7 minute read
Turning back the tide of time
Reshaping the mould of a dream project
Pier Luigi Loro Piana explains how his explorer-yacht project came to fruition in just a matter of months.
BY JACK HOGAN
Building a dream yacht takes time. As we’ve seen in recent years, lead times for new-build yachts have extended as the demand has grown. This puts a prospective buyer in a challenging position and poses an existential question: What is your time worth to you? The conversion of the 2006 RINAcertified expedition yacht Aspire, over the space of just nine months, at the Lusben Shipyard in Livorno was a counterpoint to the time paradox.
The new vessel, the 51-metre Masquenada, was delivered to its owner, Pier Luigi Loro Piana, in time for the summer season in 2021 – just a little over the eight months that he had originally – and optimistically – outlined for the project.
Loro Piana, deputy chairman of the high-end clothing company Loro Piana, is a sailor at heart and owner of some iconic yachts, and the decision to pivot to an expedition motoryacht conversion turned a few heads when it was announced.
“We initially developed a project as an exploration yacht very similar to the boat I have now,” says Loro Piana. “My ideal motoryacht was 58 metres, and all of a sudden, when Aspire came on the market, I watched it very carefully and realised that it would be possible to convert it to a project very near to what I wanted to achieve with a new build.”
Loro Piana is clear in his explanation about how the appreciation of the value of time was such a strong guiding principle behind the decision to convert an existing expedition yacht. “That [time] was a great motivation for me. We delivered the boat to Lusben in October 2020, and it was delivered in June 2021, so we could enjoy the summer. If we had decided to build the project from new, the lead time would have taken the delivery into 2023 or 2024. I would lose those years of cruising, and at my age that is something to consider!”
I personally visited Lusben and Livorno for the first time at YARE 2021. Although steeped in maritime history, and a cornerstone of the industry, I didn’t truly appreciate to what extent boat building was foundational to the region until I saw it first-hand.
The sweeping Benetti and Lusben facilities encompass a range of yachts that went beyond my preconceptions of the Italian shipbuilding industry. Sitting prominently at the end of dock lies Luminosity, the bold hybrid flagship of Benetti custom that, with its hybrid propulsion, marks the next generation of the shipyard's capabilities. Lusben also offered something different for Loro Piana through a project that was innovative in other ways and, crucially, delivered quickly.
“I visited the boat and I saw that the dream was possible, but significantly, it would be done in a matter of months, not years,” says Loro Piana. “I initially was allocating eight months, and it was completed in nine. We completed the project in Tuscany, utilising the incredible infrastructure of the companies that are here, who are able to work very quickly and who are committed.”
Every project has both unifying factors and idiosyncrasies in the way it is approached from both the owner’s team and the shipyard, and Masquenada was no different.
“I was very much involved in this project,” says Loro Piana. “Obviously, an important consideration for an expedition-minded vessel. If you see the other boat that I was looking at, at the beginning of my new project with Amels/Damen, the concept was very similar to what we have been able to create with Masquenada. However, when you have a permanent crane on the aft deck, the space is committed to those activities. My boat is not committed. Once the tender is launched the crane disappears.”
To have the luxury of a versatile aft deck with respect to storage of tenders and toys that can then be converted into a relaxing space is a defining feature of the vessel.
“There was another issue for me,” adds Loro Piana. “Coming from sailing yachts, you develop a very special relationship with the sea. Normally with a motoryacht you do not have this feeling because you are so far from sea level most of the time. This is exactly what my wife and I did not want.”
The feeling of proximity to the water is obvious on a sailing yacht. The way that the water hits a window or a porthole, and the connection that gives you, is a feeling that Masquenada, with its distinct low cabin layout, transplants across dreamscapes.
I was hesitant to ask my final question. It has only been a few years
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everyone has their own roles and needs to apply themselves. Having my captain at the time on site was important also. It was beneficial to have my experienced team following and helping Lusben. It was not one team against another, there was a commitment from both sides. Personally, I was visiting Livorno once a month, so there was a big investment of time from my side.”
Masquenada had strong bones to build upon. The end product has expanded upon this to create an expedition yacht that offers more than just ocean-crossing pedigree and long cruising ranges.
“It has been engineered for extreme conditions, but I have no intention of pushing it and going to the Poles at this stage,” explains Loro Piana. “However, it does have a double hull structure, which very few explorers have. It has just completed its first crossing of the Atlantic, experiencing some large seas up to five metres, which were handled well.”
When we speak about the future and the plans for Masquenada, one region in particular takes up most of our time. “I want to know more about the Pacific,” says Loro Piana. “I can see us spending multiple seasons there before heading back across northern Australia, Indonesia and into the Indian Ocean. This is the luxury that Masquenada gives us. All these wonderful destinations, I want to enjoy them and not rush. I don’t want to try and cover thousands of miles a week.”
Attempting to give any of the island groups across the region the time they deserve requires all the cruising and attention of a long Mediterranean season. As Loro Piana mentions, spreading the vessel across wide areas and rushing between destinations does a disservice to the complexity and details that define the Pacific, as well as the capability for comfort and adventure that is in Masquenada’s DNA.
When referencing Masquenada’s specific design features, there’s one in particular that Loro Piana is proud to highlight: the expansive aft deck and, more specifically, the folding crane that makes this space so versatile.
“One of the key features is the way the crane stows flat on the aft deck to allow the helicopter to land on the aft deck,” says Loro Piana. “This was
Masquenada has just completed its first crossing of the Atlantic. since the loss of Loro Piana’s custom sailing yacht My Song, the 40m Baltic vessel that was lost in rough seas during transport across the Atlantic. So how much sailing will he be doing in future?
“I love sailing. When I lost my boat three years ago, which was a terrible tragedy, I will admit that this was the lowest moment of my life,” says Loro Piana. “My Song was a perfect compromise between comfort and speed, but to build her again would take many years. So I decided that maybe now is the time when we will go sailing on a specialised smaller racing boat during regattas and races, and leave Masquenada for cruising, exploration and relaxation in places like the Pacific.”
The next steps for Masquenada, and the way it has reshaped the mould for delivering a dream project, will be fascinating to watch. As the yacht embarks on its next voyage, it has left a legacy of innovation and speed of delivery that proves that there are many paths to success for those willing to think outside the conventional limitations of design and build processes. JH
