owner, rather than what the owner can do 

for them. 

Designers and shipyards are in a tremendously 

vulnerable position at this time. With an approximate 

30 per cent decrease in the price of pre-owned 

yachts and the uncertainty surrounding the full 

requirements and implementation of MLC 2006, 

there is currently little incentive for potential owners 

to commission the construction of a new yacht. This 

is unlikely to change until the economy improves and 

the pre-owned market has stabilised with prices that 

reflect the real value of yachts. 

Sonay Günay 


It is clear that we, the people in the industry, 

need to change. Owners do not owe us a living. 

When I think of an owner, I am grateful for his/ 

her decisions, because an owner supports a huge 

industry of shipyards, brokers, designers, etc. An 

owner brings with him or her all their experiences 

and expectations, yet we often ignore that. When I 

go shopping and buy a pair of shoes, believe me the 

sales assistant feeds off my aura and positive energy. 

Therefore, if we can refocus our point of view and 

appreciate the value that owners bring to our working 

lives with honesty and avoid over statements, I think 

the notion of superyachts will also change. One more 

point: luxury is not always about “show”, but it is 

always about ingrained quality. 

Gareth Twist 


In my opinion, owners are looking more than ever 

at ensuring they receive value for money, but their 

expectations in terms of quality are the same as 

usual. However, in a post-crisis world we need to 

focus on providing that little bit extra in terms of 

service, as well as offering ways for clients to invest 

in something they’ll be proud to share with their 

friends (after all, word-of-mouth is by far the most 

effective marketing tool). We have experienced a 

marked increase in interest from superyacht clients 

enquiring about ways to lessen the environmental 

impact of their yacht, so offering clients ‘greener’ 

options such as eco-friendly technology and 

materials, without compromising on efficiency or 

quality, will certainly add to the owner’s satisfaction. 

The ultra-wealthy have choices, and this is in itself a 

luxury. We should be looking to give superyacht 

owners something they’ll want to talk about in the 

new economic reality, as everyone wants to feel 

good about the choices they make. 

41

Surveys show that owning or chartering 

a yacht is not high on the list of 

priorities for very wealthy people – 

why not and what can be done? 



I think it is critical that the yacht industry begins 

stressing and promoting the quality of experience 

over the quality of the yacht. With its focus on luxury 

and the stuffy, predictable ‘yachting lifestyle’, the 

industry has successfully turned off many potential 

buyers who are not interested in their father’s 

yacht, or in spending their money merely for the 

sake of conspicuous consumption. Like the wider 

tourism industry, this new generation of clients want 

peak experiences—sporting, naturalistic, cultural, 

geographical, historical, scientific—more than they 

want a floating palace. Often these experiences 

are only available off the beaten track in the more 

remote regions of the globe. They still expect 

luxury, of course, but not at the expense of the end 

experiences they are seeking. I believe there is a 

rapidly growing group of people who want a yacht 

to do things that are off-limits to those without 

similar resources. They want to surf the biggest 

waves and strongest winds, dive the most pristine 

reefs, visit still-untouched corners of the world, 

meet diverse peoples and see rare wildlife. The last 

generation of yachts captured the imagination of 

people wishing to invest in luxury for luxury’s sake, 

design for design’s sake, and quality for the sake 

of it. The new generation, I believe, will value a 

yacht more in terms of how that quality and luxury 

can provide the peak experiences they seek for 

themselves, their families and their friends. 

Bodo Kuhnhenn 


In a now famous quote, Antoine de Saint Exupéry 

once wrote: “If you want to build a ship, don’t herd 

people together to collect wood and don’t assign 

them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long 

for the endless immensity of the sea.” I suggest that 

those people who have never explored beyond their 

customary lifestyles and enjoyed the compelling 

marine atmosphere of water, wind and sun, might 

be missing one of the most enjoyable experiences 

of their lives. These moments in the company of 

family, friends and loved ones must be one of the 

ultimate experiences we can have. If the industry is 

to move forward, it is important we are able to sell 

such emotions to people who are wealthy enough 

to either own or charter a superyacht. 

42 

Sean Ewing 

Pinmar 

It is not being sold. It has been advertised and 

promoted—but not sold. 

In addition, there is no medium to attract the 

‘potentials’ (new charterers, if you like). There are 

81 million people globally with more than a million 

dollars in disposable cash. Affordable and more 

realistic charter rates would help pull these people 

towards the yachting experience and help liquidity 

return to the industry. In time, these people are 

likely to become buyers and growing affluence will 

ensure the market can grow. 



Many potential clients are extremely busy 

business owners with little free time. If they want 

to take a luxury break, there are many exclusive 

resorts, private islands and other unique holiday 

destinations, which are better known, more 

accessible and more easily understood. For 

potential clients with no prior experience with boats, 

the superyacht industry may appear as a ‘closed 

book.’ In the current economic climate, ownership 

of a luxury yacht is viewed by the general public 

as a visible example of excessive consumption. 

Added to this is the fact that yacht ownership 

is not a business—even for the most successful 

charter yachts, the charter income does no more 

than cover operating costs. What can be done 

about this? We can only keep our industry viable 

and growing if we can attract new charterers and 

owners. Clearly, charter holidays and/or invitations 

from yacht-owning friends, are key, as they provide 

a way to ‘try before you buy.’ Superlative yacht 

holidays encourage re-booking, and combined with 

word-of-mouth recommendations from friends who 

are enjoying yacht ownership, are one of the most 

promising routes to attract new owners into the 

industry. It has been estimated that 70 per cent of 

new owners started their superyacht experience by 

taking a charter holiday. This means that in addition 

to targeted marketing campaigns, charter brokers 

need to ensure that all expectations of the charter 

holiday are fulfilled. 

Sonay Günay 


There is no law that says the wealthy should be 

interested in yachting or own a yacht. Even those 

who are interested sometimes avoid such expenses 

because morally they cannot justify spending that 

much on a ‘toy’, while others see yachting as super 

expensive to enter and stay in. They see too many 

people taking money without adding value. On the 

other hand, I do not always understand the general 

approach of owners. They don’t, for example, ask 

a close friend to choose their cars; equally they 

should not rely totally on the reports presented by 

their captain or representative for a yacht. Potential 

owners are too disconnected from the industry and 

we should help them see things for themselves. The 

designer, broker, captain, etc, working for him can 

provide valuable opinions, but the owner is the most 

important person in the process and we sometimes 

have to remind ourselves of that. To be honest, many 

potential owners simply don’t trust the industry. Take 

away the mystery and you make things clear, and if 

we make things clear yachting may just move up the 

priority list for the wealthy. 

Gareth Twist 


Owning a yacht may not be high on the priority 

list, but sharing a memorable experience is. A 

superyacht offers those things to the wealthy that 

most of them currently don’t have enough of: time, 

privacy and shared experiences with loved ones. As 

an industry we need to promote these experiences 

with inspirational marketing campaigns. We need 

to try and get out to new markets by capturing the 

imagination of people who have never considered 

this type of holiday experience before. We should 

be promoting the benefits of chartering a yacht by 

creating packages around special occasions and 

tap into their emotions by offering them something 

to cherish. This is the perfect holiday that offers 

something for everyone—sun, sand, adventure, 

quality, family time, fabulous food, water sports, 

relaxation—all in one place and tailored to your 

needs and away from the crowds. The superyacht 

industry also needs to think laterally, maybe by 

looking to the travel and leisure industry and forging 

strategic alliances with different companies in order 

to reach new clients.

Yacht interiors and refi ts 

Industriestraat 4 | 3291 CC Strijen | The Netherlands | Phone: +31 78 6742800 | Fax: +31 78 6741192 | E-mail: info@struikinteriors.nl 

www.struikinteriors.nl

Many luxury brands 

rate and review their products 

based on client experience – should 

the charter industry do the same 

and publish the results? 



I think the charter industry can play a major role 

in changing the public’s perception of yachts and 

yachting and a standardised, independent rating 

program would help promote chartering to new 

clients. The industry can and should encourage 

owners to take their yachts to different parts of 

the world. I’ve never understood why St Martin or 

Antibes are full of yachts that compete for a smaller 

and smaller market, when excellent cruising grounds 

in the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the high and 

low latitudes are virtually devoid of charter yachts. 

During the maiden polar circumnavigation voyage 

of Big Fish, we have found numerous eager clients 

for Tahiti, Antarctica and South America, and this 

coming summer for Northern Europe and the 

Northeast Passage. Our voyage is intended to prove 

not only the seaworthiness and reliability of our 

yachts, but also to prove to future clients that there 

is a significant, untapped market for their vessel 

should they wish to charter it during the times they 

can’t be on board. I think the industry can take this as 

evidence that the market is looking to us to provide 

them with yachts capable of delivering experiences 

best enjoyed from the deck of a luxury yacht. 

Bodo Kuhnhenn 


It goes without saying that a brand should be 

continuously reviewed and checked in order to 

judge whether it can still provide customers with 

what they want. This is a basic necessity to the 

survival of any brand in such fast-moving world, 

as disappointments are not a sellable commodity. 

At Metrica we constantly review our products and 

receive regular input from our repair and refit and 

after sales departments. This provides us with the 

necessary information to optimise every aspect of 

our production and services. 

44 

Sean Ewing 

Pinmar 

Everything helps. However, there is a critical need 

to attract the ‘potentials’. To do this we need to 

exploit a new approach, through new mediums and 

alternative means...part of that is understanding the 

quality of the product and the wishes of the buyer. 

But just as important is understanding that simple 

supply and demand is price driven. The charter 

price needs to meet the market. 



I believe that this would be a good initiative for 

the charter industry, provided there is a means of 

objectively reviewing the feedback received from 

charter clients. It would drive up service standards in 

the industry, expose those yachts that are offering a 

mediocre experience and would provide a standard 

that brokerage companies would be able to refer 

to when recommending a yacht for charter. To gain 

industry-wide acceptance, this would have to be a 

transparent and honest process with input from all 

the reputable brokerage companies. 

Charter brokers are vulnerable, because the product 

they are selling is dependent on many different 

variables over which they have no real control. 

Brokers making pre-season visits to yachts obtain 

only snapshot impressions of the overall appearance, 

facilities, maintenance and attitude of the crew. 

However, they have no real control over how these 

factors develop and change during a busy charter 

season. In particular, it is the quality of the service 

provided by the captain and crew to the charter 

guests that is of paramount importance. Charter 

guests are often willing to accept some imperfections 

in the yacht, the weather, the desti-nation, etc if they 

feel that the crew are doing their best to ensure they 

are having a wonderful holiday. 

When brokers have a choice of two very similar 

yachts to propose to their clients, they will invariably 

choose the one that they know offers the best 

service, in order to fulfil their clients’ expectations 

and to increase the chance of repeat bookings. This 

review could be a vital tool in this process. 

Sonay Günay 


Again, I don’t understand why we are having a 

problem with transparency. I consider knowledge 

as power, and it seems charter brokers are afraid 

of sharing that knowledge and power. We need to 

learn how to communicate, discuss and share. We 

should not be afraid of the truth. It has worked for the 

general travel industry—it can work for us too. 

Gareth Twist 


Yes, we should be encouraging feedback from 

guests at every opportunity in order to improve 

the experience and encourage repeat bookings. 

The superyacht business needs to be more focused 

on customer service, rather than just selling a 

product. Our clients are smart people, they know 

about the best products; what they want is the best 

possible service. 

Offering an initiative such as Trip Advisor for the 

charter world would make the business more 

transparent and would ease potential customer’s 

concerns and actually promote what fantastic 

holidays are to be had. The Internet is a fantastic 

tool with global reach, so a well-promoted guest 

feedback website would help to make chartering 

more accessible to all wealthy people. Trip Advisor 

for chartering would provide would-be clients 

with much-needed information, good and bad, 

from like-minded people. It would also highlight 

the merits of chartering as a unique, hassle-free, 

turn-key vacation. By publishing such results, clients 

can share experiences, attract new customers 

and encourage repeat customers, thus ensuring 

transparency and expanding the superyacht 

business as a whole.

46 

COURTESY OF HOME & SPA DESIGN

DESIGN 

EVENTS 

HOME & SPA DESIGN 

MILAN, 11-17 APRIL 2011 

Carlo Matthey is managing director of My 

Exhibition and a pioneer of spa and beauty 

events in Italy. In particular, for the last three 

years he has assisted in organising the Home 

& Spa Design exhibition in Milan as part of 

the Fuorisalone Design Week. Italy is home 

to around 20,000 venues that host spa 

treatments—hence the growing popularity of 

trade events such as Home & Spa Design. 

syd: what are the latest trends in spa 

treatments? 

cm: There are several spa trends 

emerging at the moment and one is the 

salt cabin. It’s an interesting new arrival, 

because it’s based on two fundamental 

elements: salt, which has beneficial 

effects when inhaled, and numerous 

different design interpretations. A study 

of salt miners in Poland has revealed 

that they enjoy good general health 

and rarely fall ill and the research 

has provided a basis for halotherapy, 

or saline vapour inhalation, which 

recreates the natural microclimate 

found in salt caves and mines and is 

proven to relieve the symptoms of 

people with breathing problems. In 

terms of design, the cabins are modern 

and minimalist and make use of ecofriendly 

materials in their construction. 

Environmental awareness and natural 

remedies are part and parcel of the spa 

experience, as is the notion of multisensory 

stimulation. 

syd: in what direction is the modern 

spa philosophy taking the market? 

cm: The modern spa ‘philosophy’ is 

moving towards a shared experience, 

especially for couples, so that the 

treatments can be enjoyed in private 

with a loved one. In fact, there are a 

growing number of operators who offer 

this kind of service and the market is 

H O M E & S P A 

increasingly focused on specialisation 

and privacy. Everyone likes a spa, 

but the luxury part is enjoying the 

experience in the privacy of your own 

home or aboard a superyacht. 

syd: what is the rationale behind the 

Home & spa design event? 

cm: Home & Spa Design is a highlight 

of Design Week in Milan and the 

event showcases the work of some of 

the top spa designers in Italy with 14 

diverse installations. As the spa sector 

grows, there is a parallel market of 

services, products and events that are 

developing side by side. While official 

statistics on the Italian spa market are 

hard to come by, not least because of 

the lack of an official body, the boom in 

the market is undeniable with an annual 

growth rate in the region of 30 per cent. 

Well-being is a traditional part of the 

Italian culture that goes all the way back 

to the thermal treatments used by the 

ancient Estruscans and Romans. The 

modern spa boom started a dozen or 

so years ago, but it was initially targeted 

exclusively at a high-profile audience. 

This has changed over the past five 

years and the spa experience has 

become much more accessible. 

www.spa-design.it 

www.myexhibition.it 

47

48 JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

S E AT E C 

C A R R A R A 

SEATEC 

CARRARA 

16 -18 FEBRUARY 2011 

One such was the Technology+Design 

debate that took place on the opening 

day, which brought together more than 

75 participants. Chaired by Gianluca 

Fenucci, managing director of ISA 

Yachts, the discussions focused on the 

need for the yachting industry to pool 

its resources and know-how. “Synergy 

is the principle opportunity we have 

for overcoming the effects of the crisis 

and increasing competitiveness,” 

commented Fenucci, who is also 

president of the Marchigiano Naval 

Consortium (CNM), the event organisers. 

The question of open debate was 

continued in a conference organised 

in conjunction with the prize-giving 

ceremony for the winners of the Targa 

Bonetto on the design of onboard 

living spaces with specific focus on 

ergonomics. The need for discussion 

on the trends and solutions offered 

by designers, was emphasised by 

Marco Bonetto, who conceived the 

award in honour of his father Rodolfo, 

a leading figure in the history of 

international design. Roberto Franzoni, 

a former journalist and captain and 

presently marketing director for 

Sanlorenzo, emphasised the need 

for builders to research into ways of 

channelling resources into improving 

DESIGN 

EVENTS 

SEATEC in Carrara, Tuscany, in February was 

held in conjunction with Compotec, the third 

international exhibition for composites and 

related technologies. Some 780 brands were 

present (including 269 from overseas) and 

visitor numbers were up five per cent on last 

year. In addition to the regular design events 

such as the Millennium Design Awards (MYDA) 

and the Targa Rodolfo Bonetto, there was a 

varied programme of symposia dealing with 

technical themes. 

the design and construction of yachts. 

Living standards achieved through 

systematic study of onboard space 

was the topic dealt with by Professor 

Simon Mastrangelo of Ergoproject, a 

consultancy firm that researches the 

ergonomic issues associated with the 

production and development of a wide 

range of products, including yachts. He 

reminded the audience that design is 

not just conditioned by the amount of 

space available, but must also take into 

consideration other parameters that 

designers in the car industry have been 

aware of for some time. 

Talking of the automobile industry, 

Lamborghini hosted a presentation of 

its Forged Composite technology, the 

method of monocoque carbon fibre 

construction utilised in the construction 

of its Sesto Elemento supercar 

presented at last year’s Paris Auto 

Show. The composite material features 

an incredibly high threshold with just 

one-third the density of titanium, but 

greater load-carrying capacity (we hope 

to bring our readers further insight into 

this new technology and its relevance 

to the yachting industry in a future issue 

of SYD). 

49

“The main reason for visiting 

SEATEC every year is to keep up 

to date on what the market has 

to offer and nautical component 

suppliers,” commented Federica 

Bertolini of the Azimut Style 

office. “It also means taking part 

in conferences on specific issues 

regarding the industry. What 

we really want to see from the 

exhibitors are new products that 

aim to improve life and comfort 

on board… For foreign operators 

SEATEC is certainly a good 

showcase of nautical products 

characterised by Italian design.” 

www.sea-tec.it 

CarraraFiere chairman, Giorgio Bianchini, 

emphasised the importance of events that 

promote debate on issues relating to the 

yachting industry. The Yacht Report Group, 

as the media partner of YARE (Yachting 

Aftersales & Refit Exhibition), is playing a key 

role in this process by organising the Italian 

Superyacht Forum (ISF), which will take place 

in Viareggio from 30 to 31 March. For details 

log onto www.superyachtevents.com 

50 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

SCALE MODELS WESTON 

www.scalemodelsweston.co.uk 

+ 44 (0) 1787 223322 

info@scalemodelsweston.co.uk 

As seen At MonAco YAcht show 

InternatIonal Model ShIp BuIlderS 

SMW_SY_Design_Fin2.indd 1 02/11/2010 13:05 

Introducing our five new 

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The essenTial 

The Design 

The inTelligenT 

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...tailored to suit your needs. 

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LASERPOWER 

Chrisco, the award-winning 30-metre sloop launched 

by CNB in 2009, features a strikingly modern interior 

by Wetzels Brown Partners that complements Luca 

Brenta’s contemporary exterior styling. In particular, 

the Amsterdam-based studio devised the innovative 

dining chairs using the manufacturing method 

known as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). 

SYD took time out from METS last year 

to find out more. 

52

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE 

WETZELS BROWN 

FOCAL 

POINT 

53

Dutchman Rob Wetzels 

met his English wife 

Gillian Brown in 

London while working as 

an architect on major retail 

projects. At the time, Gillian 

was operational director 

with an interior design firm 

focusing on 3D branding 

for clients in a wide range 

of fields from cosmetics to 

the hotel and spa industries. 

They set up their own 

company, Wetzels Brown 

Partners, in 2003. Together 

they can draw on 20 years of 

experience in the world of 

luxury retail and leisure, so it 

was perhaps only a matter of 

time before they turned their 

attention to yacht interiors. 

Gillian was the first to delve into 

the world of yachting when she 

collaborated with Luca Bassani on the 

Wallypower 118 to implement the 

interior concept design by Lazzerini & 

Pickering. The relationship continued 

with the Wallypower 64 and 70 

series, and most recently the Bill 

Tripp-designed 164, the largest Wally 

sail boat to date, due for delivery 

next year. This previous experience 

proved invaluable when they were 

commissioned by the owner of Chrisco, 

but their shared knowledge of retail 

design is also an important ingredient: 

“With some clients we design 

their boat, their home and their 

business premises, so our retail 

experience provides a very good 

base,” explains Gillian. “But 

instead of using design as a means 

of corporate branding, we’re 

interested in providing personal 

branding—a kind of 3D image— 

for our yacht or home owner. So 

in turn-key projects we’ll do the 

towels, pens and bottle openers— 

the clients just need to arrive in 

their clothes.” 

54 

“We’ve also introduced the 

retail way of thinking into our 

presentations,” continues Rob. “In 

retail you have to make very clear 

and to-the-point presentations that 

accurately interpret the client’s 

wishes, so they can recognise 

their brief in the design. For this 

reason, we provide photo-realistic 

renderings at a very early stage in 

a yacht project and the final result 

will look like the visuals.” 

After the customary difficulties 

associated with both living and working 

together, Rob says they’ve “distilled 

into an efficient, creative working 

relationship” along with the four 

other studio staff. “With her specific 

experience, Gill is very good at the 

detailing, whereas my forte is the 

overall concept design.” 

“Designers don’t like to be known 

for their cushion covers,” adds 

Gillian with a smile, “so I like to think 

that we approach each project from 

a very thoughtful perspective. our 

clients are experienced, intelligent 

people; they don’t want gimmicks, 

but they do want something new. 

We tread a fine line between 

innovation and practicality.” 

The dining chairs aboard Chrisco are 

a prime example of this philosophy. 

SLS, also known as 3D printing, is an 

additive manufacturing technique that 

uses a high-powered laser to fuse small 

particles of plastic, metal, ceramic or 

glass powders into a mass that has a 

desired three-dimensional shape. The 

laser selectively fuses powdered material 

“We were looking 

for something unique 

and high-performance, 

practical and 

very light.” 

by scanning cross-sections generated 

from a 3D digital description of the part 

from a CAD file or scan data onto the 

surface of a powder bed. After each 

cross-section is scanned, the powder 

bed is lowered by one layer thickness, a 

new layer of material is applied on top 

and the process is repeated until the 

part is completed. While SLS began as a 

NICOLAS CLARIS


way to produce prototype components 

early in the design cycle, it is increasingly 

being used in limited-run manufacturing 

to produce end-use parts. One less 

expected but growing application (as 

seen in our feature on composites in Q5 

of SYD) is its use in artistic installations. 

“We were looking for something 

unique and high-performance, 

practical and very light,” says 

Gillian. “You tend to see the 

backs of chairs a lot on yachts and 

most of the time they’re not very 

interesting. Another issue is that 

standard household chairs are 

usually too big for yachts, so we 

explored 3D printing after seeing a 

fruit bowl that had the very organic 

and beautiful structure we were 

looking for. We wondered whether 

we could make a chair using the 

same technique.” 

The project was developed in 

conjunction with Freedom of Creation, 

a pioneering design and research 

company in Amsterdam specialising 

in 3D printing technologies, and the 

whole process took over four months 

from concept to completion. Additional 

suppliers were brought in for the white 

leather upholstery and final painting in 

a white gloss finish. One difficulty was 

attaching the ergonomic shell that fits 

into the chair so the upholstery material 

or colour can be easily changed. The 

initial fit was too snug: removing it took 

several hands and the force required 

cracked the shell. The solution was to 

extend the foam backing around the 

edges to allow a better purchase for 

easing the shell off the retaining clips. 

With its steel base, which allows 

the chair to swivel and is pinned to 

the deck while the yacht is under 

way, the whole structure weighs 

about 18kg and by all accounts is 

extremely comfortable. The latticework 

construction that provides the chair’s 

integral strength and visual appeal 

recalls to mind structures found in 

nature that would be impossible 

to reproduce using any other 

manufacturing method. 

Because of the size of 

the SLS machines currently 

available, the Chrisco 

chairs are the largest 

single objects that can be 

currently manufactured 

using the method. Another 

consideration is cost, as 

each chair costs several 

thousand euros. But beyond 

these drawbacks, the only 

limitation is the designer’s 

imagination. Certainly the 

owner is happy with both 

the form and function of his 

chairs and has ordered a 

further series for residential 

use. At the time of SYD’s visit 

to Wetzels Brown Partners, 

Chrisco was in dry dock for 

winter maintenance work; 

after 18,000 nautical miles of 

daily use, the chairs were still 

in pristine condition. 

55

56 

THE MANUFACTURER 

FABBRI FIORE 

fabbri fiore is a precision engineering company based in lucca, italy, 

tHat works closely witH several boatyards, including perini navi for 

its captive wincHes and rig actuating systems. tHe firm utilises sls as 

a fast and cost-effective way of producing scale models of yacHts, 

but is also looking at substituting macHined components using tHe 

same tecHnique. 

“LASER SINTERING ALLOWS US TO CONSTRUCT ANY SHAPE EFFICIENTLY AND FLEX- 

IBLY, WITHOUT THE USE OF OTHER MACHINERY, WITH HIGH MECHANICAL AND DE- 

SIGN CHARACTERISTICS USING ONLY CAD 3D DATA,” SAYS COMPANY OWNER AND 

FOUNDER GIOVANNI LENCIONI. “IN CONTRAST TO OTHER TYPES OF 3D PRINTING 

SUITABLE ONLY FOR SINGLE PROTOTYPES, THE MACHINE WE USE ALLOWS THE CRE- 

ATION OF MANY PARTS DURING THE SAME WORK CYCLE, SO ITS COMPETITIVE IN 

TERMS OF PRODUCTION COST AND TIME.” 

DURING THE SEATEC EXHIBITION IN CARRARA LAST FEBRUARY, FABBRI FIORE DIS- 

PLAYED EXAMPLES OF SLS PRODUCTS (INCLUDING A HANDBAG CONSTRUCTED EN- 

TIRELY FROM TINY, INTERLINKED POLYAMIDE RINGS THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO 

FERRAGAMO AS A PRODUCT CONCEPT). BY MIXING THE POLYAMIDE WITH OTHER IN- 

GREDIENTS, THESE PRODUCTS ARE SUITABLE FOR A WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS. 

FINE POLYAMIDE AND GLASS, FOR EXAMPLE, IS USED IN COMPONENTS SUBJECT 

TO THERMAL CHARGES; WITH ALUMINIUM FOR MOULD INSERTS AND FASTENINGS 

REQUIRING HIGH DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY; WITH POLYSTYRENE FOR DISPOSABLE 

MODELS FOR PRECISION CASTING; OR WITH CARBON FIBRE FOR HIGH-STRENGTH, 

LOW-WEIGHT PARTS. 

“MAKING COMPONENTS WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY IS IDEAL FOR COMPANIES WHO 

NEED TO REACT QUICKLY TO MARKET REQUIREMENTS, FOR WHICH TRADITIONAL 

PRODUCTION STRATEGIES MAY BE TOO SLOW,” CONCLUDES LENCIONI. “WITH SLS, 

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE PRODUCTION OF SMALL LOTS IS AFFORDABLE, FLEXIBLE, 

FAST AND REQUIRES NO FURTHER INVESTMENT IN THE PLANNING STAGE.” 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

Your ambition 

our challenge 

Supreme louvers designed to perfection. 

www.� owgrill.eu

HEESEN YACHTS - OSS - BY JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

MATERIA- 

LIST 

Metal is a huge topic and we can only hope to scratch 

the surface (pun intended) in this brief investigation into 

some of its structural and aesthetic applications. With 

regard to the former, and leaving composites aside, 

steel and increasingly aluminium are easily the most 

prolific materials in the construction of large yachts. 

Regarded by many designers as strictly the stuff of naval 

architects and engineers, some understanding of their 

characteristics is required if the materials are to be used 

appropriately. Naval architect and aluminium specialist 

Nick Stark explains why. 

59

Fifty-five people died 

before engineers at 

the Royal Aircraft 

Establishment worked out 

why two shiny new De 

Havilland Comet aircraft 

fell out of the sky within 

months of each other in 

1954. Although the notion 

of metal fatigue had been 

recognised since a series 

of train crashes in the mid- 

1800s, investigators learned 

that aluminium fatigue at the 

corners of window casings in 

the Comet’s roof had caused 

the fuselage to rupture, 

with explosively disastrous 

results. Fortunately, 

aluminium fatigue is much 

better understood today, 

but similar failures can 

happen in superyacht 

construction if certain 

precautions aren’t taken. 

Transferred to the marine 

environment, aluminium offers yacht 

builders much the same advantages as 

the aerospace industry. In addition to 

its strength, workability and corrosion 

characteristics, its low density (light 

weight) equates to shallow draught, 

which opens up more cruising grounds 

for your yacht. Improved hull efficiency 

also means less fuel consumption 

and/or higher speeds. While such 

features can provide a higher return on 

investment for the buyer, aluminium 

is more expensive than steel. But 

arguments regarding costs also need 

to factor in considerations such as the 

availability of qualified welders and 

the impact on the yard’s infrastructure 

as aluminium production must be 

separated from any steel work. 

60 

Aluminium comes in different 

‘flavours’ in the form of various alloys, 

which are worthy of an entire discussion 

of their own. In practice, the range 

of alloys useful for boat building is 

quite small (predominantly the 5000 

series for sheet and 6000 for extruded 

sections, differentiated by their major 

alloying components: manganese 

and magnesium/silicon respectively). 

There are also specialist alloys such as 

Sealium and Alustar, which offer higher 

welded yield strength and increased 

fatigue strength than standard 5083 

alloy, but are also more expensive. 

The most significant advantage of 

aluminium over steel is its weight: a 

cubic metre of aluminium weighs in at 

around 2700kg, while a similarly sized 

chunk of steel weighs about 7800kg. 

Steel is stronger in absolute terms, but 

most of the fabrication and working of 

aluminium can be done with lightweight 

tools and handling equipment. 

Working with aluminium is tricky, 

however. In the best hands, it will 

shrink when welded and a bad welder 

will destroy it. This shrinkage can 

create enormous forces and care must 

be taken to avoid distortion when 

building the modules of a large yacht 

to make sure they align correctly when 

completed. Quality aluminium work 

needs to be carried out indoors, lest 

the inert gas (the ‘IG’ in ‘MIG’) that 

shields the weld pool blows away, 

effectively wrecking the weld. 

Corrosion performance depends 

on selecting the right alloy for the job 

as the wrong one will literally start to 

dissolve (ask anyone who has left their 

helicopter in the moist, salt-rich air on 

the aft deck during a lengthy transit). 

For the designer, 

perhaps the dominant 

feature of working 

with aluminium is 

its fatigue 

characteristics. 

Ferrous oxides continue to eat carbon 

steel when it corrodes, but aluminium 

oxides form a protective coating on 

the surface of the material, which can 

prevent further oxidisation so long as 

the oxide isn’t damaged. 

Most large displacement yachts 

have a steel hull and aluminium 

superstructure, but caution needs to be 

taken when combining dissimilar metals 

with aluminium. Any such connections 

need to be surgically managed, as 

one of the two metals (usually the 

aluminium due to its location in the 

galvanic scale) will eventually dissolve 

into a fizzing mess. Electrically isolating 

connections by ensuring that dissimilar 

metals don’t make contact in an 

electrolyte (i.e. moist, salty air) is usually 

straightforward, but must be done with 

puritanical zeal. 

For the designer, perhaps the 

dominant feature of working with 

aluminium is its fatigue characteristics. 

It is essential that a designer fully 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

understands these before committing 

to a design. Fatigue is the progressive 

and localised structural damage that 

occurs when a material is subjected 

to cyclic loading. The easiest way to 

see this in action is to take a paper 

clip and repeatedly bend it back and 

forth. It will eventually snap in a way 

that was totally uncharacteristic of the 

metal when you first bent the paper 

clip. Stresses gradually build up and are 

concentrated at the apex of the bend. 

These stresses aren’t enough initially to 

break the clip, but repeated bending 

causes microscopic cracks in the metal, 

making it increasingly brittle until it 

finally breaks. 

The same thing happened on the 

De Havilland Comet, this time caused 

by the repeated pressurisation and depressurisation 

of the fuselage. Another 

factor was that the supports around 

the windows were riveted, not bonded, 

a problem exacerbated by the punch 

rivet construction. Unlike drill riveting, 

the imperfect nature of the hole created 

by punch riveting caused defects that 

may have caused the start of fatigue 

cracks around the rivet. 

Steel is more forgiving than 

aluminium when it comes to fatigue. 

Because steel is stiffer, with an elastic 

modulus or ‘stiffness factor’ of 200GPa 

to aluminium’s 70, it is better at 

62 

distributing loads through structural 

discontinuities than aluminium. 

Aluminium tends to draw the load 

path through the weakest part of a 

connection, leading to localised fatigue 

failure and associated unpleasantness. 

For this reason, as with airplanes, 

certain shapes will significantly affect 

the fatigue life; square holes or sharp 

corners, for example, can lead to 

elevated local stresses where fatigue 

cracks may start. Round holes and 

smooth transitions or fillets increase the 

fatigue strength of the structure. 

Large yachts amplify the fatigue issue 

of aluminium. The demand for light, low 

draught, fast yet fuel-efficient yachts 

that do not compromise the volume of 

guest spaces (and now crew too, thanks 

to MLC 2006), dictate that the structural 

design must be as efficient as possible. 

Designing a vessel where the aesthetic 

agenda commonly dominates also 

limits the options in detail design. 

These necessary evils inherent 

in large yacht design mean that 

it is not sufficient to merely apply 

‘good practice’ to design. Knowing 

exactly how loads flow through each 

component and, ultimately, through the 

yacht as a whole is vital. Finite element 

analysis (FEA) has thus become an 

essential tool for large-scale aluminium 

design. The insights it gives into how 

the loads from wave slamming at the 

bow flow through the structure, past 

the tender door cut-outs, into the 

superstructure and into the aft decks, 

will give you essential guidance on 

whether the structural deflections are 

small enough that your panoramic 

windows won’t pop out and that your 

aesthetically-pleasing (but structurallychallenging) 

tight window radii won’t 

crack the expensive paint job—or 

worse. FEA, by the way, is a great and 

important tool, but also a vexed one. 

It is expensive, complex and great at 

giving compelling answers that can also 

be wrong if not handled properly. But 

that’s another story... 

The design flaws that 

brought down the Comet 60 

years ago remain relevant 

today. Aluminium is a 

superb material for both 

aircraft and for large yachts, 

given the right attention to 

design detail and the right 

construction team. However, 

aluminium can be a fickle 

creature; you need to treat 

it with respect or it will bite 

back. 

Nick Stark has been senior naval architect 

at Hanseatic Marine in Western Australia for 

almost a decade, helping to build the four 

longest aluminium motoryachts in the world. 

His little boys love fatiguing paper clips 

and coathangers. 

Designing a vessel 

where the aesthetic 

agenda commonly 

dominates also 

limits the options 

in detail design.


SALUTE 

PERINI NAVI 

63

VERTICAL SCULPTURE 

PHILIP WATTS 

pHilip watts started out as a one-man business 16 years ago making small 

pieces of furniture in His garden sHed. today, His design company operates 

out of a converted mill in nottingHam, uk, wHere a 10-strong team 

specialises in producing stunning staircases out of aluminium, steel and 

glass, sucH as tHe one pictured rigHt for a private House in tHe soutH of 

england. watts believes tHat wHile a staircase must Have a functional 

purpose, tHere is no reason wHy it can’t also be beautiful by combining tHe 

structural and aestHetic properties of metal. in fact, eacH of His creations 

is signed and dated, like a painting or a sculpture. 

pw: THE STAIRCASE IS CONSTRUCTED USING A STEEL TUBE INNER MEMBRANE WHILE THE 

‘MELTING’ ALUMINIUM TREAD SUPPORTS ARE MADE OF CAST METAL. THE ENTIRE STAIRCASE 

IS HIGHLY POLISHED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FACE OF THE TREAD SUPPORTS, WHICH 

ARE BONDED TO THE GLASS TREADS. THIS HAS BEEN HAMMERED USING THOUSANDS 

OF TINY HAMMER DINGS TO FORM A BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED SURFACE FOR THE SILICONE 

ADHESIVE THAT HOLDS THE GLASS IN PLACE. ALTHOUGH THE CONSTRUCTION IS SIMPLE, IT 

IS A UNIQUE DESIGN AND WE NEVER MAKE THE SAME STAIRCASE TWICE. 

I LOVE THE FLUIDITY OF METAL. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PARADOX, BUT WE WORK A LOT 

WITH ORGANIC FORMS BY CASTING METALS SUCH AS BRONZE, BRASS, AND ALUMINIUM. 

WITH EACH PROJECT, WE START BY HAND WORKING EVERY DETAIL FROM TIMBER; WE THEN 

USE THESE CARVINGS TO CREATE THE TOOLING FOR THE CASTING PROCESS. I GUESS WE’RE 

TRADITIONAL DESIGNER-MAKERS, INSOFAR AS WE ARE VERY HANDS ON—I DON’T THINK 

ANYONE ELSE IS QUITE INSANE ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT WHAT WE DO. 

THE FIRST STAIRCASE I DESIGNED AND BUILT IS STILL IN SITU IN A PRIVATE APARTMENT 

IN LONDON. IT LOOKS LIKE DINOSAUR VERTEBRAE CAST OUT OF ALUMINIUM AND COULD 

EASILY BE MISTAKEN FOR A SCULPTURE. I KNOW THE APARTMENT HAS CHANGED HANDS 

A COUPLE OF TIMES AND THE INTERIOR HAS BEEN RE-DONE, BUT THE STAIRCASE HAS 

REMAINED THE SAME. 

OUR STAIRCASES ARE SIGNATURE PIECES—ORGANIC SCULPTURES, PIECES OF ART—AND 

THEY ALWAYS SERVE A FUNCTION. BUT FORM IS AS IMPORTANT AS FUNCTION IN MY MIND, 

SOMETIMES MORE SO. SO WHY DO STAIRCASES HAVE TO BE SO BORING? WHO SAYS THEY 

SHOULD JUST GO UP AND DOWN? OUR STAIRCASES ARE SOMETHING MORE: WE WANT 

PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THEM AND SAY, “WOW, I LIKE THAT!” 

LAST YEAR WE DESIGNED A FIVE-STOREY SCULPTURE MADE FROM OVER FOUR MILES 

OF TUBING WITH THREE GLASS BRIDGES. BUT WE DON’T JUST DESIGN SCULPTURAL 

STATEMENTS; WE’VE ALSO BUILT SOME VERY MINIMAL STAIRCASES OUT OF STAINLESS STEEL 

WITH CLEAN LINES AND SIMPLE ETCHED GLASS. IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT THE CLIENTS 

ARE LOOKING FOR AND MY JOB BEGINS WITH LISTENING TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. VERY 

OFTEN THEY HAVE A CERTAIN STYLE IN MIND AND COME IN WITH A SKETCH OR A PICTURE. 

WE TALK WITH THEM, VISUALISE THEIR IDEAS AND THEN TURN THEM INTO REALITY. 

64 

BRONZE CASTING 

CASTLE FINE ARTS 

Baton rouge was launcHed by icon yacHts in may 2010. witH exterior styling 

by tim Heywood and interior design by redman wHitely dixon, tHe main lobby 

aboard tHe 62.5-metre motoryacHt features a small, custom-built table cast 

from bronze. 

“THE BRIEF WAS FOR SOMETHING NATURALISTIC USING THE OWNER’S FAVOURITE BLUE 

SODOLITE STONE FOR THE TOP,” EXPLAINS CO-PARTNER JUSTIN REDMAN. “SO OUR CREATIVE 

DIRECTOR, TOBY ECUYER, CAME UP WITH A SKETCH OF A CLUSTER OF BRANCHES BOUND BY 

TWINE HOLDING UP THE TABLE TOP. THE SKETCH WAS GREAT, BUT PROVED QUITE DIFFICULT 

TO REALISE.” 

THE BRIEF AND ACCOMPANYING SKETCH WAS PASSED ON TO THE BESPOKE FURNITURE 

MAKERS AT SILVERLINING AND PROJECT MANAGER CHRIS TOWNSEND APPROACHED CASTLE 

FINE ARTS FOUNDRY IN WALES, ONE OF THE UK’S LEADING SCULPTURE FOUNDRIES, TO CAST 

THE COMPLEX BASE OUT OF BRONZE. 

“WE LITERALLY WENT OUT INTO THE WOODS NEAR THE FOUNDRY AND SELECTED SOME 

SUITABLE BRANCHES,” SAYS CHRIS TOWNSEND. “THE FOUNDRY THEN CREATED TWO-PART 

SILICON MOULDS OF A FEW OF THEM AND THESE WERE FILLED WITH WAX, WHICH WERE 

BENT INTO THE REQUIRED SHAPE. THE WAX WAS THEN COATED WITH A CERAMIC DUST, THE 

WAX BURNT OUT AND CAREFULLY FILLED WITH MOLTEN BRONZE. THE SAME TREATMENT WAS 

USED FOR THE TWINE BINDING AND THE WHOLE THING WAS PATINATED TO A FINAL FINISH.” 

“IT WAS EXTRAORDINARY TO SEE IT COMING TOGETHER AND THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT 

IS ACHIEVABLE USING THIS FINE ART CASTING TECHNIQUE,” CONCLUDES JUSTIN REDMAN. 

“UNTIL YOU TRY TO PICK THE TABLE UP—IT WEIGHS AROUND 100KG—THEY LOOK LIKE 

REAL BRANCHES.” 

PHILIP WATTS

creative solutions 

bespoke environments 

Art consultants for the marine industry 

Elstone Hayes Associates is a consultancy dedicated to providing the 

very best in art and design for today’s marine industry. We bring 

together a unique blend of expertise and creative vision to provide 

a custom made art procurement and commissioning service of high 

quality artwork for marine environments. 

Elstone Hayes Associates is committed to providing a tailored, 

individual service, offering quality, flexibility and value for all our 

clients. 

To find out how we can shape your marine interior call 

Elstone Hayes Associates on 

+44 (0)1572 756323 or email info@elstonehayesassociates.com 

www.elstonehayesassociates.com

66 JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

This aluminium bar 

feature aboard Silver 

(now Rabdan) was 

devised and built 

in-house at 

Hanseatic Marine 

67

A TASTE FOR TILES 

ALLOY 

like nick stark, alloy’s design director jonatHon worner Hails from tHe 

remote yet wildly beautiful state of western australia. He grew up on tHe 

floor of His family’s pertH-based pressform factory tHat manufactures 

metal for Heavy industry, started by His metallurgist fatHer. so His love for 

metal, you migHt say, is in tHe blood. 

FRINGED BY THE INDIAN OCEAN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA IS ALSO WELL KNOWN FOR ITS 

SEAFARING HISTORY AND UNIQUE BOATING EXPERTISE. MOST PERTH PEOPLE GROW UP 

ON YACHTS BY VIRTUE OF THEIR PROXIMITY TO THE OCEAN, COMBINED WITH A SUNNY 

CLIMATE. IT’S NO COINCIDENCE THAT THE REST OF AUSTRALIA HAS DUBBED THEIR WESTERN 

COUNTERPARTS ‘SANDGROPERS’ FOR THEIR OBSESSION WITH ALL THINGS OCEAN-RELATED. 

AND JONATHON WORNER IS ONE OF THESE OCEAN OBSESSIVES. “I’VE ALWAYS BEEN 

FASCINATED BY THE USE OF METAL ON BOATS,” SAYS WORNER. “OBVIOUSLY HIGH QUALITY 

STAINLESS STEEL HAS BEEN THE METAL OF CHOICE FOR ITS STRENGTH AND LONGEVITY FOR 

PRACTICAL USE IN YACHT ‘HARDWARE’, BUT I’M ALSO INTERESTED IN HOW IT AND OTHER 

METALS MIGHT BE USED IN INTERIORS TO CREATE A UNIQUE AESTHETIC, USING METAL’S 

NATURALLY REFLECTIVE SURFACE TO CREATE LIGHT AND INTEREST.” 

WORNER’S INTEREST IN INTERIORS AND DESIGN IS NOT A FLEETING ONE. MORE THAN 10 

YEARS AGO, WORNER TOOK HIS METAL MANUFACTURING EXPERIENCE, COMBINED IT WITH 

HIS LOVE OF CONTEMPORARY DESIGN AND CREATED ALLOY—ALONG WITH THE FIRST SOLID 

STAINLESS STEEL MOSAIC TILE. SINCE THEN, THE COMPANY HAS DEVELOPED AN EXTENSIVE 

RANGE OF HIGH QUALITY, SOLID METAL TILES FASHIONED FROM A MYRIAD OF METALS AND 

EXPORTED TO LEADING ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS ALL OVER THE WORLD. 

RECENTLY, WORNER WAS APPROACHED BY NEW YORK-BASED DESIGN IMPRESARIO KARIM 

RASHID (PICTURED ABOVE) TO DEVELOP A RANGE OF UNIQUE, ORGANIC-SHAPED METAL 

TILES. EXPLODING THE IDEA OF THE TRADITIONAL SQUARE VARIETY, THE RANGE HAS TAKEN 

THE TILE TO ANOTHER LEVEL BY CREATING A 3D EFFECT WITH PATTERN AND REPETITION 

USING THE REFLECTIVITY OF METAL AND ITS PLAY OF LIGHT. 

“I’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE KARIM FOR ALLOY TILES WITH THEIR UNDULATING 

WAVE-LIKE SHAPES WOULD BE PERFECT FOR CREATING A HIGHLY CONTEMPORARY YACHT 

INTERIOR, BEAUTIFULLY REFLECTING THE CURVILINEAR FORMS OF BOATS,” SAYS WORNER. 

ALLOY TILES ARE JUST 1.6MM THICK PUNCHED FROM ONE SHEET OF SOLID METAL AND 

DISPLAY A THINNER PROFILE AND LIGHTER WEIGHT THAN A CERAMIC TILE. THEY CAN ALSO 

BE APPLIED TO ANY SUBSTRATE OR SURFACE—INCLUDING CURVED WALLS. THE METAL TILES 

CAN BE CUSTOM DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED TO FIT. 

“MY VISION OF CONTEMPORARY YACHT DESIGN IS ABOUT CONNECTING THE INTERIOR 

SPACES WITH LIGHT IN ORDER TO VISUALLY EXPAND THE SPACE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE,” 

68 

CONTINUES WORNER. “REFLECTIVE METAL OFFERS THE PERFECT SOLUTION BY OPTICALLY 

OPENING UP A ROOM, AS WELL AS ADDING INTEREST THROUGH SOPHISTICATED ‘SHINE’. 

DEPENDING ON THE FINISH OF THE METAL, THE LEVEL OF REFLECTIVITY CAN BE HIGH 

OR SUBDUED. A BRUSHED STAINLESS STEEL WITH ITS MILLED FINISH WILL HAVE A LOWER, 

MORE MUTED REFLECTIVITY THAN A MIRROR POLISHED STAINLESS STEEL FINISH, WHICH IF 

DEVELOPED USING THE RIGHT PROCESS WILL OFFER A PERFECT REFLECTION—THEREFORE 

AVOIDING THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF USING REFLECTIVE GLASS IN A SITUATION WHERE 

SPACE EXTENSION IS PARAMOUNT.” 

STAINLESS STEEL IS HARDWEARING, LONG LASTING AND UNLIKE OTHER HIGH QUALITY 

FINISHES, WON’T EASILY DAMAGE, CRACK, LOSE ITS COLOUR OR WEAR DOWN WITH USE. 

IT’S ALSO EASY TO CARE FOR, REQUIRING JUST A SOFT SPONGE AND WARM SOAPY WATER 

OR THE USE OF AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MITT TO KEEP THE SURFACE LOOKING 

ITS BEST. GENERALLY, A GOOD QUALITY STAINLESS STEEL CLEANER OR A MULTI-PURPOSE 

DOMESTIC CLEANER WILL WORK WELL FOR ANY SURFACE CONTAMINATION, BUT ACID- 

BASED CLEANERS SHOULD BE AVOIDED AS THEY MAY CAUSE PITTING OR CORROSION. 

ALLOY ONLY USES THE HIGHEST QUALITY 308 STAINLESS STEEL IN ITS TILES TO ENSURE 

THEIR LONGEVITY, BUT IN MARINE ENVIRONMENTS WORNER PREFERS MARINE GRADE 

316, WHICH CONTAINS ROUGHLY 17 PER CENT CHROMIUM AND AN AVERAGE OF 12.5 PER 

CENT NICKEL AS WELL AS A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF MOLYBDENUM, WHICH INCREASES 

CORROSION RESISTANCE. IN A CONTEXT THAT IS CONSISTENTLY EXPOSED TO SALTWATER 

AND AIR, MARINE GRADE STAINLESS STEEL CAN ALSO BE SEALED WITH NYALIC, A NYLONIC, 

CRYSTAL CLEAR, POLYMER RESIN COATING. 

MOREOVER, WHEN EMPLOYED IN GALLEYS, STAINLESS STEEL IS HYGIENIC FOR KITCHEN 

SURFACES AND DOESN’T REQUIRE THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROTECTION THAT POROUS 

STONE AND CERAMICS DO. METAL TILES UNIQUELY CREATE INTEREST WHERE A LARGE, 

TRADITIONAL FLAT SHEET OF STAINLESS STEEL DOES NOT. 

STAINLESS STEEL IS A NATURAL CHOICE FOR YACHT INTERIORS AS IT’S ALREADY 

USED ON THE EXTERIORS AND WILL HELP TO CREATE A CONSISTENT AND SEAMLESSLY 

CONTEMPORARY LOOK. HOWEVER, WORNER SUGGESTS TITANIUM-PLATED STAINLESS 

STEEL, BRASS OR COPPER COULD ALSO BE EMPLOYED TO STRIKING EFFECT, PROVIDING 

BEAUTIFUL LIGHT REFLECTION WHILE ADDING WARMTH AND A CONTEMPORARY EDGE TO 

CLASSICALLY DESIGNED INTERIORS. 

“WE’VE ALWAYS PUSHED THE BOUNDARIES OF METALS AND TILE DESIGN, AS WELL 

AS ENCOURAGED DIVERSE APPLICATIONS FOR THEIR USE,” CONCLUDES WORNER. 

“BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS ARE THE OBVIOUS CHOICE, BUT WE’VE ALSO HAD THEM 

SPECIFIED FOR ENTIRE ROOMS, BARS AND EVEN SWIMMING POOLS—THE RESULTS ARE 

STUNNING AND HIGHLY UNIQUE.” 

IMAGE COURTESY OF ALLOY

IMAGE COURTESY OF THOMAS LYTE SILVER 

THE CRAFTSMAN 

THOMAS LYTE SILVER 

tHe epitome of sopHistication and tHe Home of quintessentially englisH 

design, tHomas lyte silver launcHed its flagsHip store in mayfair’s 

burlington arcade in 2009. renowned for its attention to detail and 

timeless style, tHe company Has gained a discerning following. 

THE THOMAS LYTE SILVER WORKSHOP IN LONDON WAS ACQUIRED FROM ESSEX SILVER 

IN 2007. THOMAS LYTE’S CEO AND FOUNDER, KEVIN BAKER, CONTINUES TO EMPLOY 

THE TWO FOUNDING SILVERSMITHS OF ESSEX SILVER, ALONG WITH OTHER CRAFTSMEN 

FOR A COMBINED EXPERIENCE OF OVER 100 YEARS. THE WORKSHOP IS A PLACE WHERE 

ARTISANS COMBINE TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES WITH CUTTING-EDGE DESIGN. 

“WE WORK WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF METAL, INCLUDING GOLD, BUT SILVER IS QUITE 

SOFT AND MALLEABLE TO WORK WITH,” SAYS MASTER SILVERSMITH KEVIN WILLIAMS. 

“IT’S SELF-LUBRICATING, SO WHEN ENGRAVING, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU DON’T NEED TO 

USE A TOUCHING OIL, WHICH YOU DO WITH HARDER METALS. SILVER IS A ‘CLEAN’ 

METAL TO WORK WITH, IN THE SENSE THAT YOU DON’T GET TOO MUCH OXIDISATION 

WHEN IT’S BEING SOLDERED OR FORGED. YOU CAN ALSO TAKE LIBERTIES WITH SILVER 

AND PULL OR STRETCH IT BEYOND THE LIMITS YOU MIGHT EXPECT.” 

ONE RECENT THOMAS LYTE PRODUCT RANGE IS MADE BY SCORING FLAT SHEET 

SILVER AND THEN BENDING OR TWISTING IT INTO ELEGANTLY CURVED LINES. A UNIQUE 

TECHNIQUE THAT GOES BEYOND TRADITIONAL SILVERSMITHING TECHNIQUES, IT IS 

ALSO A TECHNICALLY DEMANDING PROCESS. 

“IT MIGHT LOOK STRAIGHTFORWARD,” WILLIAMS POINTS OUT, “BUT WHEN YOU 

WARM SILVER UP IT WANTS TO MOVE EXACTLY WHERE YOU DON’T WANT IT TO GO. IT 

TAKES SEVERAL VISITS TO THE FORGE TO SOLDER THE PIECES, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO 

ALMOST COAX IT INTO THE RIGHT SHAPE.” 

ACID ETCHING IS ANOTHER TECHNIQUE THAT THE THOMAS LYTE SILVERSMITHS HAVE 

PERFECTED. TRADITIONALLY POSSIBLE ONLY ON FLAT METAL, THEY HAVE DEVELOPED 

A METHOD FOR SHAPING THE SILVER AROUND THE FINISHED DESIGN. ANOTHER 

COMMON ISSUE WITH SILVERWARE IS THAT IT TARNISHES EASILY, ESPECIALLY IN A 

MARINE ENVIRONMENT, SO FOR USE ON YACHTS WILLIAMS RECOMMENDS ELECTRO- 

PLATING INTRICATE SILVER PIECES SUCH AS CANDELABRA WITH 24-CARAT GOLD. 

THE FIRM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESTORATION AND REPAIR OF MANY 

ANTIQUE PIECES FOR THE BRITISH ROYAL HOUSEHOLD AND RECENTLY COMPLETED 

A COMMISSION FOR A ROYAL HOUSEHOLD IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INVOLVING THREE 

HUNDRED ITEMS OF ONE DESIGN. 

“IN TERMS OF PRIVATE CLIENTS, WE’VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH 

LEADING INTERIOR DESIGNERS ON BESPOKE PIECES FOR PRIVATE RESIDENCES, 

YACHTS AND JETS,” SAYS PR SPOKESPERSON LAURA COLONNESE. “WE FEEL THAT 

THERE IS A RENAISSANCE TAKING PLACE IN HOW PEOPLE PERCEIVE SILVER, WITH A 

CHANGE IN DEMAND AND AN INCREASE IN NEW CLIENTS FROM THOSE WHO WOULD 

TRADITIONALLY GO TO LEADING BOND STREET JEWELLERS. THEY HAVE MOVED AWAY 

FROM THE ‘HIGH STREET’ IN FAVOUR OF ONE-OFF, BESPOKE ITEMS.” 

69

WHAT’S 

WHAT 

The physical and mechanical properties of metals are as relevant to the silversmith 

in his workshop as to the welder in a shipyard. Some properties, such as natural lustre 

that can be increased with polishing, are of interest to the artist, whereas others, like 

toughness or density, are of more concern to the engineer. But all of them need to 

be taken into account if metals are to be worked and applied effectively. 

01/HARDNESS 

Refers to the ability of a metal to resist abrasion, 

penetration, cutting action or permanent 

distortion. Hardness may be increased by working 

the metal and, in the case of steel and certain 

titanium and aluminium alloys, by heat treatment 

and cold-working. Structural parts may be 

formed from metals in their soft state and then 

heat-treated to harden them, so that the finished 

shape will be retained. Hardness and strength are 

closely associated properties of all metals. 

02/BRITTLENESS 

The property of a metal that allows little bending 

or deformation without shattering. In other words, 

a brittle metal is apt to break or crack without 

changing shape. Because structural metals are 

often subjected to shock loads, brittleness is not a 

very desirable property. Cast iron, cast aluminium 

and very hard steel are brittle metals. 

03/MALLEABILITY 

A metal that can be hammered, rolled or 

pressed into various shapes without cracking or 

breaking or other detrimental effects is said to 

be malleable. This property is necessary in sheet 

metal that is to be worked into curved shapes 

such as coamings and fairings. 

70 

04/DUCTILITY 

The property of a metal that permits it to 

be permanently drawn, bent or twisted into 

various shapes without breaking. This property 

is essential for metals used in making wire 

and tubing. Ductile metals are often preferred 

because of their ease of forming and resistance 

to failure under shock loads. For this reason, 

aluminium alloys are used for cowl rings, 

fuselage and wing skins in the aeronautical 

industry, and formed or extruded parts such 

as ribs, spars and bulkheads in shipbuilding. 

Chrome-molybdenum steel is also easily formed 

into desired shapes. Ductility is similar to 

malleability and opposite to brittleness. 

05/ELASTICITY 

The property that enables a metal to return to 

its original shape when the force that causes 

the change of shape is removed—an extremely 

valuable characteristic. Each metal has a point 

known as the elastic limit, beyond which it 

cannot be loaded without causing permanent 

distortion. When metal is loaded beyond its 

elastic limit and permanent distortion results, 

it is referred to as ‘strained’. In aircraft and 

ship construction, members and parts are so 

designed that the maximum loads to which they 

are subjected will never stress them beyond their 

elastic limit. Note: stress is the internal resistance 

of any metal to distortion. 

06/TOUGHNESS 

A material that possesses toughness will 

withstand tearing or shearing and may be 

stretched or otherwise deformed without 

breaking—a desirable property in any 

construction work. 

07/DENSITY 

Density is the weight of a unit volume of a 

material, used in determining the weight of a 

part before actual manufacture. Density is an 

important consideration when choosing a metal 

to be used in part of the design and still maintain 

the proper weight and balance of the vessel. 

08/FUSIBILITY 

Defined as the ability of a metal to become liquid 

by the application of heat. Metals are fused in 

welding. Steels fuse at approximately 1370°C 

(2500°F), and aluminium alloys at approximately 

600°C (1110°F). 

09/CONDUCTIVITY 

The property that enables a metal to carry heat 

or electricity. The heat conductivity of a metal 

is especially important in welding, because it 

governs the amount of heat that will be required 

for proper fusion. Electrical conductivity must also 

be considered in conjunction with bonding, which 

is used to eliminate radio interference. 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

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72 JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

KEEPING 

IT IN THE 

FAMILY 

A new project in build at Rossi Navi in Viareggio 

displays the signature styling of the Spadolini Studio, 

but this time the racy exterior lines associated with the 

Italian designer’s planing yachts have been transferred 

to a 45-metre displacement superyacht with interior 

design by Rémi Tessier. SYD visited the build at the end 

of last year with Tommaso Spadolini and his general 

manager, Bernardo Papetti. 

IN 

BUILD 

73

Pierluigi Spadolini, 

Tommaso Spadolini’s 

father, is often 

credited with pioneering 

the flair for yacht design 

that has distinguished so 

much Italian production. 

He was the first to hold a 

university professorship in 

Industrial Design and taught 

at the Istituto Superiore 

per le Industrie Artistiche 

(Higher Institute for Artistic 

Industries), the oldest Italian 

institution in its field. 

As such, he influenced a whole 

generation of designers and architects, 

not least Giovanni Zuccon, the subject 

of our Case Study in this issue of SYD. 

In particular, his Akhir range created 

for Cantieri di Pisa in the 70s and 

named after the Arabic word for the 

bright Achenar star in the Eridanus 

constellation, went on to become 

arguably the most iconic series of its 

kind. It is as Italian as Ferrari and Sophia 

Loren, rolled into one svelte, wellproportioned 

profile that is the basis of 

many of today’s flybridge designs. 

Tommaso, celebrating his 30th 

year as a yacht designer, has inherited 

the decisive styling based on the 

horizontal exterior lines and functional 

interior layouts that distinguished his 

father’s work. It is a combination that 

has proved popular and timeless, 

evidenced by 42.5-metre Nina J, which 

is as contemporary-looking today as 

when it was launched by Baglietto in 

2005. But in a ‘greener’ world where 

many environmentally-minded owners 

are favouring more efficient and less 

ostentatious designs, the challenge with 

the new 45-metre project was how to 

transfer the distinctive styling associated 

with the studio’s high-speed yachts, such 

as the 70-knot Fortuna for King Juan 

Carlos of Spain, to a steel and aluminium 

displacement superyacht. 

“My departure point was to 

ensure that there is intimate 

contact with the sea,” explained 

Spadolini as we boarded the yacht. 

“We achieved this by lowering the 

aft cockpit as much as possible. 

In fact, the original sketches were 

for a 50-metre yacht with even 

74 

lower stern bulwarks, a reverse 

bow and no sundeck. But in order 

to provide adequate engine 

room ventilation, meet Class 

requirements and accommodate 

the owner’s requests, we had to 

make some modifications.” 

In September 2008, Spadolini 

showed some sketches based on a 

concept for Camper & Nicholson to the 

owner, an experienced client who has 

built previous yachts with the designer, 

and construction at Rossi Navi’s newest 

facility in Viareggio began a year later. 

“The owner’s wife especially 

appreciated the fact that while 

bathing off the aft platform she 

won’t be presented with an 

intimidatingly high transom, a 

defect not commonly appreciated 

and is typical of many large 

motoryachts,” Spadolini 

commented. 

The owner requested that the yacht 

be under 500gt and be able to fit in 

his existing 50-metre berth, so for both 

these reasons the project was redrawn 

to 45-metre. A qualified captain, he 

also wanted to be able to drive the 

yacht himself while sitting in the open, 

so a sundeck was added with an 

exterior pilot station protected by a 

low windscreen reminiscent of some of 

Pierluigi Spadolini’s designs. 

“The yacht’s relatively modest 

range of 2,500nm at cruising 

speed was largely determined by 

the Class stipulation that the lower 

sill of the side-loading tender bay 

in the stern cannot be less than 

30cm above sea level,” Bernardo 

Papetti pointed out. “Larger fuel 

tanks would have meant the yacht 

sits lower in the water.” 

Spadolini has managed to retain the 

family’s trademark styling in the long 

strips of dark window glazing along 

the main and upper decks, while the 

forward leaning windscreen of the 

wheelhouse serves to reduce reflections 

and lends the project a reassuringly 

seaworthy look. Several design details 

have been devised to highlight the 

yacht’s robust, uncluttered profile. The 

bow fairleads, for example, have been 

recessed into the steel hull to continue 

the horizontal line of windows, while 

one sat dome is hidden inside the faux 

funnel stack and a second will be sunk 

into the wheelhouse roof with only the 

top emerging so as not to disrupt the 

exterior lines. 

The forward sunbed sits atop a crew 

tender bay and to maximise the space 

inside part of the steps on each side lift 

up with the hinged structure, but care 

was taken to ensure a narrow section 

of staircase remains so the crew can 

still access the anchor station in the 

forepeak. Another practical feature are 

the fold-out platforms in the forward 

bulwarks that allow the crew to check 

the position of the anchor chains. An 

accommodation ladder also provides 

the crew with direct access to the main 

deck pantry from the dock when the 

yacht is moored side-to, without having 

to pass through the salon. 

“My departure point 

was to ensure that 

there is intimate 

contact with the sea.” 

On the inside, a novel layout provides 

for a large galley with crew mess on the 

main deck linked by a dumb waiter to 

the upper deck pantry, and a captain’s 

cabin behind the wheelhouse—a rarity 

on a yacht of this size. There are four 

guest cabins on the lower deck, while 

the full-beam master suite and study 

are located on the forward main deck. 

Unusually, the dining room is on the 

upper deck (with another table on the 

open aft deck), which allows for a more 

pleasurable dining experience with 

better views and more light than on the 

main deck as is customary. 

On schedule for delivery in early 

2012, the 45-metre is just one of three 

Spadolini projects under construction 

at Rossi Navi (a 70-metre project 

is approaching completion, while 

a 46-metre by Frank Mulder with a 

Spadolini interior is in build at the 

company’s facility in Pisa). We hope 

to bring you some insight into Rémi 

Tessier’s interior concepts for the 

45-metre in a future issue.

from top: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 

45-METRE PROJECT FROM CONCEPT SKETCHES 

TO PHOTO REALISTIC RENDERING. 

75

THE HUMBLE 

PROFESSOR 

Giovanni Zuccon is what you might call an ‘old school’ 

designer—in the best possible sense. Innovative and 

forward-thinking, he nonetheless has his feet firmly 

rooted in the formal principles he acquired while 

studying civil architecture; principles he teaches 

today as professor of industrial design at La Sapienza 

University in Rome. With over 100 yacht projects to his 

name since he founded Zuccon International Project 

in 1984 with his wife, Paola Galeazzi, not to mention 

a host of civil architecture commissions, he is a 

veteran of the design scene in Italy. 

RATCLIFFE 

76 JUSTIN

T H E S T U D I O 

CASE 

STUDY 

77

“I 

78 

t is often claimed that 

the less complex the 

product, the greater 

the importance of the 

designer’s role,” Zuccon 

points out early on in our 

conversation at his rambling 

studio that houses a staff of 

around 30, including his son 

and daughter, Bernardo and 

Martina. “But in the case 

of yachts, which I consider 

highly complex spatial 

structures, the design quality 

is extremely important, 

indeed vital, as it alone 

can successfully manage 

the many interconnected 

relations.” 

It was the start of a discussion 

that hinged heavily on the theory of 

architecture and design, so much so 

that it was a struggle at times to pin 

him down to specifics. In this sense, 

it was an unusual but enlightening 

interview, indicative not only of 

Zuccon’s Italian sense of hospitality— 

the conversation continued over dinner 

at a restaurant with splendid views of 

the Rome skyline—but also his passion 

for his chosen career. 

The “many interconnected relations” 

of his opening statement refer to the 

need of a boat to move through water 

from one place to another, onboard 

lifestyles and how they differ from 

those on dry land and how these 

factors determine the technological 

and functional parameters of the 

design. But he was also talking about 

more subtle aesthetic and symbolic, 

even philosophical, considerations. 

As a student in the Sixties, Zuccon 

investigated the relation between 

a building and its location, but not 

the relation between a building and 

the culture of the place. This led our 

conversation to the concept of genius 

loci, which in classical Roman religion 

was the protective spirit of a place, but 

during the Neo-Rationalist movement 

was developed by Italian architect Aldo 

Rossi to promote elemental forms and 

an absence of cosmetic detail. In the 

context of modern architectural theory, 

genius loci has profound implications 

for place-making. 

“Every nation, region or even 

shipyard has its own cultural 

sense of space and place, which 

is something the designer cannot 

ignore,” Zuccon points out. 

“Trawler-style vessels, for example, 

are a northern phenomenon, but 

open yachts are Mediterranean. 

In Italy, the traditional gozzo is 

from the Sorrento region and the 

gondola from Venice. Good design 

requires a certain breadth of mind 

and awareness of these cultural 

issues.” 

Zuccon’s thinking echoes that of 

the Norwegian architect and theorist 

Christian Norberg-Schulz, who died 

in 2000. In the Seventies he taught an 

architecture class at the Massachusetts 

Institute of Technology, where he 

emphasised the difference between 

the Italian sense of space, which is very 

open and public, and the Norwegian 

sense of space, which is more enclosed, 

behind doors and private. In the former, 

the sun and heat are primary influences, 

whereas for the latter, the cold winter 

plays a major role. He knew what he 

was talking about, as he had homes in 

both countries and his wife was Italian. 

It proved to be a very influential class 

for the students. 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

Many of his father’s ideas have clearly 

rubbed off on 28-year-old Bernardo 

Zuccon, who grew up in a household 

reading yachting magazines rather than 

children’s comics. Although some 70 

per cent of the studio’s projects today 

are marine-based, Bernardo chose to 

study civil architecture like his father 

rather than naval architecture, quoting 

Italian architect Ernesto Rogers who 

famously declared that he wanted to 

design everything from “a spoon to 

a city”. With a model of his final-year 

“Every nation, region 

or even shipyard 

has its own cultural 

sense of space 

and place...” 

thesis, a 40-metre motoryacht concept, 

on the shelf behind him, he talked 

excitedly of a recent American holiday 

when the family visited the Biltmore 

Hotel in Arizona, designed by Albert 

Chase McArthur who had studied under 

Frank Lloyd Wright. Perhaps the most 

obvious and dramatic design link to 

Wright, and to the notion of genius 

loci, is the use of indigenous materials 

that led to the creation of the ‘Biltmore 

Block’. The pre-cast concrete blocks 

were moulded on-site and used to 

build the entire complex. 

The influence of Wright can also be 

seen in one of Giovanni Zuccon’s most 

prominent civil architecture projects 

from the mid-Eighties: the Italian 

headquarters of the European Space 

Agency (ESA) in Frascati, near Rome. 

“My experience with the ESA 

offered me the opportunity to 

continue experimenting in the 

field of architecture. It also meant 

I could transfer that experience to 

the field of yacht design, where 

the ambit differed but not the 

methodology. I have always been 

convinced that architecture and 

design should not be considered 

as separate entities, but rather 

communicating ones, as they 

benefit from sharing experiences 

and do not lose their identity as a 

consequence.” 

Zuccon’s first yacht project had come 

about almost by accident nearly a 

decade earlier, when he was invited to 

submit a design for the Technema 65’, 

the first in the successful series from the 

Posillipo yard. Despite a complete lack 

of knowledge of the field—he recalls 

having to learn the basic terminology 

for the parts of a boat—Zuccon and 

Paola accepted the challenge and set 

to work researching the project. 

“I remember one of my lecturers 

at university saying that it is the 

designer’s duty to investigate 

different approaches to specific 

themes, bearing in mind that 

others have gone down that road 

before you,” says Zuccon, recalling 

his early inexperience. “You can 

then move on to reinvent the sense 

of the object you are designing, 

without forgetting that the course 

you decide to take is not the only 

possible one; it is a point of transit, 

rather than a point of arrival.” 

By the mid-Seventies, Zuccon was 

already interested in how industrial 

processes could be applied to the 

craft-based marine industry. He won 

the Posillipo tender and the composite 

yacht, presented at the Genoa Boat 

Show in 1978, marked the start of 

a collaboration that lasted well into 

the Nineties and sparked an ongoing 

interest in series construction. Much 

of the thinking behind his early work 

on the Technema range was derived 

from the automobile industry, where 

the same chassis lends itself as a basis 

for sedan, fast-back or convertible 

versions of the car. Likewise, in yacht 

design, the same hull form could be 

used to produce an open or flybridge 

model. Moreover, Zuccon was using the 

properties of fibreglass to expose the 

curved furniture units, while covering 

79

ABILITY 

CRN 

RENAMED: ALOUETTE II 

80

CUSTOM LINE 100 

81

82 

1986 

M/Y 72m 

BAGLIETTO 

1989 

TECHNEMA 40m 

POSILLIPO 

2010 

M/Y 58m 

CRN 

2010 

M/Y 80m 

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the flat sections with veneer or fabric— 

this at a time when most builders 

were employing expert yet expensive 

craftsmen to finish the interior by hand. 

When he later designed a 46-metre 

for the Emir of Dubai, launched by 

Baglietto in 1986, the project revealed 

Zuccon’s sensitivity to another modern 

concept: the importance of brand 

identity. 

“The yacht was unmistakeably a 

Baglietto and we were most proud 

of having managed not to alter the 

identity of the boat, despite the 

fact it was the first time we had 

designed a vessel of that size.” 

It would be another 15 years before 

Zuccon worked on a larger yacht, but the 

sentiment expressed in the above quote 

is closely related to Pininfarina’s belief 

that an automobile as a product is much 

more than the sum of its constituent 

parts and has to be studied holistically. 

So a Ferrari, for example, must first and 

foremost be a Ferrari and express the 

culture of the Maranello marque. 

It is a notion that Zuccon is familiar 

with (like many designers, he is 

passionate about cars and owns a 

Maserati Quattroporte), which he has 

honed to perfection in his work for 

the Ferretti Group, together with his 

belief that the industrial process is 

key to producing a quality product. 

He was first contacted in 1990 by the 

late Alessandro Ferretti, Norberto 

Ferretti’s brother, on the strength of his 

Technema projects for Posillipo. 

84 

“By then Paola and I had 

developed a concept of yachting 

that went beyond considering 

the boat simply as a means of 

recreation and temporary escape 

from daily life,” he relates. “Instead, 

we saw it as a way of experiencing 

new kinds of lifestyles at sea.” 

As the Group’s principle designer, 

working with Ferretti has proved a 

pivotal experience in the development 

of Zuccon’s studio. The production 

process established by Norberto 

Ferretti recognises the fundamental 

role of design ideas in the success 

of the business as a whole. Indeed, 

the research roles of the engineering 

department’s Advanced Yacht 

Technology (AYT) division and Zuccon 

International Project are so closely 

interlinked as to be virtually inseparable. 

The relationship is perhaps best 

reflected in the Mochi Craft Long Range 

23, one of Zuccon’s favourite projects 

and the boat he would most like to own 

himself. But the collaboration is ongoing 

with new projects for Custom Line and 

CRN from 44-metre to 112-metre in 

composite, steel and aluminium. 

“Norberto has not always shared 

our ideas,” Zuccon points out, 

“but he represents one corner 

of the triumverate that exists 

between builder, designer and 

client. The builder and designer 

must understand each other 

perfectly and maintain a synergistic 

relationship if they are to produce 

a product that satisfies the third 

party in the triangle. The worst 

mistake I can make is to design a 

product that celebrates myself. on 

the contrary, the designer must 

embrace a cause and understand 

the objective of that cause is to 

transfer the builder’s brand values 

into the product being designed.” 

CUSTOM LINE 124 

“The worst mistake 

I can make is to 

design a product 

that celebrates myself.”

Zuccon maintains that such a synergy, 

combined with the rigorous application 

of industrial principles to semi-custom 

or series production, will become 

increasingly important in the new postcrisis 

reality in which clients expect only 

the best value for money. 

“I’m not surprised at what’s 

happening to our industry today, 

especially in Italy,” he exclaims. 

“Many of the problems we now 

face are not the result of a lack of 

money, but money misspent. We 

work in a field that dislikes change 

and has not invested in much 

needed development. I’ve been 

saying for more than 30 years that 

we have to close the gap between 

the industrial and marine cultures, 

but there are still those who 

argue that the limited numbers 

of yachts being built make it 

unfeasible. This is ridiculous. 

Pierluigi Spadolini once wrote that 

you only need a single product 

to apply industrial principles of 

production. It all comes down to 

a question of culture.” 

This article begins by labelling 

Giovanni Zuccon an ‘old school’ 

designer and he employs others to 

work the computer programs. Yet 

in several important respects, his 

attitudes are way ahead of many 

younger colleagues in the industry. 

Chief among these is his sense of 

humility—not a common trait among 

successful designers, but one that 

is closely related to his willingness 

as an independent consultant to 

subjugate his own ego to the principles 

of industrial production and the 

betterment of the brand. Rather 

touchingly symbolic of this humility is 

his reliance on that most humble design 

tool, the pencil. He draws and scribbles 

continuously, fleshing out his ideas in 

a stream of consciousness rendered 

visible on paper. 

“I love the most creative moment 

when I start with a blank sheet of 

paper,” he enthuses. “I cannot 

leave the house without a pencil 

in my pocket...Because you never 

know when you might need it.” 

86 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

THE EUROPEAN SPACE CENTRE 

IN FRASCATI NEAR ROME 

“I love the most 

creative moment 

when I start with 

a blank sheet 

of paper.” 

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COSMOSCONVERT 

Conversion projects 

are an increasingly 

relevant path to 

superyacht ownership, claim 

James Claydon and Mike 

Reeves of Claydon Reeves 

Design. Their 70-metre 

Cosmos concept shows that 

in addition to the significant 

cost and time benefits, 

existing vessels provide a 

multitude of design options. 

There are many interesting vessels 

available for conversion with equally 

diverse histories and purposes. 

In conjunction with Asia Pacific 

Superyachts and Island Marine Services 

Pte Ltd, we have attempted to refine 

the ‘ultimate explorer’ concept with 

their 70-metre conversion of an offshore 

anchor handling vessel. The original 

ship was constructed in Singapore and 

tasked with providing support to the 

offshore drilling industry. Capable of 

withstanding the exceptionally hostile 

environment of commercial usage in all 

weathers, this hull provided a perfect 

platform for the project. 

To turn the ship into a yacht, most 

of its original features have been 

removed, including a 150-tonne winch 

used to drag anchors onto the stern 

loading bed. In the belly of the ship, 

88 

nine silos previously full of cement and 

mud used in the support of offshore 

drilling excavations, have also been 

scrapped. The engines remain in their 

original positions, but are re-mounted 

to reduce noise and vibration. The 

entire superstructure has been 

dismantled and replaced with a new 

design that also calls for a raised shear 

line and freeboard. By using a hull that 

was created to carry such vast loads, 

we were able to undertake a complete 

redesign without fear of overloading 

the yacht. 

The aim of the team was to design a 

turn-key project for a client with a flavour 

for adventure and exploration. The new 

yacht would feature a drive-in stern 

dock for a 11-metre limousine tender, 

which is flanked by twin 9-metre ribs and 

three jet skis. Moving forward through a 

glass hallway, guests pass by one of the 

yacht’s most unusual features: a moon 

pool or ‘wet porch’ that allows divers 

to safely leave and return to the vessel 

without being exposed to the outside 

elements. This is also a feature borrowed 

from commercial drilling ships. 

On the main deck, above the 

garage, there is a helicopter pad large 

enough to land an Agusta A109, along 

with hangar into which the aircraft is 

moved forward horizontally for storage. 

Due to the beam of over 15-metre, 

two VIP suites are placed outboard, on 

either side of the hanger. Both cabins 

have commanding views of the passing 

seascapes through their near doubleheight 

glass walls and private balconies 

Throughout the yacht, emphasis 

has been placed on the creation of 

intriguing spaces of unusual scale. 

When walking along the side decks, 

the superstructure is facetted to visually 

deconstruct its considerable volume, 

while additionally creating generous 

side decks and interesting external 

spaces. The surfacing is simple, flat 

steel and glass that can be produced 

and maintained by a commercial 

shipyard. By embracing this simplified 

construction method, the yacht remains 

true to its origins, albeit in a totally 

reconsidered aesthetic.

The sundeck best demonstrates the 

innovative features of the yacht. Access 

to this huge outdoor area is through 

the large entrance foyer that subdivides 

the front and rear sections of the boat. 

Looking aft, the viewer is faced with an 

enticing glass-ended pool, with wet bar 

and waterfall feature. The large pool is 

stepped up in depth to accommodate 

the helicopter hangar below, but is still 

9-metres in length. Large side decks 

become wider as you walk along the 

length of the pool, leading you to the 

seating and dining area. The balcony 

at the end of the sundeck is shielded 

by retractable glass screens during 

helicopter takeoff and landing. Above 

and aft of the sundeck is another 

unconventional structure: the Heli Bar 

with its 360-degree view with a bar and 

seating area contained within the floorto-ceiling 

glass turret. 

CONCEPTS 

The smoke stacks enclose the 

staircase and elevator that lead to the 

forward owner’s deck. Here, there is 

an additional raised viewing station 

or observatory with undercut glass 

walls. Forward of the enclosed area is 

a bar with seating and a Jacuzzi—all 

with commanding vistas. For those 

with a true head for heights there is an 

additional outdoor viewing platform 

above the owner’s private observatory. 

This is the highest point on the yacht 

and an excellent place to view the sights 

as the yacht cruises remote locations. 

Cosmos has its origins in commercial 

shipping, but the converted yacht can 

be outfitted to any standard an owner 

specifies. The concept shows that by 

choosing an existing commercial vessel 

for conversion, great gains can be 

achieved. The spaces that are created 

and the increased functionality combine 

to provide a yacht of special character 

and style. 

89

LUMEN-ESSENCE 90 

Project Lumen is a 

90-metre concept 

proposal for oceanco 

by Adriel Rollins, who here 

explains the rationale behind 

its evocative name. 

Project Lumen is so called after the 

act of producing light. Within the heart 

of Lumen is an impressive glass and 

metal atrium which will be controlled by 

state of the art lighting and be visible 

through the amidships superstructure 

and the sundeck skylights. The exterior 

lighting on this vessel will be taken to 

a new level. Against the blackness of 

night, this yacht will have the ability to 

glow with the charm of a shore-side villa. 

One characteristic of Lumen will be 

the symbiotic relationship between the 

atrium feature and the exterior styling. 

I have noticed a few top designers 

showing atriums in their exterior 

styling graphics. I understand the logic 

here: the atriums are expressed in the 

exterior design and prompt the viewer 

to realise that something substantial is 

taking place behind the large vertical 

glazing details on these yachts. The 

result is stunning in its own right, but 

does compromise the long, graceful 

lines of a superyacht. The sheer, 

the drop shadows, superstructure 

overhangs and the molded deck 

coaming, are all interrupted to satisfy 

the vertical exterior elements that 

support the ‘atrium-expression.’ 

I wonder if any supercar owners 

are disappointed in how small the 

back windows are in their mid-engine 

thoroughbreds? But I suppose if you 

want good visibility, then you buy a 

Range Rover. However, some of these 

new atrium-centric yacht exteriors look 

as if a Range Rover’s windows and 

roof lines have been fitted to the body 

of a Lamborghini Murciélago. In the 

battle for more natural light accessing 

the interior, I believe some designers 

may have nudged too close to missing 

the point of sculpting. Project Lumen 

will prove that the atrium can be filled 

with spectacular natural light, without 

interrupting the styling that is fore 

and aft of large atriums on modern 

superyachts. Aboard Lumen the atrium 

is as spectacular and as original as 

possible, but the exterior lines do not 

give away this feature as her long, 

graceful lines are not interrupted. For 

me, the result is a one-of-a-kind design 

that will remain timeless. 

These graceful lines contain the 

sculpted forms that draw your eye 

to the opposing surfaces, while 

undulating, conical forms create 

outcrops and promontories along the 

profile. From the stern, the tapering 

forms invoke a forced perspective. The 

inspiration for the cantilevered outcrops 

was derived from the ancient aesthetic 

of the pagoda, with its tiered tower 

structure and multiple eaves. I wanted 

the exterior styling to work in tandem 

with the hull form, instead of appearing 

to be ‘stacked’ on top of the hull. The 

hard chine appearance of an Oceanco 

hull form is complimented by the 

‘pagoda’ tiered outcrops. 

The final note regarding this 

dominant element is found at the aft 

end of the outcrops. The line continues 

downward and aft, terminating at the 

swim platform just above the waterline. 

The result is that the foredeck sheer 

gradually falls all the way to the 

stern as one continuous line. These 

elements are redirected and juxtaposed 

throughout the rest of the profile and 

topsides. In this abstract way, Lumen 

demonstrates the power of light as 

perceived by the human eye.

HOT YACHT 

The PA168 is a new 

86-metre superyacht 

concept based on 

the proven Y700 oceanco 

platform and designed by 

the Milan-based Hot Lab 

studio. Antonio Romano of 

Hot Lab talks us through the 

concept’s principle design 

features. 

Despite the yacht’s generous 

dimensions, her lines have been 

designed to convey a visual sense of 

lightness. Fundamental in this regard is 

the layout of the various decks, which 

provide abundant open spaces aft that 

rapidly converge towards the antenna 

mast in the centre. Forward of this 

point, the decks are developed more 

horizontally with a subtle yet dynamic 

downward curve to the open foredeck. 

This spacious area, which functions 

as an extendible platform for larger 

helicopters, emphasises and balances 

the graceful lines of the superstructure. 

The overall sense of lightness is also 

highlighted by the way the individual 

deck levels are clearly defined by 

the darkened glazing that serves to 

lengthen rather than heighten the 

profile. Companionways, windows and 

technical areas have been developed 

to accentuate this effect. 

The bulwarks amidships and aft are 

delicately arched to counterbalance the 

linear volumes of the superstructure 

and forward section. A beach area has 

been developed around a swimming 

pool on the main deck with a cascade 

waterfall that spills over the end wall. 

The bulkhead that constitutes this 

wall is covered with teak panelling 

that flows into symmetrical staircases 

leading down to the swim platform. 

This lower deck is surmounted by 

an unusual overhead ‘spoiler’, which 

provides partial shade and still allows 

abundant light to filter through. 

The forward section of the yacht 

presents a classic bow profile with a 

flush deck for the helipad, which can be 

extended with side ‘leaves’ to meet new 

regulations relating to touch-and-go 

operations. This forward deck is level 

with the wheelhouse, which is provided 

with wing stations contained in blisters 

in the bulwarks for optimum visibility 

fore and aft during manoeuvres. A 

defining architectural feature amidships 

is the large window on either side that 

extends the full height of the main and 

upper decks and abruptly intersects the 

bulwark coaming. 

The upper deck and owner’s deck 

are linked externally by bold arches 

that add an imposing graphic effect, 

while also tricking the eye into 

believing that two deck levels are in 

fact one and providing the 200sqm 

owner’s apartment with ample natural 

light. A forward terrace leading off 

the owner’s deck can serve as an 

open-air gym. The area forward of the 

antenna mast houses another area 

reserved exclusively for the owner’s 

use. Painted black to minimise its visual 

impact, the accompanying 320sqm of 

private sundeck features a Jacuzzi, sun 

loungers and two large skylights in the 

deckhead that illuminate the owner’s 

accommodation below. 

91

REBEL WITH A CAUSE 

The inspiration behind 

the Rebel concept 

for the Newcruise 

trio of partners—Frank E H 

Neubelt, Roland Krueger 

and Katharina Raczek—has 

its source in the original fast 

commuter yachts popular in 

the US in the 1940s and ‘50s. 

From this starting point, they 

have adapted the form and 

function of the commuter 

type yacht to the modern 

cruising lifestyle. 

Comfort and safety while under way 

are provided through the tank-tested 

hull form and optimised twin (or triple) 

MTU/water jet propulsion. The choice 

of water jets allows for fast transfers and 

cruising inshore shoal waters thanks 

to the shallow draught, or even for 

92 

beaching the bow section. The hull and 

superstructure would be constructed 

out of lightweight Alustar, but the 

superstructure also employs plenty 

of glass and carbon fibre detailing. 

Several fold-down balconies and large 

sliding glass doors meet the modern 

owner’s demands for maximum contact 

with the exterior environment, while a 

Jalousie system of blinds and insulating 

glass with inter-pane cavities provides 

accurate light dispersal and protection 

from glare. 

In addition to accommodating the 

wheelhouse, the bridge deck allows 

for two layout possibilities: one focuses 

on sunbathing with Jacuzzi, relaxation 

area and bar, while the other offers an 

additional sky lounge with games area 

and bar. Three en suite guest cabins 

are located on the lower deck with 

different layouts for double or single 

beds, with the owner’s suite on the 

forward main deck. The lower deck also 

features a galley, crew mess, laundry 

and seven crew cabins as well as the 

tender garage.

The interior design would be crisp 

and fresh in line with other Newcruise 

projects, but would also include vintage 

motifs and a touch of Hollywood 

glamour from the heyday of fast 

commuters. 

“We’ve looked to include some 

classic styling touches from the 

1950s, while always giving them a 

contemporary edge,“ explains Katharina 

Raczek, “such as the deep buttons on 

the capitonné chairs and sofas that were 

a popular feature at the time. I would 

also like to include some vintage table 

and lamp designs, to add to the classic 

feel. Colourwise, woods will be kept 

neutral with stronger accents in certain 

rooms provided by the upholstery. 

Velvet fabrics in greens and corals have 

a very retro feel, as does baby blue. You 

see vintage influences so much in landbased 

design, but the yacht industry 

is always a bit behind on the trends. 

Just look at the Mad Men series on TV, 

which has spilled over into fashion and 

furniture design. I’d like to bring some 

more of this glamorous 50s chic into 

Rebel’s interior.” 

“I would also love to introduce work 

from a company I discovered in Paris 

called Pierre Bonnefille,“ continues 

Raczek. “They work with plaster a lot 

and it provides really interesting surface 

textures. They can create walls and 

structures in different colours entirely 

by hand using a very new technique, 

which has only just became available 

with a fire retardant coating suitable 

for marine use. I have seen their work 

on boats before, and it is always nice 

to come across the people behind 

the work you have seen and admired. 

They understand and think about the 

architecture as well, which is rare, 

as often you find that outfitters find 

it hard to transform their work into 

an architectural context and see the 

bigger picture.” 

93

GRAND PRIX 

The ipi 90 is a 90-metre 

motoryacht developed 

by New York-based 

design studio Impossible 

Productions Ink LLC, in 

collaboration with Vuyk 

Engineering Groningen 

B.V. As company directors 

Alistair Gill & Veronika 

Schmid explain, the 

overriding stylistic influence 

is the aerodynamic shapes 

of F1 racing cars. 

Although the studio’s first superyacht 

concept, the project displays a 

firm grasp of such issues as space 

management and circulation flow 

derived from their architectural training. 

The aerodynamic, racing car lines 

are visible in the profiling of hull and 

superstructure and enhanced through 

the iridescent paintwork, along with the 

spatial layout. They are also projected 

in the initial vertical single surface of the 

superstructure being cut, pulled and 

94 

twisted in order to create openings, 

giving way to a secondary glass skin 

and landscaped outdoor surfaces for 

lounging. The twisting of the surface is 

not just a stylistic measure, but allows 

for channeling of the air flow along the 

outer perimeter of the yacht, sweeping 

the air away from people on deck and 

forcing the draft downwards, as well 

as minimising air resistance and the 

effect of windage on the vessel while 

underway. 

The reasoning behind the 

superstructure is also reflected in the 

layout of the interior and exterior 

spaces. Large open living spaces are 

juxtaposed and opened up via generous 

vertical connections and void spaces, 

creating a spatial organisation more akin 

to that of a live-in loft/gallery space. 

The continuity of the superstructure 

enhances the movement from open 

interior spaces to exterior landscapes. 

The seven decks are not clearly 

visible or stacked, this is achieved 

mainly through the oblique cuts and 

twists in the superstructure, as well as 

the diagonal connections from each aft 

deck to the forward deck above. This 

feature allows for more fluid circulation 

between decks and breaks away from 

the vertical stacking generally seen on 

more traditional designs. The layout 

of the exterior living areas are treated 

more as landscapes than horizontal 

floor spaces, with subtle slopes 

connecting decks and gently inclined 

walkways sandwiched between the 

opaque skin of the superstructure and 

the glass skin enveloping the interior 

spaces. Each of the sunbathing areas 

on the superstructure’s aft decks offer 

an infinity pool that melts into the 

ocean backdrop. 

With its 15-metre beam, the yacht 

has sufficient volume for innovative art 

and exhibition spaces, a glass-bottomed 

swimming pool suspended above the 

main salon, and double-height spaces 

for circulation and socialising.

Eastern Promise 

Ruea Yachts in Bangkok, 

Thailand, has produced 

a new 75-metre concept 

designed with the Asian 

market in mind. The first 

design has been developed 

for a China-based owner in 

conjunction with BMT Nigel 

Gee and UK design studio 

Design Unlimited, who also 

provided naval architecture 

and interior design for the 

Ruea 60. Gareth Twist, 

Managing Director of 

Ruea Yachts and its parent 

company Yacht Solutions, is 

a former commercial captain 

and a founding member of 

the Asia Pacific Superyacht 

Association. 

The year-round good weather in Asia 

has influenced the design, in that we 

have focused on the inclusion of shade 

decks instead of extensive sundecks, 

which are typically more popular with 

European buyers. The main deck 

salon leads to a partially covered aft 

deck dining area for 12 people. Asian 

owners tend to use their yachts for the 

entertainment of business people and 

friends and this consideration has a 

major influence on the layout, which 

includes multiple entertainment areas, 

a karaoke room, a cinema and—with 

an owner’s stateroom and five guest 

cabins—relatively few cabins because 

the design is not based on family use. 

Key design elements include the 

light and airy interior spaces, which 

blend with exterior shaded areas, 

allowing the accommodation to flow 

between the two areas. Panoramic 

windows have been included to 

provide maximum visibility and 

maintain this connection with the 

exterior spaces and the sea, so guests 

can enjoy the luxury of being inside but 

not cut off from outside. We have also 

included a side-opening balcony as a 

private deck area for the owner. 

A below-deck heli garage ensures 

that helicopter preparations are kept to 

a minimum and out of sight, allowing 

the speed of response that owners 

expect. Asians typically take a lot of 

short breaks on their yachts, so flying 

in and out with ease and efficiency is 

very important. As it is below deck, the 

helideck is not just confined to having 

one function, but can also serve as a 

party space or gym, for instance. The 

interiors are Asian inspired with lots 

of silks and specially commissioned, 

hand-painted murals. By twinning 

European design with the flair of our 

team of Thai craftsmen, we believe 

shorter lead times and competitive 

pricing is an enticing proposition for 

Asian owners who want a superyacht 

that complements their lifestyle 

requirements. 

A maximum speed in excess of 17 

knots is envisaged with a cruising range 

of over 6,000 nm. The yacht will be 

Lloyd’s certified and built to the MCA 

Large Yacht Code LY2 with a gross 

tonnage of 1830gt. 

95

CURB APPEAL 

An exciting collaboration 

between some of the 

leading names in the 

British yacht industry has 

culminated in the Phantom 

50-metre concept. This sleek, 

low volume, all-aluminium 

vessel from Pendennis 

is styled by Reymond 

Langton Design with naval 

architecture by Nigel Irens 

and represents the broad 

range of skill and expertise 

these companies can offer. 

RLD explains the core design 

values behind the project. 

The basis of the design concept was 

to develop a yacht that displays serious 

‘curb appeal’ without compromising on 

interior accommodation and facilities. 

At 50 metres in length overall, the 

concept carries all the usual attributes 

of a yacht in her class, the only obvious 

variation being the exclusion of a 

second salon at bridge deck level. 

This fundamental difference provided 

the opportunity of producing a much 

sportier profile, perhaps with a more 

automotive influence, by pushing the 

shortened superstructure further aft 

than would normally be possible on a 

vessel of this size. 

96 

The plumb bow and sweeping 

sheer line lends the profile an elegant, 

assertive confidence that reflects the 

project’s high level of design and 

engineering, while its low-resistance 

hull form is tailored for efficient 

performance with transatlantic range 

and a top speed of 17 knots. With 

aesthetics at the forefront of the 

concept, coming in at the 500gt mark 

meant the design also managed to 

avoid many of the more restrictive 

regulatory elements that would 

otherwise have to be considered. 

This, in turn, permitted more design 

freedom in the styling, both inside 

and out. 

The aim with the exterior lines was to 

allow the form and appearance of the 

vessel to take a leading role in much 

the same way an automotive designer 

would approach styling a sports 

car, rather than a family hatchback. 

Very often, owners understandably 

are keen to optimise the amount 

of accommodation available to 

them, but this all too often leads to 

compromises in terms of exterior 

styling and the general proportions of 

the yacht. With the Phantom, it was 

more a case of creating a distinctive, 

youthful, contemporary design with 

the emphasis on the exterior profile— 

evidenced by the bold red and white 

paint scheme of the renders—while still 

paying due attention to the layout and 

practicality of operating the superyacht. 

That said, adopting this design 

approach has not hindered the level 

of accommodation and living areas 

in any way. The yacht has four cabins 

on the lower deck and a full-beam 

owner’s suite on the main deck with 

walk-in wardrobes and study area. The 

dining room is on the upper deck and 

the aft deck can also be configured for 

open-air dining. A Jacuzzi and sunbeds 

are located forward of the wheelhouse. 

The GA incorporates a glass elevator 

running through all deck levels, a 

rare feature for a yacht this size, as is 

the small private seating area in the 

forepeak reserved for use by the 10man 

crew.

PERFECT 

FORM 

Newcomer Sigmund 

Yacht Design aims to 

push the envelope of 

design in every way. Since its 

inception in 2010, the studio 

has designed and displayed 

a number of advanced 

motoryacht concepts that 

have polarised opinion in the 

superyacht industry. In the 

case of the Vestar 60-metre 

sailing yacht, the brief was to 

design a modern classic that 

advances the limits of interior 

space, using the very latest 

materials and construction 

techniques. Studio director 

Peter Symonds explains the 

rationale behind the concept. 

Innovation on both the inside and 

the outside distinguish the Vestar 

from our series of motoryachts. 

Underneath the elegant lines and 

balanced proportions is Vestar’s most 

exciting innovation: carbon-reinforced 

plastic, constructed using a titanium 

graphite laminate. This advanced 

material mélange provides higher 

static strength, damage tolerance 

and corrosion resistance, resulting 

in a significantly higher strength/ 

weight ratio over what can currently 

be achieved with more traditional 

materials. Employing these high-tech 

materials and construction methods 

translates into extra interior space, 

increased performance and lower 

maintenance costs. With recent 

breakthroughs in the aeronautical 

industry in making large sections from 

carbon composites with exotic metal 

weaves, it can only be five to 10 years 

before the materials and techniques are 

taken up in our own industry. Vestar is 

therefore a showcase for new materials 

and building techniques that offer 

owners, guests and crew advantages 

in terms of quality, sea-keeping and 

economy. Furthermore, forthcoming 

legislation that will affect the amount 

of living space available onboard, will 

be offset by the use of exotic, stiff, 

lightweight materials, as well as the 

eradication of corrosion and/or fatigue 

associated with a conventional steel or 

aluminium hull. 

Continuing Vestar’s inside-out 

approach to innovation, the hull has 

been designed to create the perfect 

form on which to base a practical, 

open and ergonomic yacht interior. 

The widest part of the hull has been 

shifted as far aft as possible to provide 

the most through-beam space for the 

most important living areas: the owner’s 

suite, viewing lounge and pilot house. 

The pilot house is well placed with 

good visibility and should be a joy to 

use for any captain. The viewing lounge 

and day head are less crowded due to 

their position that provides pragmatic 

day-to-day comfort, while the owner’s 

suite benefits most from the extra 

space and will allow owners to pursue 

their lifestyles with ease and creativity. 

Vestar will have an overall length of 60 

metres, a maximum beam of 12 metres 

and a swing keel with a draught of 4.2 

metres. Displacement is calculated at 

650 tonnes with total sail area at 2,413 

sqm. The concept will be displayed 

with industry partners at international 

exhibitions throughout 2011. 

99

Q&A 

ANDRE 

HOEK 

One of the leading names in yacht 

design and naval architecture, 

Andre Hoek founded his studio in 

Edam in 1986. Since then, Hoek 

Design has established a reputation 

for its Truly Classic sailboat designs, 

but also offers ultra-modern styling. 

More recently, the studio has moved 

into motoryacht design with projects 

from 18 to 55-metres. 

100 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

“The large yacht 

market will develop 

into performance- 

oriented yachts that 

are comfortable 

as both cruising 

and charter yachts...” 

RAPID 

FIRE 

101

Who or what was behind 

your decision to become a 

naval architect? 

I grew up in a sailing family from childhood and 

started sailing in a klinker-built dinghy at the age 

of five, followed by a Flying Junior and 470. My 

parents owned a typical Dutch sailing yacht with 

leeboards and gaff rig. They had beautiful drawings 

of this yacht, which were hanging in my bedroom 

from the age of seven and encouraged me to 

become a naval architect. I raced these yachts 

from a very young age and this also influenced my 

decision to study naval architecture. 

What are the key attributes 

required in your chosen 

profession? 

Key attributes are the ability to listen and 

communicate well, enjoy and be enthusiastic 

about your work, and be good at mathematics and 

the basics of naval architecture. Another important thing 

is to have a keen eye for beauty, lines and proportions. 

How important is the relationship with 

the owner to developing a successful 

project? 

The relationship with an owner is crucial. I try to understand their lifestyle 

and the goals they are trying to achieve, then incorporate these into a 

project. I like to sail extensively on all the yachts that we design. A highlight 

for me was to be invited on board the sailing yacht Adele for a whole 

month on three occasions, touring the Arctic, the Antarctic and Pacific. 

Likewise, I am now also involved in the racing programme of the 180 foot 

ketch Marie. 

The mission behind your studio is “to 

design 21st century yachts”—what 

does that signify? 

It means that we develop yachts that are great to look at, but equally 

importantly are designed and built using the most advanced technologies 

and materials available today. Our aim is to be at the forefront of technical 

developments and we were, for instance, the first office to design a large 

schooner with a lifting keel and a very high aspect ratio, a fin keel with a 

torpedo-shaped bulb and a spade rudder. She was arguably one of the 

first large cruising yachts with a lifting keel, a development that had never 

been previously tried or tested on a schooner-rigged yacht. Developments 

have since moved on and we are presently working on lifting keels for 

much larger craft with bulb weights up to 160 tonnes. We have always had 

a very performance-oriented background and R&D projects are ongoing, 

including Velocity Prediction Programs, tank testing, wind tunnel testing, 

CFD and Finite Element work. 

Is there an identifiable ‘look’ to your 

designs? 

We are best known for our ‘truly’ or modern classic designs. You can 

instantly recognise our designs by the harmony of sheer lines, freeboard, 

deckhouse heights and exterior styling. The devil is in the detail and that is 

where we try to stand out. 

102 

HOEK DESIGN 

What have been your 

milestone events and 

projects to date? 

Milestones in the early days were the typical Dutch 

gaff-rigged sailing yachts that were used for cruising 

and racing. Our design office has dominated the 

racing scene for the past 25 years, having designed 

more than 250 yachts of this type. Many of our 

designs have been Dutch open champions in this 

class, including last year. The development of 

ocean-going, classically styled yachts with modern 

underwater configurations started in 1986. Early 

yachts were the 70 foot ketch Kim and 70 foot sloop 

Joss. Another milestone was certainly the yacht 

Truly Classic, a 65 foot sloop campaigned by the 

late Michael Peacock of British Admiral’s Cup Fame. 

Truly Classic won almost all races in her class both in 

the Caribbean and Mediterranean, including taking 

the overall Mediterranean Cup for Spirit of Tradition 

yachts. Another landmark is the 180 foot triple 

award-winning sailing yacht Adele. She broke new ground for us and three 

other yachts were built in a similar style: Marie, Erica and Athos. On the 

motorboat side the development of the 50-metre Hollander project was a 

new departure, followed recently by various other motorboat projects that 

have started construction. 

Is the J-Class revival a phenomenon 

you see continuing in the future? 

The J-class revival will certainly continue in the future. We’ve been working 

on four new J-class designs, Lionheart being the first one to be launched, 

Atlantis under construction, Svea to start construction this year and a 

replica of Enterprise that will likely materialise as well. When people see 

the J-class regattas that will be held in the UK in 2012, I foresee a further 

upswing in this class. They are very competitive racing yachts, but can also 

be developed as fantastic cruising yachts with all the new ideas that have 

been developed. Moreover, unlike many racing yachts, the Js will keep 

their value in the years ahead. 

Do you differentiate between your work 

on sailboats and motoryachts? 

I work with a dedicated and experienced team with backgrounds in both 

sailing yacht and motoryacht design. We only started the latter three years 

ago, when we were asked by clients to develop new ideas for a motorboat. 

The Hollander project is a good example of this and we are presently 

drawing three different designs that will be built in the near future. We 

try to develop motoryachts that combine the Hoek philosophy of good 

proportions, good looks and timeless elegance with a raft of new ideas. 

How do you see the large yacht market 

developing over the next decade? 

The large yacht market will develop into performance-oriented yachts 

that are comfortable as both cruising and charter yachts, as well as being 

successful on the race course. There is a growing interest in participating 

in superyacht regattas and yachts continue to grow in length. We are 

presently working on a 60-metre sloop and two 75-metre sailing yachts. At 

the same time, we have always done designs for smaller sailing yachts too 

and at the moment are involved in the construction of several between 37 

and 90 foot. 

JUSTIN RATCLIFFE

ADELE 

VITTERS 

103

Hushed 

Flush 

The humble toilet—or WC if we want to be more delicate— 

is not the sexiest item aboard a superyacht, but it is certainly 

an essential piece of equipment and one that is potentially 

troublesome if poorly designed and executed. Tork Buckley 

takes a look at a series of technically innovative toilet 

solutions from Planus, an Italian manufacturer based 

in Civita Castellana just north of Rome. 

104

Planus manufacture six 

toilet lines in different 

styles: Elite, Arctic, Sky, 

Vision, Impact and Race. The 

latter is an all-carbon product 

in a gloss or matt finish, but 

if carbon chic is not required 

it can be coated in any RAL 

(colour space system) shade. 

The Sky toilets can be wallmounted; 

the others are all 

floor standing. Within the 

ranges, a variety of heights 

and sizes are available to suit 

larger or smaller vessels and 

spaces. The toilets are also 

available with an integrated 

bidet, which saves even 

more valuable bathroom 

real estate. 

The entire ceramic range is 

manufactured in 12 colours, including 

both gloss and matt black, which sound 

rather interesting and unusual. Two lines, 

the Vision and Impact, have an entire 

bathroom range available in matching 

style, including basins, baths, bidets 

and shower trays. The Impact accessory 

range is very contemporary, but the 

angular toilet and bidet might be a little 

too radical for more traditional tastes. 

One of the main functions of the 

Planus technical office is to work with 

shipyards in the planning of toilet 

systems up to the finished installation 

and subsequent testing. This has led to 

some interesting technical innovations, 

one of which is that its current range is 

based on a non-vacuum system. Instead, 

each unit is fitted with an integral 

VORTEX pump with a patented noisereduction 

system. Standard vacuum 

pumps are inherently noisy due to the 

cavitation caused by the presence of 

some air, which is sucked through the 

toilet drainage hole at the end of each 

discharge sequence and remains caught 

in the upper part of the pump. Planus 

has resolved the problem by adding 

an automatic “vent air discharge,” a 

feature the company claims is both 

more efficient and “noiseless” (although 

eliminating noise completely is 

impossible as water entry and flushing 

make some noise too). 

TECH 

TALK 

The plumbing is configured so that 

individual toilets are connected to the 

same main discharge pipe at an angle 

that follows the flow direction, creating 

a “Y”-shaped connection to avoid backflow 

issues. As a further precaution, they 

are also fitted with a non-return valve 

that can resist twice the pump pressure. 

Although the Planus system would seem 

to avoid the somewhat startling noise 

that standard pumps make on flushing, 

which can make you feel you’re aboard a 

Boeing rather than a Benetti, the upside 

of a centralised vacuum system is that 

all the pumps can be centrally located, 

meaning standard maintenance does 

not require entry into a guest space. 

On the other hand, having a pump for 

each toilet increases the reliability of the 

system as a whole. 

The operating switch varies from the 

user-friendly Family model (available in 

various colours), where one push does 

everything, to a dual-control touch panel 

for sailing yachts, where one needs 

to leave a bowl empty or full. Planus 

also offers a variety of vents or siphon 

breaks to address the risk of flooding 

when the toilet is below the heeled 

waterline. The company also produces 

two waterproof grey water collection 

and transfer units—the Pro-Lift. Made of 

AISI 316 stainless steel, the Pro-Lift also 

uses the “noiseless” air-venting system 

to activate a patented “Venturi Ejector”, 

which automatically resets the proper 

operating water levels. 

All in all, the Planus range offers an 

innovative, efficient and stylish series of 

bathroom hardware that can be seen 

but not heard. 

105

ISSUE 

INDEX 

777 Yacht Group Company www.777ygc.com 

Above and Beyond www.above-and-beyond.eu 

Abu Dhabi Mar www.abudhabimar.com 

Adriel Design www.adrieldesign.net 

Aequum www.aequum.com 

ALLOY www.alloydesign.com.au 

Aquos Yachts www.aquosyachts.com 

Asia Pacific Superyachts www.asia-pacific-superyachts.com 

Aston Martin www.astonmartin.com 

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. www.lamborghini.com 

Bang & Olufsen www.bang-olufsen.com 

BMT Nigel Gee Ltd. www.bmtyachts.com 

Camper & Nicholsons International www.camperandnicholsons.com 

Cantieri Navali Baglietto SpA www.baglietto.com 

Cantieri Navali Rizzardi Srl - Posillipo www.rizzardi.com 

Castle Fine Arts Foundry www.bronzefoundry.co.uk 

Compotec www.compotec.it 

Charter Spa Services www.charterspaservices.com 

Claydon Reeves www.claydonreeves.com 

Consorzio Navale Marchigiano www.consorzionavale.it 

Construction Navale Bordeaux (CNB) www.cnb.fr 

Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie (CMN) www.cmnyacht.com 

Custom Line www.customline-yacht.com 

Danish Yacht A/S www.danishyacht.com 

Derecktor Shipyards www.derecktor.com 

Design Studio Spadolini S.r.l www.spadolini.it 

Design Unlimited www.designunlimited.net 

Diamond Spas Inc www.diamondspas.com 

Edmiston & Company www.edmistoncompany.com 

Ergoproject S.r.l. www.ergoproject.it 

Evan K Marshall www.evankmarshall.com 

Fabbri Fiore & F. Srl www.fabbrifiore.it 

Ferretti S.P.A. www.ferrettigroup.com 

Fratelli Rossi Cantiere Navale Srl www.cantierefratellirossi.it 

Freedom Of Creation B.V. www.freedomofcreation.com 

Gamma & Bross SpA : SpaLogic Division www.spalogic.net 

Hanseatic Marine www.hanseaticmarine.com 

Harley Davidson www.harley-davidson.com 

Hoek Design Naval Architects www.hoekdesign.com 

Hot Lab www.hotlab.it 

Impossible Productions Ink llc impossible-productions-ink.com 

International Shipyards Ancona www.isayachts.com 

Island Marine Services www.island-marine.com 

Jacuzzi Europe S.p.A. www.jacuzzi.eu 

106 

Karim Rashid Inc. www.karimrashid.com 

Lazzarini & Pickering Nautical www.lazzarinipickering.com 

Luca Brenta & Co www.lucabrenta.com 

Luxury Institute LLC www.luxuryinstitute.com 

Metrica Interior www.metrica.de 

Mulder Design www.mulderdesign.nl 

My Exhibition S.r.l. www.myexhibition.it 

NanoLandGlobal www.nanolandglobal.com 

Newcruise Yacht Projects & Design www.newcruise.de 

Nigel Irens Design www.nigelirens.com 

Oceanco Shipyards www.oceancoyacht.com 

Cantieri di Pisa SpA www.cantieridipisa.it 

Pendennis Shipyard Ltd www.pendennis.com 

Perini Navi Spa www.perininavi.it 

Philip Watts Design www.philipwattsdesign.com 

Pininfarina www.pininfarina.com 

Pinmar www.pinmar.com 

Planus SpA www.planus.biz 

Quintessentially w.quintessentially.com 

Rainsford Mann Design www.rmd-marine.com 

Redman Whiteley Dixon www.rwd.co.uk 

Reymond Langton Design www.reymondlangtondesign.com 

Rémi Tessier www.remi-tessier.com 

Ruea Yachts www.rueayachts.com 

SanLorenzo Spa www.sanlorenzoyacht.com 

Seatec www.sea-tec.it 

Sigmund Yacht Design www.sigmundyachtdesign.com 

Silverlining www.silverliningfurniture.co.uk 

Spa Design www.spa-design.it 

Space Concepts www.space-concepts.co.uk 

Tim Heywood Designs Ltd - 

Thomas Lyte www.thomaslyte.com 

Tripp Design www.trippdesign.net 

Verhaaren Naval Architects www.tvan-france.fr 

Vuyk Engineering Groningen B.V. www.vuykgron.nl 

Wally Yachts www.wallyyachts.com 

Wetzels Brown Partners wetzelsbrown.com 

Yacht Solutions Ltd www.yachtsolutions.net 

YARE www.yarexhibition.com 

Zuccon International Project www.zucconinternationalproject.com

EXCLUSIVE 

StoCk ImagES 

and bESpokE 

photographIC 

SErVICES. 

www.SUpErYaChtImagES.Com 

ImagES@SUpErYaChtImagES.Com 

tEL +44 (0)20 7801 1013 

SUpErYaCht 

ImagES.Com* 

advertisers: 

1066 Pianos www.1066pianos.co.uk 

Alpha Marine www.alphamarine.gr 

Bannenberg & Rowell Design www.bannenbergandrowell.com 

Brilliant Boats LLC www.brilliantboats.net 

Central Industry Group N.V. www.centraalstaal.nl 

Crew a la Mode www.crewalamode.com 

Custom Carpet Company www.customcarpetcompany.co.uk 

Diamond Spas Inc www.diamondspas.com 

Elstone Hayes Associates Ltd www.elstonehayesassociates.com 

Flow Grill www.flowgrill.eu 

Hacker Boat Co., Inc. www.hackerboat.com 

Heesen Yachts www.heesenyachts.nl 

Heirlooms Ltd. www.heirlooms-superyachts.com 

Marina Mill www.marinamill.co.uk 

Metrica Interior www.metrica.de 

Ocean-LED (UK) www.oceanled.com 

Oceanco Shipyards www.oceancoyacht.com 

Palumbo Spa www.palumbo.it 

Romeo Design LLC www.romeo.ae 

Scale Models Weston www.scalemodelsweston.co.uk 

Struik & Hamerslag B.V. www.struikandhamerslag.nl 

Terence Disdale Design www.terencedisdale.co.uk 

Tilse Industrie www.tilse.com 

Veedon Fleece www.veedonfleece.com 

Crew a la Mode provides services 

focusing on the design and 

development of uniforms. 

It is also home to its own fashion 

label CALM, a design consultancy 

and Nicities - the interiors store. 

Crew a la Mode works directly 

with clients but also collaborates 

with other design disciplines to 

create a uniform that becomes 

an intrinsic part of the yacht's 

philosophy and design. This is 

achieved by becoming actively 

involved at an early stage of the 

project whether it is a re-fit or 

new build. 

Crew a la Mode is passionate 

about all its commissions, large 

or small, collaborating with 

famous brands such as Hugo Boss, 

Calvin Klein and Sebago as well as 

designing and manufacturing in its 

London Studio. 

Whether it's just a few pairs of 

shoes or a complete re-dress, 

Crew a la Mode is the place to 

start. 

Unit 13 Waterside 

44 - 48 Wharf Road 

London N1 7UX 

T: +44 (0) 207 6080690 

E: hello@crewalamode.com 

www.crewalamode.com 

www.mynicities.com 

www.calmcollected.com

3d CoMputer grapHiCs and 

MultiMedia serviCes 

tangraM 3ds llC 

Tangram 3DS LLC, is an internationally 

recognized and award winning 3d 

visualization and animation company. The 

company’s services include 3D modelling, 

visualizations, animations, video editing and 

multimedia presentations in the fields of 

yacht design, interior design, architecture, 

engineering and product design. 

Contact name: Stefan Vittori 

21 rogers road, suite one, Kittery, 

Maine 03904 usa and austria 

tel: +1(207) 439 9500 

FaX: +1(207) 439 9501 

eMail: yachts@tangram3ds.com 

weB: www.tangram3ds.com 

www.yachts.tangram3ds.com 

www.austria.tangram3ds.com 

art 

108 

livingstoneHoMe art for architecture 

steFano agosta srl 

LIVINGSTONEHOME art for architecture 

by Stefano Agosta create a unique 

handmade luxury furniture collection: 

armchair,sofa,coffee table, pouf, ottoman, 

chair,table, desk,console made in mother 

of pearl, red coral and semi precious 

stones mosaics.Tilapia, eel leathers and 

ostrich, wild duck feathers upholstery and 

soft furnishing. Mosaics,decorative wall 

panels and tiles,works of art, sculptures, 

lighting, yacht interior decoration made in 

labradorite, fossil wood, ammonites, crystal 

de roche, crystal quartz 

Contact name: Stefano Agosta 

studio: Palazzo Cattaneo Adorno, Via 

Garibaldi 8 - 16124 Genova Italy 

galleria: Castello cinquecentesco, salita 

al castello 1, Santa Margherita Ligure 

16038 Genova Italy 

tel: +39 010 0017014 

MoBile: +39 347 2742585 

eMail: info@livingstonehome.com 

stefano.agosta@livingstonehome.com 

sKype: stefanoagosta 

weB: www.livingstonehome.com 

agenCy serviCes 

ultraMar agenCia MaritiMa 

We have a qualified team of experts ready 

to offer the best support in all aspects of 

the yacht industry. We offer to manage 

your complete maritime services, like 

Customs, Port Authorities, maintenance, 

fuel Supply, trip planning, etc. in order to 

get the best experience in our country. 

Ultramar, a partner you can trust. 

Ultramar, we make it happen. 

Contact name: Tomas Miranda 

av el Bosque norte 500, las Condes, 

santiago, p.0. Box 131-34 el golf, 755- 

0092 Chile 

tel: +56 2 630 1000, +56 9 683 42531 

FaX: +56 2 6301896 

eMail: tmiranda@ultramar.cl 

operations@ultramar.cl 

weB: www.ultramar.cl 

BatHrooM Fittings & 

arCHiteCtural Hardware 

saMuel HeatH 

Founded in 1820 Samuel Heath 

manufactures the finest quality taps, 

showers, accessories and architectural 

hardware all made in England. Crafted with 

time honoured techniques and the latest 

technology. Classic and contemporary 

designs are offered in a range of high quality 

plated finishes for durability and longevity. 

Full specification service is available. 

Contact name: Vanessa Allan 

leopold street, Birmingham B12 0uJ 

england 

tel: +44 (0)121 766 4236 

FaX: +44 (0)121 772 3334 

eMail: vallan@samuel-heath.com 

weB: www.samuel-heath.com 

Client and Crew Hospitality & 

Catering design and Fitout 

teCHtoniC design 

A professional design and specification 

service for the crew and client hospitality 

& catering spaces and crew living areas on 

yachts. Providing award winning results for 

the most intensively utilised areas on board 

with 20 years experience on both new 

builds and refits. 

Contact name: Andy Stewart 

techtonic design C/o 08 development 

Box 164, ulricehamn, 52324 

sweden 

tel: 0046 (0)708 914798 

eMail: info@techtonicdesign.eu 

weB: www.techtonicdesign.eu 

CustoM and BespoKe 

Furniture 

Martin dodge Furniture 

Established UK bespoke cabinet makers for 

over 40 years. Specialism: Super yacht interiors 

and residential. Renowned for Jupe and 

Radial Tables, corporate and custom pieces. 

Contact name: Martin Dodge 

unit 2, Bennetts Field, wincanton, 

somerset, Ba9 9dt 

tel: +44 (0)1963 32388 

FaX: +44 (0)1963 31063 

eMail: sales@martindodge.com 

weB: www.martindodge.com 

CustoM Carpets 

tai ping 

Tai Ping, designer and manufacturer of 

custom carpets and rugs for luxury yachts: 

Al Mirqab, Luna, Dilbar, Vibrant Curiosity, 

Alfa Nero, Madsummer, Pestifer II, Trident, 

Romance, Addiction, Lady Nag NAAG, 

Clarena II, Roma, Limitless, Eos, Amadeus, 

Archimedes, Princess Mariana, Ocean 

Victory, Jamaïca Bay II, etc. 

Chelsea Harbour design Centre 

406-407 the Chambers south 

london sw10 0XF united Kingdom 

tel: +44 (0)207 808 9650 

FaX: +44 (0)207 808 9659 

eMail: xavierbonnamy@taipingcarpets.com 

weB: www.taipingcarpets.com 

Crew training 

MaritiMe proFessional training 

MPT offers a full range of training 

and certification programmes for the 

MCA, the RYA, the USCG and many 

other administrations for all levels from 

deckhand, Yachtmaster and OOW, 

through Master, including ECDIS, ISPS and 

ISM, as well as AEC and Y4 through Y1 

Engineer. MPT offers specialised training 

for crew new to the industry as well as 

Interior Stewardess and Chief Stewardess 

Programmes. MPT hosts the S.M.A.R.T. 

Campus with the only DNV Class A Full 

Mission Bridge Simulator designed for 

Superyachts. Classroom, Onboard Training, 

Practical Assessments and Virtual Vetting 

are available year round. 

Contact: Amy Beavers or Julie Liberatore 

1915 south andrews avenue 

Fort lauderdale, Florida 33316 usa 

tel: +1.954.525.1014 

FaX: +1.954.764.0431 

eMail: info@MPTusa.com 

weB: www.MPTusa.com 

warsasH MaritiMe aCadeMy 

Our wide experience of training for the 

international shipping industry enables 

us to offer high quality navigation and 

engineering training to professional 

yachtsman. 

Contact name: Vanessa Mole 

newton road, warsash, southampton, 

Hampshire, so31 9Zl, uK 

tel: +44 (0) 1489 576161 

FaX: +44 (0) 1489 573988 

eMail: vanessa.mole@solent.ac.uk 

weB: www.warsashacademy.co.uk 

deCK eQuipMent 

data HidroliK a.s. 

Engineering and production of steering 

systems, anchor windlasses, capstans, 

stainless steel deck equipments (bollards, 

fairleads and anchors) for Yachts, Mega 

Yachts and Commercial Vessels with 

any kind of classification. Our flexible 

production allows to custom production. 

DATA network of sales and service points 

support our products worldwide. 

ISO 9001:2008 accredited. 

Contact name: Cem Huroglu 

istanbul deri organize sanayi Bolgesi 

yan sanayi alani ya-8 parsel aydinli 

tuzla istanbul, turkey 

tel: +90 216 591 07 45/46/47/48 

FaX: +90 216 591 02 51 

eMail: data@datahidrolik.com 

weB: www.datahidrolik.com 

design and ContraCt 

puBlisHing 

tHe superyaCHt art agenCy 

We deliver a bespoke and personal 

approach to creating the best brand, 

marketing campaigns and communication 

tools for the large yacht business. 

3-7 northcote road london sw11 1ng 

tel: +44 (0)20 7924 4004 

FaX: +44 (0)20 7924 1004 

eMail: art@superyachtart.com 

weB: www.superyachtart.com 

dynaMiC positioning systeMs 

deep down, inC 

(MARINE TECHNOLOGIES DIVISION) 

Deep Down’s emphasis is on design, 

installation and maintenance of PLC 

and SCADA based instrumentation and 

control systems. Now offering the Sta-Sys 

dynamic positioning system for complete 

yacht control. Deep Down Sta-Sys is a 

true DP-1 system offering ASK (automatic 

station keeping) without anchoring. Class 

certifications available. 

Contact name: Steve Jackson 

15473 east Freeway, Houston, texas 

77530, usa 

tel: +1 281-862-2201 

FaX: +1 281-862-2552 

eMail: sta-sys@deepdowninc.com 

weB: www.deepdowncorp.com/ddmt

eXHaust systeMs 

MarQuip Bv 

MARQUIP B.V.: specialist in exhaust 

systems and silencers (dry & wet or 

combination), soot filtering, 2D&3D 

engineering & hydrodynamical 

scoopdesign, drafting and own production 

facilities. All systems according to 

requirements of classification offices 

(LROS, DNV, ABS....) 

Especially for luxury yachts of 100 feet and 

over. Engines up to 7,500 kW 

Contact name: Maurice Smit 

staalindustrieweg 5, 2952 at (nl) 

alblasserdam, the netherlands 

tel: +31 -(0)78-6810975 

FaX: +31 -(0)78-6810976 

eMail: info@marquip.nl 

weB: www.marquip.nl 

Fuel and luBe oil supply 

gaC sHipping (uK) ltd 

We deliver high-quality marine fuel and 

lubricants to superyachts and their ancillary 

craft on a worldwide basis through a 

network of local contacts. 

Contact: Marray Bishop 

unit 1, argonaut park, galleymead 

road, Coinbrook, slough, Berkshire 

sl3 0en, uK 

tel: +44 1753 745 117 

FaX: +44 1753 671 672 

MoB: +44 7792 691 831 

eMail: murray.bishop@gac.com 

weB: www.gac.com/industries/yachting 

interior design / eXterior 

styling / naval arCHiteCture 

adaM lay studio liMited 

Award-winning interior design and 

exterior styling studio. 

Contact name: Adam Lay 

willow Cottage, romsey road, 

King’s somborne, stockbridge, 

Hampshire, so20 6pw uK 

tel: +44 (0)1794 388590 

eMail: yachts@adamlaystudio.co.uk 

weB: www.adamlaystudio.co.uk 



alpHa Marine ltd 

Yacht Designers & Naval Architects, 

complete project management, styling 

& interior design, supervision of refits, 

conversion and major modifications, 

technical & safety management, surveys, 

inspections, feasibility studies, evaluation. 

Contact name: Nikos Dafnias 

213 K.Karamanlis ave, 166 73 voula, 

athens, greece 

tel: +30 210 42 80 208 

FaX: +30 210 41 82 136 

eMail: info@alphamarine.gr 

weB: www.alphamarine.gr 



Brilliant Boats 

A full service Naval Architecture consultancy 

specializing in 3D design, engineering and 

Net-Part construction packages. Brilliant Boats 

offers a powerful combination of skills: A 

fully integrated 3D design process, including 

engineering, developmental and construction 

modelling, backed up by 25 years experience 

delivering real-world design, production 

engineering and manufacturing support. 

Contact name: Michael Schutte 

sunrise Building, F adasi, serbest Bölge 

liman/antalya 07070, turkey 

tel: +90 242 259 33 22 

FaX: +90 242 259 52 85 

eMail: info@brilliantboats.net 

weB: www.brilliantboats.net 

design studio spadolini 

Our mission is to turn ideas and dreams 

into world cruising yachts. 

Award-winning exterior and interior 

design studio. 

We have designed yachts for over 30 

years with passion and innovation. 

A constant search for fluid architectural 

lines in harmony with yacht volumes and 

contact with the sea. 

via pian dei giullari 86, 

50125 Firenze, italy 

tel: 0039 055 223558 

FaX: 0039 055 224762 

eMail: info@spadolini.it 

weB: www.spadolini.it 



de voogt yaCHt serviCes 

Naval archtects and engineers providing 

consultancy, design and engineering 

services specifically for the conversion 

and refit of Feadships. Assistance for 

classification and registration. 

Contact name: Francis Gumbs 

p.o. Box 5238, 2000 ge Haarlem, the 

netherlands 

tel: +31 23 524 70 00 

FaX: +31 23 524 86 39 

eMail: francisg@devoogtnavalarchitects.nl 

weB: www.feadship.nl 



reiCHel/pugH yaCHt design inC. 

Award winning and record breaking 

Naval Architecture and Engineering studio 

specializing in luxury performance sailing 

cruising yachts and state of the art 

racing yachts. 

Contact name: Jim Pugh 

2924 emerson street, suite 311, 

san diego, Ca 92106, usa 

tel: +1 619 223-2299 

FaX: +1 619 224-1698 

eMail: jim@reichel-pugh.com 

weB: www.reichel-pugh.com 

interior Fittings - taBleware 

and deCorative aCCessories 

willer 

The essential source for tableware, textiles 

and objects. 

Exclusive makers and bespoke. 

Ancient to contemporary. 

Specialist sourcing. 

Innovative solutions for the design 

professional and the individual. 

Contact name: Miles De Lange 

12 Holland street, Kensington 

london w8 4lt, uK 

tel: +44 (0)20 7937 3518 

FaX: +44 (0)20 7937 4226 

eMail: info@willer.co.uk 

weB: www.willer.co.uk 

DIRECTORY 

insuranCe 

We are one of the leading specialists 

for yacht insurance worldwide and have 

arranged custom cover for many of the 

world’s great yachts and crews. 

pantaenius germany 

Grosser Grasbrook 10, 20457 Hamburg 

Contact: Martin Baum 

tel: +49 40 37 09 10 

FaX: +49 40 37 09 11 09 

eMail: Luxury@pantaenius.com, 

MBaum@pantaenius.com 

weB: www.pantaenius.com 

pantaenius Mediterranean 

MONACO: 

34, Quai Jean-Charles Rey, 98000 Monaco 

Contact: Michael Kurtz 

tel: +377 97 98 43 43 

FaX: +377 97 98 43 40 

eMail: info@monaco.pantaenius.com, 

MKurtz@pantaenius.com 


SPAIN: 

c/.Torre de Pelaires, 5, 07015 Palma de 

Mallorca 

Contact: Imme Schmidts 

tel: +34 971 70 86 70 

FaX: +34 971 70 86 71 

eMail: info@spain.pantaenius.com, 

ISchmidts@pantaenius.com 


pantaenius great Britain 

Marine Building, Victoria Wharf, Plymouth, 

Devon, PL4 ORF, UNITED KINGDOM 

Contact: John McCurdy 

tel: +44 1752 22 36 56 

FaX: +44 1752 22 36 37 

eMail: info@pantaenius.co.uk, 

JohnM@pantaenius.co.uk 


pantaenius scandinavia 

DENMARK: 

Osterbro 11, 7800 Skive 

Contact: Gert Toft 

tel: +45 97 51 33 88 

FaX: +45 97 51 33 89 

eMail: info@skive.pantaenius.com, 

GToft@pantaenius.com 


SWEDEN: 

Föreningsgatan 26, 211 52 Malmö 

Contact: Bo Bergqvist 

tel: +46 40 20 66 60 

FaX: +46 40 20 66 69 

eMail: info@sweden.pantaenius.com 

pantaenius america 

500 Mamaroneck Avenue Suite 318, 

Harrison NY 10528, US 

Contact: Cary Wiener 

tel: +1 914 381 2066 

FaX: +1 914 381 2052 

eMail: enquiries@pantaenius.com, 

CWiener@pantaenius.com 


1 Washington Street, Newport Shipyard 

Newport, RI 02840 

Contact: Dick Tracy 

tel: +1 401 619 1499 

FaX: +1 401 619 1495 

eMail: enquiries@pantaenius.com, 

DTracy@pantaenius.com 


109

insuranCe 

110 

anp yaCHt insuranCe 

Yacht Insurance broker since 60 years. 

Best Rates and Security for: Hull & 

Machinery Insurance; Third part Liability; 

Protection & Indemnity; War Risks 

Insurance; Crew Insurance and Yacht 

under construction Insurance; Yachting 

Professionnal Insurance. 

Contact us to receive a free quotation. 

Marseille: 

Contact: Thomas de Campou. 

15, rue Beauvau, 13001 Marseille 

tel: +33 4 96 176 178 

FaX: +33 4 91 54 36 56 

eMail: info@assurances-plaisance.com 

st tropeZ: 

Contact: Guillaume Harrel-Courtes / 

Thomas de Campou 

golfe de saint tropez, Marina sur la 

giscle, rn 98 sur la giscle, 83310 

griMaud FranCe. 

tel: +33 6 86 86 57 49 

eMail: info@assurances-plaisance.com 

weB: www.assurances-plaisance.com 

S T U R G E 

Sturge are the longest established 

independent professional in the design 

and handling of insurance programmes for 

the owners of luxury yachts. All matters 

whether placement or claims, are handled 

by one of the five principals who have over 

100 years experience. 

south of France 

sturge international serviCes 

15 rue Sadi Carnot, 06600 Antibes, France 

Contact: Nick Sturge, Burr Taylor, John Theed 

tel: +33 (0)4 93 95 22 95 

FaX: +33 (0)4 93 95 22 00 

eMail: sturgeyot@aol.com 

weB: www.sturgetaylor.com 

london 

sturge taylor & assoCiates ltd 

108 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 5JR 

Contact: Caspar McDonald 

tel: +44 (0)207 702 2202 

FaX: +44 (0)207 900 3709 

eMail: cmcdonald@sturgetaylor.com 


southampton 

sturge taylor & assoCiates ltd 

Notebeme House, 84 High Street, 

Southampton, SO14 2NT 

Contact: Steve Laurie 

tel: +44(0) 2380 222666 

FaX: +44(0) 2380 051381 

eMail: slaurie@sturgetaylor.com 


Sturge Taylor & Associates Ltd are 

authorised and regulated by the Financial 

Services Authority. 

ligHting 

oceanled 

OceanLED provides lighting solutions for 

the marine industry. OceanLED products 

combine the efficiencies of advanced LED 

technology with superior design to ensure 

lighting excellence. 

Contact name: Laura McMahon 

21 ptarmigan place, nuneaton, 

warks, Cv11 6rX, uK 

tel: +44 (0)2476 371700 

FaX: + 44(0)2476 374840 

eMail: superyachts@oceanled.com 

weB: www.oceanled.com 

ligHting ManuFaCturers, 

designers and Consultants 

savage Marine ligHting ltd 

Manufacturers and Designers of high 

quality marine lighting, Specialist in 

the Latest LED Technology, Halogen 

and Fibre Optics, Interior and Exterior 

downlights, reading lights security lights 

and Yacht Name Boards, superyacht and 

megayacht lighting project management, 

visual lighting effects and consultancy. 

Contact name: Julie Clark 

unit 1 Cloverpark, Cloverfields, 

Hinckley, leicestershire le10 1yd 

united Kingdom 

tel: +44 (0)1455 614545 

FaX: +44 (0)1455 251590 

eMail: info@savagelighting.co.uk 

weB: www.savagelighting.com 

linen suppliers 

HeirlooMs ltd 

For over 25 years Heirlooms have been 

manufacturing some of the world’s most 

prestigious bed linens, table linens and 

bathroom linens for superyachts. 

We use only the finest materials, 

manufacture to a uniquely high standard 

and offer a rarely found personal service 

which is both fast and flexible. 

Shipping Worldwide. 

Contact name: Ruth Douglas 

arun Business park, Bognor regis, 

west sussex, po22 9sX, uK 

tel: 0044 (0)1243 820 252 

FaX: 0044 (0)1243 821 174 

eMail: sales@heirlooms-linens.co.uk 

weB: www.heirlooms-superyachts.com 

luBriCants supplier 

Helios luBeoil 

As OEM supplier finest brand lubes 

and analysis are faithfully delivered at 

reasonable prices worldwide since 1979. 

One eMail is all it takes. 

Contact name: Jens Dammeyer 

louis-Krages-straße 32, 28237 Bremen, 

germany 

tel: +49 421 22 33 681 

FaX: +49 421 22 33 682 

eMail: mail@superyachtlube.com 

weB: www.superyachtlube.com 

Mattresses 

and Bedding 

Hypnos liMited – iMo & royally 

approved Beds 

Hypnos beds can be found in the world’s 

finest homes, palaces, yachts and 

hotels. Hypnos has been making luxury 

hand crafted beds for over 100 years, 

and is renowned for making the most 

comfortable beds in the world. A Royal 

Warrant reinforces Hypnos’s reputation for 

the best of British quality. 

Contact name: Chris Ward 

longwick road, princes risborough 

Buckinghamshire Hp27 9rt england 

tel: +44 (0)1844 348200 

FaX: +44 (0)1844 348099 

eMail: chris.ward@hypnosbeds.com 

weB: www.hypnosbeds.com 

Mattresses 

and Bedding 

naturalMat 

Naturalmat is the leading manufacturer of 

luxury bespoke mattresses for yachts and 

superyachts. Any shape, size or thickness 

can be achieved. 

Contact name: Mark Tremlett 

99 talbot road, london w11 2at, uK 

tel: +44 (0)207 985 0474 

FaX: +44 (0)207 985 0475 

eMail: mark@naturalmat.co.uk 

weB: www.naturalmat.co.uk 

Monitoring systeMs 

nigHtwatCH industries 

Founded by a 1600-ton licensed 

captain with over 30 years of blue water 

experience, NightWatch has always 

focused on bullet proof data acquisition 

designed to last the life of the vessel. 

Our intuitive display systems provide fast, 

concise information. The vast majority 

of our monitoring systems are on classed 

yachts. NightWatch maintains a reputation 

for outstanding customer service. 

Contact name: Norm Dahl 

661 Maplewood drive, suite 19, 

Jupiter, Fl 33458, usa 

tel: +1 561 745 8722 

FaX: +1 561 745 8718 

eMail: info@night-watch.com 

weB: www.night-watch.com 

natural art and stone 

produCts For interior design 

green river stone CoMpany 

Green River Stone Company offers 50 million 

year-old fossil murals, countertops, and tiles 

from our private quarry in Wyoming. Each is 

one-of-a-kind, featuring fossilized fish or plants 

of exquisite quality and stunning detail. We’ll 

customize our fossil stone to your design for a 

yacht like no other. 

Contact name: Gregory E. Laco 

480 west 1400 north ste. B104 logan 

ut 84341 united states 

tel: +1 763 551 0001 

FaX: +1 763 551 0004 

eMail: glaco@greenriverstone.com 

weB: www.greenriverstone.com 

propellers 

gori propeller a/s 

Gori Propeller offers a full range of folding 

propellers for sailing superyachts in 

3-blade and 4-blade versions. 

lysbjergvej 11, hammelev, 6500 vojens, 

denmark 

tel: +45 73 52 53 54 

FaX: +45 73 52 53 55 

eMail: mail@gori-propeller.dk 

weB: www.gori-propeller

sanitation & sewage 

treatMent 

HeadHunter inC 

Founded in the early 80’s to provide 

plumbing services to the yachting 

community of South Florida, Headhunter 

now operates a 50,000 square foot facility. 

The first product, the Royal Flush toilets 

gained quick notoriety for reliability and 

trouble free operation. Today these are 

the only marine toilet to offer a five-year 

warranty. Since then our production has 

expanded to include: 

• Water pressure systems 

• More Toilets 

• Tank Level Monitors and management 

• Sewage Treatment systems 

Contact name: Mark Mellinger 

3380 southwest eleventh avenue, Ft 

lauderdale Florida 33315, usa 

tel: +1 954 581 6996 

FaX: +1 954 587 0403 

eMail: headmaster@headhunterinc.com 

weB: www.headhunterinc.com 

seCurity 

i.B.s. internationale Bodyguard- 

& siCHerHeitsagentur 

Our Maritime Protection Program offers 

our clients consultancy services, armed 

and unarmed counter piracy escort 

services, executive protection management 

with research, analysis, evaluation, 

recommendation and escort. Furthermore, 

training includes security awareness, anti 

piracy for crews and owners, consultancy 

services especially recognition of 

explosives and incendiary devices, incident 

rehearsals, search techniques, conflict 

resolutions, on-side risk assessments for 

harbors and locations of destinations and, 

in addition, gathering information and 

situation analysis. Since 1996 i.b.s.staff with 

experience in the government and pivate 

security sector of more than two decades 

have performed their services reliably, 

discreetly and highly motivated. 

Contact name: CEO Mr Horst Ruetten 

glockengiesserwall 26 / 20095 

Hamburg, germany 

tel: +494030104115 

FaX: +494030104299 

eMail: info@bodyguardagentur.com 

weB: www.bodyguardagentur.com 

sHipyards 

Jade yaCHts 

Jade Yachts, backed by 40 years of 

commercial steel-ship-building experience 

of its mother company, has been building 

custom megayachts since 2004. Jade 

Yachts refitted 70m AMADEUS motoryacht 

and re-painted 65m Ambrosia, and to 

date, has delivered 10 Bandido 90ft MYs. 

Jade Yachts is the most experienced 

megayacht service centre in Asia. With our 

focus on high quality finish and attention 

to detail, we are a great shipyard for 

international OEM, ODM projects. 

Contact name: Memphis Han 

77, shang Chu lane, shang Chu li, Chi 

Chin district, Kaohsiung 805, taiwan 

tel: +886 7 571 9000#174 

FaX: +886 7 571 5714 

eMail: memphis@jade-yachts.com 

weB: www.jade-yachts.com 

surveyors and Consultants 

patton Marine, inC. 

surveyors and Consultants 

Professional Surveys Conducted Anywhere 

in the world, International or Domestic. 

• Pre-Purchase Surveys 

• Brokerage Trade In Surveys 

• Hull and Bottom Surveys/ - Audio Gauging 

• Insurance and Valuation Surveys/ - 

Damage Surveys 

• New Construction Pre-Acceptance Surveys 

• New Construction and Re-fit supervision 

• Specification, Contract and Plan Review 

• Damage or Refit Bid packages 

• Expert Witness 

• Assessments of Existing Vessel 

Compliance with MCA Code of Practice 

We are familiar with all classification societies 

and commercial regulatory requirements 

in force. 

Contact name: Donald Patton, Tom Jones 

p.o. Box 451135, Miami, Fl-33245-1135, 

usa 

tel: +1 305 648 0823 

FaX: +1 305 648 0827 

eMail: pattonmar@aol.com 

weB: www.pattonmarineonline.com 

teaK deCKing and 

teaK deCKing supplies 

teaKdeCKing systeMs, inC. 

Business Description: For over 27 years, 

creating the industry standard for premanufactured 

teakdecks, interior floors, 

and innovative products for yachts & ships. 

Installing and refurbishing yachts worldwide. 

Contact name: Alan Brosilow 

7061 15th street east sarasota, Florida 

34243 (usa) 

tel: +1 941 756 0600 

FaX: +1 941 756 0406 

eMail: yacht.services@teakdecking.com 

weB: www.teakdecking.com 

tenders/inFlataBles 

pasCoe international ltd 

Pascoe International has over 10 years of 

experience producing high quality boats to 

the Superyacht industry. 

Each boat can be tailored to your personal 

requirements whether it is a custom 

limousine, a high performance RIB with 

a cabin or open deck; a beachlanding 

craft or dive boat. Our Shuttle and SOLAS 

Rescue tender range both combine 

superyacht style and finish with everyday 

use including the ability for watersports. 

Pascoe is a multifaceted company with 

the experience and ability to build 

custom tenders to a very high standard 

and enabling us to meet the customer’s 

personal requirements and tailoring it to 

match the mothership’s livery. 

Contact name: Giles Truscott 

Boatshed 3, universal Marina, Crableck 

lane, sarisbury, southampton, 

Hampshire so31 7Zn, uK 

tel: +44 (0) 1489 564 588 

FaX: +44 (0) 1489 564 888 

eMail: sales@pascoeinternational.com 

weB: www.pascoeinternational.com 

TO GET YOUR COMPANY LISTED 

IN THE DIRECTORY CALL 

+44 (0)20 7924 4004 

OR EMAIL 

SALES@SUPERYACHTDESIGN.COM 

yaCHts, reFit and repair, 

residential, aviation, serviCes 

MetriCa interior 

metrica INTERIOR is a specialised interior 

outfitter for highest luxury yachts, aircrafts 

and residential. metrica INTERIOR provides 

professional project management, 

engineering, production and installation 

of luxury interiors around the world. 

Furthermore metrica INTERIOR has its own 

refit & repair department which includes 

24h services worldwide. 

Contact name: Roman Hagen 

Bahnhofstrasse 73, d-48308 senden 

germany 

tel: +49 (0)2536/3309 – 00 

FaX: +49 (0)2536/3309 – 30 

eMail: info@metrica.de 

weB: www.metrica.de 

yaCHts, reFit and repair, 

residential, aviation, serviCes 

vedder gmbH 

As a traditional German enterprise affiliated 

with an international group, our 100 employees 

specialize in premium quality interior design 

of luxury yachts and villas worldwide. We aim 

for perfection down to the last detail with 

exact fulfillment of customer expectations, 

adherence to the highest standards of 

craftsmanship and technology, consulting 

competence, project management, on-time 

dependability, logistics and services. 

industriestraße 3, d-59348 lüdinghausen, 

germany 

tel: +49(0)2591/929-0 

FaX: +49(0)2591/929-198 

eMail: welcome@vedder.net 

weB: www.vedder.net 

yaCHt registration 

integral MaritiMe solutions (iMs) 

licensed as marine manager by the 

Ministry of economy of luxembourg 

Tailor-made yacht registration in European 

and Offshore jurisdictions remains our first 

job. Continuously updated expertise in 

technical regulations as in European VAT 

are our sources. Fully complying with the 

VAT Package, effective since 1st January 

2010, we handle all mechanisms of VAT 

exemptions or refunding, applying to the 

acquisition or the operation of your yacht. 

In cooperation with your personal advisors, 

IMS organises modular and cost-effective 

packages, providing all services required 

by a yacht. So you get what you are 

entitled to: happy yachting. 

Contact name: Jean-Pierre VERNIER 

1 place du théâtre, l-2213 luxembourg 

tel: + (352) 26 20 34 22 

FaX: + (352) 297 222 

eMail: jpvernier@inmarsol.lu 

weB: www.inmarsol.lu 

111

“I CANNOT 

LEAVE THE 

HOUSE 

WITHOUT A 

PENCIL IN 

MY POCKET... 

BECAUSE YOU 

NEVER KNOW 

WHEN YOU 

MIGHT NEED IT.” 

112 

Giovanni Zuccon

LIET6 ‘Hawaiian’ 

IP66 Exterior / IP56 Interior downlighting range, 

shown here in a Solid 316L Milled Stainless Steel Bezel 

and in a powder coated Aluminum Snow White Bezel 

with a Di�used Tritonium Glass Lens. 

NOW LIVE

to design 21st century yachts - SuperyachtDesign

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