Sabrina Monte-Carlo_The One Yacht Design (sep15)

[ COVER STORY ]

An unusual 66-metre with a dual personality. The product of design maestro Espen Øino’s creative genius, the artistic talents of Reymond Langton Design and the Lürssen shipyard’s renowned construction prowess.

A unique achievement

by Désirée Sormani and Mary Hegarty 56

pictures by Klaus Jordan and Guillaume Plisson

57

ster is a stunning grand dame of the sea with a dual personality

the main deck to do away with any freeboard issues during launch

that makes her quite unique. This is a yacht full of surprises

/retrieval. The bespoke tender was designed by Øino himself to

– all pleasant. Stretching a graceful 66 metres, Ester III has a

mirror Ester III’s overall aesthetic. Built by Windy Boats in Sweden,

very powerful profile that makes her instantly recognisable. We have

it has custom upholstery and fittings by Hermès. The yacht’s deck

Espen Øino to thank for those geometries which he penned to mirror

spaces will be used for a mix of meetings, entertaining and meals

the personality of the owner (a close personal friend) and the heritage

with friends and family on an ongoing basis. The family loves good

of the Lürssen yard that built her. Ester’s exteriors are dominated by

food, entertaining and eating in large groups so the top deck has a

large, often full-height, windows which draw in sunlight and allow

barbecue and teppanyaki grill in the al fresco galley which doubles

guests feast their eyes on the passing seascape. This feature together

as a bar. There is also an outdoor cinema and a full-blown disco

with Ester’s vertical bow and the rather angular design of the topsides

as well as golfing amenities.

and superstructure surfaces lend her quite a macho character. A

her dual personality. It is very different to her exterior but does not

quick glance at her exterior floor plan speaks volumes about her

clash with it. The theme is French Classical to which British studio

owner’s ambitions too: she boasts a surprisingly large pool for a craft

Reymond Langton Design has brought an authentic contemporary

of her dimensions and a helicopter platform atop the wheelhouse, to

interpretation. The lobby is dominated by a circular glass lift around

allow him and his family come and go without interfering with life

which curves the main stairs featuring incredible hand-carved leather

on the aft decks. Equally, the tender garage is located forward on

artwork created by specialist furniture manufacturers, Silverlining.

Ester III’s interior reveals more of

Above: the cockpit on the upper deck is fitted out, like all Ester III’s al fresco areas, by Sabrina Montecarlo. Right: the three decks that the exterior communal areas cover and the yacht’s unusual angular design, which is highlighted by a two-tone colour scheme

58

59

to the lower guest accommodation comprising five cabins which are individually tailored to specific schemes and have with floor-to-ceiling windows. Each is also decorated with bespoke fabric artworks that extend from the headboards to the ceiling. The owner’s suite is forward on the main deck. Full-beam, its ceilings are an airy 2.4 metres high. It is accessed through a private study and has its own lobby off which open his and hers dressing rooms. The stateroom itself is a wonderfully indulgent retreat with sumptuous Avodire wood, gold leaf and bronze detailing complementing thick silk carpets by OT Carpets. The furnishings are classical in style and, like all the decorative detailing, designed by the English studio to be custom-made by the yard’s craftsmen.

The bathrooms are a triumph of various kinds of onyx too.

The luxurious saloon on the main deck has three different areas: the lounge, a more intimate central seating group by an ethanol-fuelled fireplace and a dining area which is swathed in an Amboyna-framed fabric artwork to create a light, romantic atmosphere. The Bridge Deck has a very bright, airy sky lounge with oversize windows and sliding doors onto the aft deck. Comfortable sofas and a TV tucked away behind marquetry panels make it perfect for simply chilling after a long day’s sunbathing and swimming. The A view of the enormous (for a 66-metre) pool, which has one entirely glass wall facing the sea, with a jet flow and a waterfall running down to the bathing platform where the water flows into a teak grating. The perfect place to relax, cool off and just watch the natural world float by

60

Assyrian-influenced spa on the lower deck is calming and rejuvenating with mosaic inlays and a dramatic full -size wall relief carved in stone.

www.lurssen.com

61

Left: Avodire wood, gold leaf and bronze detailing complement thick silk carpets and ornately detailed classic furniture. The interior designer says this is “the ultimate expression of the luxuriant style that defines the yacht. Below: a view of the main saloon.

Opposite page: top, the fireplace in the saloon.

Below, the hand-carved leather artworks in the stairwell

62

63

The Naval Architect

Pictured here: naval architect Espen Øino. Below: a profile view

Espen Øino

featuring the spectacular use of glazing aboard. Opposite page: angular geometries really do make Ester III quite unique

W

64

hat made the story of Ester III a bit unusual was the fact

I did that but I also made sure the owners’ character and Lürssen’s

that the clients and their family are good personal friends.

own strong heritage were reflected by identifying the owners’

So this wasn’t a regular client/designer relationship, in other

needs and requirements very clearly. The layout does reflect the

words. For me personally, this meant both an opportunity and

fact that the family will spend a lot of time on the yacht. The deck

a risk. It was an opportunity because I would clearly have the

in particular will be used very intensively for eating, entertaining

client’s ear for designing something truly unique but it was also a

and meetings. Food and hospitality are a big thing for the family

risk because it might potentially put the friendship under severe

and there is a barbecue and teppanaki-fitted open-air kitchen on

strain. The latter became a real possibility as the client quickly

the top deck. To my mind, Ester III’s most impressive features are

adopted a very hands-off approach once the brief and conceptual

her large windows, the two-tone colour scheme and the angular

design had been defined. More and more frequently, the owner

design. I suppose what I liked most about the project was that it

would say “Just do it as if the yacht was for you, Espen…….!”

was a real blank page design.

65

T

he owner’s brief was that he wanted an exceptional yacht for his family that would be elegant sophisticated and, above all,

comfortable. He and his wife were closely involved as this was very much a family project. Both have very good visual awareness and a great understanding of detail and colour too.

The French classical bias of the design followed from a style that they presently live and are comfortable with. We then developed the Assyrian influence at the owner’s request.

The contrast between the exterior and interior really enhances the uniqueness of the yacht, I think. We designed the whole of the interior, however. Nearly all the furniture was specially designed, with Silverlining producing the majority, including the main staircase artwork, the bathroom vanities and decorative panels and 99 per cent of the loose furniture. Sabina Fay Braxton produced all of the custom handmade fabrics and fabric artwork panels. I have to say that her attention to detail and quality are second to none, and definitely enhanced the decor. So much intricate detailing means there are layers that are not obvious at first glance, but all the elements are in harmony. The Spa, for example, has four specially commissioned mosaics panels and floor by company DKT. These alone took a team of eight people nine months to complete. Design-wise, the word’s I’d use to describe Ester III would be comfortable, detailed, quality and home. She is completely unique.

The Interior Designers Reymond Langton Design Above: the Spa with Assyrian influences. Below: left, a render of the Owner’s suite (below, a detail).

Opposite page: Pascale Reymond (left) and Jason Macaree

66

67

The Owner Representative

The Shipyard

T

Michael Breman, Sales Director

he client wanted to build his yacht at the best place he could find, and he found Lürssen.

My ambition was to build this yacht the right way and to

exceed the owner’s expectation of what a real family boat is.

I wanted to help create the home-from-home family wanted.

So Ester III is the result of great teamwork and one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Plus she looks damn sexy!

W

hat I like most is that this is a very masculine yacht with very strong features yet it manages

to achieve an almost timeless elegance. It has very innovative looks and some of the technical outfitting, although standard on a Lürssen, would be unusual on other yachts.

We enjoyed an excellent relationship with the owner and his family. We met them through the designer Espen Øino and had the pleasure of meeting them many times as the owner was very closely involved in the process. We had already worked with both EOI and Reymond Langton several times and we had always had an excellent relationship. They are real professionals in their fields and that makes them a pleasure to work with. I suppose every yacht we build is like child that we will cherish our whole life.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing as the shapes of the yacht look easier to build than they are and some very sophisticated elements in the interior decoration gave our staff sleepless nights before they finally came up with a solution.

68

69