Compendium Volume 8

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PAST PERFECT 1 2 1 BALTIC 117 PERSEVERANCE The award-winning Finnish Baltic 117 sloop, delivered in 2021, is a true modern classic with a sustainable approach. Made from advanced composite, the 35.8m sailing yacht has distinctive pilot cutter-style features, including a straight stem, bowsprit, counter stern and deep bulwarks – paired with efficiency, such as smart cabins to automatically minimise power consumption when unoccupied, and an electric propulsion system for silent-mode cruising for longer periods. 2 ROYAL HUISMAN ATHENA Another award-winner, the 90m clipper-bowed three-masted gaffrigged schooner was built by Royal Huisman in Vollenhove, Netherlands, and delivered in 2004. Back then she was the largest private sailing yacht built. The owner took inspiration from the 1920s Krupp build M/Y Talitha and included a theatre and a library. Athena, a true masterpiece, accommodates 10 guests taken care of by 19 crew in utmost luxury and is available for charter. 3 J CRAFT TORPEDO If retro chic is your thing and you are thinking about acquiring a day-boatsized craft, then look to the idyllic island of Gotland in Sweden. There, the 12.8m classic beauty with cuttingedge technology under the bonnet is manufactured by J Craft. More than 8,000 hours of skilled workmanship are needed for each build. Every vessel made by the 24-year-old shipmaker is thoroughly customised, and the Torpedo is the ideal day boat for cruising with family and friends in style, performing well up to 47 knots. PHOTOS FROM LEFT: STELLA GOMMANS, IVOR WILKINS 64

Bulky explorer yachts have been in vogue in recent years, but now, after the pandemic and with concerns about the climate and the need to reduce the carbon footprint, there has certainly been a change in habits. Restoring and refitting old vessels – or creating new builds from plans found in the archives – is now de rigueur: a retro style that benefits from all the advances of state-of-the-art technology. These projects are some of the most interesting across the globe. By Cornelia Marioglou 3 4 PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: LUCIO GELSI, GUILLAUME PLISSON, ULF SOMMERWERCK, © MAID MARIAN 2 4 TURQUOISE YACHTS BLUE II When the carefree heyday of gentlemen’s yachting is blended with hybrid propulsion for lower emission, vibration and fuel costs, the outcome is the 56m Blue II, built by Turquoise Yachts, based in Istanbul. It has an ice class designation and is built to new emission standards from IMO Tier III. A classic-looking expedition yacht with exteriors designed by Hoek Design and interiors penned by Vickers Studio with 21st-century systems under the skin, Blue II was delivered in 2020. 5 5 MAID MARIAN 2 The steamboat was launched in 1931 as Cleopatra in New York and, in 2006, Hollywood film director Roland Emmerich chartered the boat in Phuket. He fell in love with her classic lines and decided to refit her. John Teall, the British designer (who worked on Emmerich’s London apartment) helped to return the 33.2m vessel to her original glory, adding a seating area to the top deck, while a forward dining salon was changed into a double cabin. Maid Marian 2 accommodates 10 guests and is available for charter. 6 6 ROBBE & BERKING COMMUTER “We want to build motor yachts that even sailors dream of,” says Oliver Berking, founder of Robbe & Berking Classics. Mission accomplished. Whether it is restoring classic yachts from the keel up, rebuilding lost classics or building new yachts using historical plans – always made out of wood – the elegant lines of each of the craft that leaves the shipyard are breathtaking. Here we feature the 9m mahogany Commuter, unit No 1, delivered in 2011 – entirely crafted by hand, of course. 65