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EBONY ISSUE - n° 15 - 2018 - € 10 www.theoney d.com
The Art of Sailing Sanlorenzo SX8
QUART ERLY - P.I. 21/07 /2018 Intern ationa l € 10, Poste Italiane S.p.a. Chf 10,50 , UK £ 7,50 Spedizione in Abbon amento Postale
- 70% - LO/MI
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[ MEGASAILER ]
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This 53-metre Baltic Yachts sloop’s eclectic décor dazzles. London studio Design Unlimited has created an exclusive, utterly unique kaleidoscope of styles, materials, textures and colours. But there’s more to this fast sailer than just good looks: her technological quotient is impressively high too by Bianca Ascenti - ph. by Marco Moog (interiors) and Eva-Stina Kjellman (sailing)
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ou will see superyachts aplenty at the Monaco Yacht
to get a 3D image to guarantee flawless assembly. Pink Gin is also
Show, but very few will live long in your memory and
the only sailing yacht with two opening-out balconies (one forward
even fewer in your heart. This is the because in recent
in the master suite and one amidships), as well as a mechanically
years, we’ve witnessed a kind of style homogenisation that
ingenious stern platform. Her sublimely elegant, slightly retro lines,
has sucked the creative zing out of yachts that, though
her plumb bow, bowsprit and long stern overhang give her an air of
often gorgeous and astonishingly luxurious, are all essentially far too
the early 20th century cutters. It goes without saying that the entire
alike in terms of their forms and look. Part of the responsibility for
rig is this-generation. The deck plan spans three cockpits, one large
this lies with the market which is demanding a rather impersonal kind
and uncluttered aft, another a little further forward with the twin
of aesthetic with a crowd-pleasing, easy-to-sell-on minimalist chic
helms and a control console, and a third central cockpit where guests
apartment vibe. There are very few people out there who just go ahead
can dine in the soft light of two metre-long Murano glass chandeliers
and build genuinely bespoke yachts blithely ignoring resale values
which are hung from the boom when required. Yes, actual, real
and surrounding themselves with things, colours and forms with a
chandeliers… and we’ve barely scratched the surface. Näder, in fact,
deeply personal significance. German entrepreneur and sailing fanatic
expressly requested a yacht he’d feel at home in and Mark Tucker of
Hans Georg Näder, however, is just such an owner. His sixth Pink
Design Unlimited gave him just that by creating décor that is quite
Gin was built by Baltic Yachts (of which he also happens to be the
simply jaw-dropping and merits slow, thorough savouring. Starting on deck, of course: the central cockpit, for instance, is trimmed in thousand-year old oak, which is given a bog wood-look finish, while pewter was the choice for the bar unit, coffee table, seats and part of the original table designed by Design Unlimited and made in Italy by I Vassalletti, using three types of alloy combined with teak. At the centre is a sculpture by Cuban artist Roberto Fabelo, while the grab rails are trimmed in sealskin. The interior can accommodate 10 guests, in the master stateroom, two VIP staterooms and three guest cabins. It is a wonderful kaleidoscopic mix of styles, materials, eras and colours that creates a welcome and beautifully executed sense of fun and joy, movement and organised chaos. The first things that will catch the eye of any visitor that steps aboard are the Baccarat chandelier and lilac baby grand piano custom-made for Pink Gin by Edelweiss Sygnet. That said, a plethora of other treasures soon emerge: a good place to start is with the dining table, which is the work of Dutch artist Marcin Rusak who “trapped” leaves and flowers in a dark polished resin for its top. Then there are the salmon skin-covered cushions, metal Oceanair Keel blinds, velvet ceiling liners, and, of course, the smoked oak planked floors which the Baltic Yachts craftsmen
majority shareholder) and is the world’s largest carbon-fibre sloop. But
first painted in gold and then silver before sanding them down to
that is by no means the only selling point of this sumptuous beauty.
create a distressed look. Not forgetting the Italian stuccowork hand-
With studio Judel/Vrolijk-penned naval architecture and Design
applied by Calfe Crimmings, and the stingray and bone-trimmed
Unlimited styling, she was voted Superyacht of the Year at the World
desk in the master suite. The list goes on: recycled materials, luxe
Superyacht Awards 2018, also taking home the “Sailing Yachts 50m
leathers, printed textiles, copper and iron, tiles and silk, curves and
and Above” gong. But, given all her firsts, that is hardly a surprise:
sharp angles, a vintage Vuitton trunk used as a coffee table and a slew
her 67.9-metre carbon mast, for instance, is taller than a J-Class,
of Promemoria, B&B Italia and Aiveen Daly designer pieces… The
a glittering achievement for the silver-hulled sloop. Pink Gin also
effect is charmingly theatrical! However, at the end of the day, Pink
spreads a gigantic and gloriously pink 1,838 sqm asymmetric as well
Gin was born to sail the world, something she will do very silently
as packing a lifting keel (7 – 4.5 m draft) and an automotive-inspired
and smoothly for very long distances at anything between 13 and 30
steering feedback system (developed by Esoro of Switzerland). To
knots. Very much a classy lady.
top it off, she was built in three pieces, each of which was scanned
www.balticyachts.fi
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The enormous pink 1,838 sqm asymmetric and a carbon mast that towers almost 68m are just two of the Pink Gin’s firsts. The Judel/ Vrolijk-penned 53.34m is also the world’s largest carbon sloop. Opening page, the two imposing Murano glass chandeliers hung on the boom dominate the guest cockpit
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Organised chaos reigns aboard. The master cabin (this page), which draws in light from its sea-front balcony, is a masterclass in styling, embracing appliques, a retro sofa and forward bulkhead features an art panel by Roberto Diago. Facing page, the Edelweiss Sygnet baby grand piano that greets guests at they enter, and the saloon with its Promemoria sofas and armchairs
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Naval Architecture Rolf Vrolijk
T
he owner wanted a boat that expressed all the excellent qualities of her predecessor but that was also more powerful and better. As always, the greatest challenge was to achieve this general upgrade while still guaranteeing an elegant, timeless style that was in tune with the owner’s ideas and the way he intends to use the yacht. In addition, obviously, to designing a high-performance, seaworthy yacht. Initially, Pink Gin was to be under 50m so that she could get into port in Saint-Tropez, but in reality she is just under 54m. However, she can still get into the great majority of marinas across the world. We worked very hard to optimise her forms and gave her a U-shaped hull that yields more stability. She also has a maximum heel angle of between 20 and 22° to keep comfort levels high underway. Pink Gin has a sloop rig, on the other hand, because she needs to be very high performance in the light Mediterranean breezes, and was also designed to sail around the world, so she needed a lot of sail. Ideal conditions for her would be between 15 and 16 knots of wind. Beyond that, you cut the sail a bit on a beat. Other impressive features are the hatches/balconies that open out and offer direct access to the interior. This was a complex job because it impacted the load line and the overall hull loads, but the result is excellent. In terms of her overall look, I think the decision to have a plumb bow with a bowsprit and an aft overhang was excellent. The effect is exactly what we were looking for: timeless elegance. Working with Baltic is always a pleasure for me. After developing many projects together over many years, I know the people well and how they work: they pay enormous attention to the client and the product, plus the workforce’s experience, generation after generation, means they can brilliantly interpret the commissioning owner’s requests and solve all and any problems.
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Pink Gin sports a plumb bow and bowsprit as well as a deckhouse so subtle it never interrupts the elegance of the design plan. This is a sloop with a lot of sail, designed for speed even in the very light Mediterranean breezes. Her 7-metre deep keel was also something of a design challenge and, at anchor, can be lifted to 4.5 metres
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Exterior / Interior Design Mark Tucker Ceo Design Unlimited
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e are delighted to have created the interiors for Pink Gin and also the exterior lines with the Judel/Vrolijk studio. This superyacht epitomises all the qualities and unique features of the philosophy behind the much-admired Pink Gin “world”. We used very high-quality materials to create a high-impact style that is also slightly provocative as well as elegant and intimate. It is designed to offer the owner absolute comfort on his long voyages around the world. New additions include two opening hatches on the exterior, one forward at the master suite level and the other amidships leading directly into the lobby, an absolute first on a sailing yacht. Pink Gin isn’t easy to pigeonhole because she doesn’t slot into any existing category. She surprises, inspires and goes beyond all barriers. We started with a blank page and then took our inspiration from art (see the Marcin Rusak table with real flowers and leaves set in resin), men’s fashion (the handles on the bathroom closets) and music (the piano is a reminder of a sunset the owner enjoyed in Porto Cervo
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listening to a local pianist)… The finishes and textures of the surfaces play a very important role right throughout the boat as unique materials have been paired quite creatively to deliver a very tactile effect. Mixing “stained” oak with a metallic finish, luxury velvets and leathers produced a sophisticated, intimate impact. I would say that the main characteristic of the interior is the meticulous attention to detail: it’s evident in everything from the made-to-measure carpets to monogrammed coat hangers and the different finishes in all the bathrooms. Pink Gin is an elaborate mix of styles and inspirations put together by the designers, project team, crew, Baltic Yachts craftspeople, artisans and suppliers from around the world. But most of all she is the product of the owner’s passion and suggestions. Working on this yacht was a marvellous challenge because she is not simply the evolution of an existing yacht but a genuine revolution for the design world that reflects her owner’s passion and personality.
There are many and varied artworks aboard too: the sculpture in the guest foyer (top) is by Roberto Fabelo; the kitchen wall (left, page opposite) is actually an oil-on-metal painting by Roberto Diago. Beside it is a close-up of the gorgeous table in the saloon created by Marcin Rusak. The day head is unique (top, right): its walls are trimmed in silk featuring hand-painted fish so that it feels like you’re walking into an aquarium
The Shipyard Henry Hawkins, Managing Director Baltic Yachts
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I
n a genuinely custom yacht like the Baltic 175 Pink Gin, it is essential to get the details clear in the preliminary stages. That is why we built 1:1 scale models of various parts of the boat such as the master stateroom, the fold-out balconies and the large central cockpit so that the owner could actually walk around, sit down and test out the final effect before the boat was built. All of the interiors were built in modules outside the craft well before the yacht was completed to ensure a faster, more efficient work chain. We optimised both the vibration and noise-reduction systems and those for white/black water treatment. The revolutionary Force Feedback Steering System developed by Baltic Yachts with the Swiss company Esoro mimics the loads and movement caused by the waves and side forces, relaying them back to the wheel to give the helmsman the immediate and realistic direct steering feel. The winch package spans four Rondal 12Ts, 6 Rondal captive winches and 4 further winches for the sheets. The 67.9m carbon mast is also by Rondal and has five sets of spreaders supported by a Carbo-link carbon rig. For a mast of that size you need a deep keel and a huge amount of sail. That said, when you’ve finished sailing in the evening, you can still anchor close to the beach because the draft can be shrunk from 7m to less than 4.5m. The pre-preg structure with external GPR and Kevlar reinforcements is extremely stiff and does an excellent job of dealing with the loads of the rig underway. Baltic Yachts also used ultrasound to check for any weak points and not a single one was found. Pink Gin is the second largest craft Baltic Yachts has built in its 44-year history (after the 60m Hetairos), and she is a perfect example of the yard’s ability to upsize through its carbon lamination experience. This boat certainly raises the bar in sailing superyacht construction and will go down as a milestone in yachting history.
Pink Gin will make a mark in terms of technological innovation as well as style and design. Her steering system is a case in point: it requires no physical link between the rudder and the wheel. A control sensor at the wheel ‘talks’ to the ram electronically, relaying instructions while giving the helmsman direct steering-type feedback
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