Yachts International Winter 2022

kwooton@aimmedia.com Back when Jimmy Carter was president, I joined a sailing club on Boston Harbor to soak up some of the riches I was accumulating as a bartender. After taking some advanced sailing and navigation classes, the day finally came for my check sail. The club fleet included a gaggle of 26-foot, three-person, open keelboats called Solings, which were sailed in the Olympics until 2000. They are pure sailing machines with no engines or electronics. The early summer day dawned sunny and warm—perfect for showing my instructor what I had to offer. As we sailed out down the main channel toward the rocky Boston Harbor islands for what I assumed would be an easy bit of buoy hopping and channel surfing, a dirty smudge appeared on the horizon. Anyone who’s sailed in…

It’s not every day that Valentina Zannier, chief of interior design at Nuvolari Lenard, refers to a hanging glass sculpture as “an example of insane engineering.” And yet, the description befits Falling Feathers, created by Precosia Lighting in the Czech Republic for the 378-foot (115.1-meter) Lürssen Ahpo. The sculpture floats in the void of the central staircase, from the uppermost ceiling to the lower deck. “Metal and crystal pearls comprise the single feather, each one with different shades of amber colors to match the wood of the elm wood stringer,” Zannier explains. The sculpture is just one among countless standout elements aboard Ahpo, which launched in 2021. She is the outcome of a longstanding, trusting relationship among the experienced owners, their representatives at Moran Yacht & Ship, the Lürssen yard and Nuvolari…

how long does it take to build a superyacht? There’s no hard and fast answer. Ordinarily, a 278-foot (85-meter) custom yacht of close to 2,300 gross tons would be in the shipyard for as long as four years. But Victorious took much longer than that. In fact, 14 years passed between the laying of her keel and the official launch in 2021. Victorious started life in 2006 as a 252-foot (77-meter) project with exterior design by Michael Leach at Marco Yachts, a shipyard in Chile. Rumors that construction had stalled were confirmed when the project was acquired by Kiwi owner Graeme Hart in 2011. He had the unfinished vessel towed across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand for completion. Once again, however, work ground to a halt, and the yacht was…

MARALA LOA 193ft. (58.8m) BEAM 26ft. 6in. (8.08m) DRAFT 12ft. 6in. (3.8m) CONSTRUCTION steel/aluminum SPEED (max./cruise) 15/12 knots RANGE 4,000nm GROSS TONNAGE 499 NAVAL ARCHITECTURE Camper & Nicholsons EXTERIOR STYLING George Nicholson INTERIOR DESIGN Muza Lab BUILDER Camper & Nicholsons RESTORATION Pendennis Perfect proportions, an elegant sheer and a confident presence just the right side of regal: Marala could only have come from a handful of yards, and your first guess will probably be right. She launched in 1931 from Camper & Nicholsons in England, and, at 193 feet (58.8 meters) length overall, was one of the largest yachts of her day. Now, just out of a three-year restoration at Pendennis in Falmouth, England, she is not only in top form and ready to resume her illustrious career as a thoroughly modern motoryacht, but is also astonishingly original, with a uniquely authentic onboard ambience. “She has been restored to her 1950s profile,” says Chris Lawrence, her captain,…

Winding down along Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast through bays and inlets, along rocky shores and around countless islands offers a feast for the eyes and the palate. Croatia has more than 1,000 miles of coastline and 1,200-plus islands, the largest archipelago in the Adriatic. About 50 of the islands have populations that make for some of the most historic, interesting and picturesque ports of call in the world. Jumping off from Split, the largest city on the Dalmatian Coast, it’s usually a comfortable run out to the islands of Brac, Hvar and Vis, with their typical calm seas and mild temperatures. The beautiful ports have historic stone structures and red tile roofs that create a colorful, welcoming waterfront scene. Med-style docking, stern to the stone cay, is common in many ports for…

Cooking is Robin Besnard’s passion, and he’s sure of at least one reason why. “Naturally, I am passionate. After all, I am French,” says the 38-year-old head chef aboard the 197-foot (60-meter) Benetti Formosa. Besnard says his cooking is entwined with his personality. His dishes are informed by his moods. “If I wake up with lots of energy on a beautiful, sunny day, I will immediately go for Italian food. Ravioli and other pastas trigger happiness for me,” he says. “If I am in a bad or bitter mood, I will make something that is spicy such as Indian or Thai food. And, if I am in love, I will make a cake or sweets.” All of those skills help him to succeed as a professional chef aboard a charter yacht, where…