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[ COVER STORY MEGAYACHT ]

She resound with authenticity and dedication to the “golden age of yachting” but under the retro clothes hides a 21st century yacht brimming with state-of-the-art technology. Stretching 55.9m in length, Blue II by Turquoise Yacht is a glorious melding of old and new. Hoek Design penned her exteriors,interior and naval architecture. For her owner expert yachtsman and involved inenvironmental protection by Désirée Sormani - Ph Guillaume Plisson

t first glimpse, she is somewhat reminiscent of a classic steam ship, resounding with authenticity and dedication to the “golden age of yachting” thanks to a smoke stack, swathes of teak and soft rounded forms. But under these lovely retro clothes hides a 21st century yacht brimming with state-of-the-art technology that make her a genuine go-anywhere globe trotter. Stretching 55.9m in length, Blue II is a glorious melding of old and new. She is entirely the work of Hoek Design, which penned her exteriors, interior and naval architecture. In fact, Blue II’s horizontal lines and gracious curves hark back to the great sailing yachts for which Andre Hoek is renowned the world over. This philosophy combines sublime comfort with technological complexity and peak performance. Despite her retro beauty, Blue II is engineered to be tough, capable and respectful of the environment, starting with her highly efficient Ice Class hull and canoe stern. Her owners are friends and business partners. They are not just expert yachts people but are also very involved in environmental protection. “What is really special about the boat is that from a technical point of view, she is built under the new regulations for exhaust gas emissions. The owners are supporting Green Zone areas of the oceans: it was very important that the boat would be as green as possible and also very fuel efficient,” Hoek explains. They also want to enjoy their love of nature to the utmost - hence the marvellous expansive open deck spaces. The long, uninterrupted teak aft deck is an astonishing and striking space – as perfect for entertaining as for just hanging out. “The pleasure of relaxing in the main deck transom seating and looking down the aft deck to the beautifully proportioned superstructure is a joy every day,” as one of Blue II’s owners so beautifully put it. Blue II’s interiors are a blend of subtle classic elements, such as teak detailing, and contemporary flair, resulting in a chic, cosy ambiance. Her interior styling is by the Dutch studio in partnership with Vickers and Dols Home. The master suite is on the upper deck while the VIP is on the main. However, they will each be used as master suites when both sets of owners are aboard or if Blue II is chartered. The fresh, maritime master on the upper deck is full beam and enjoys gorgeous 180-degree sea views. A spiral stair lead to the owner’s private office while there is also a large saloon aft which can also be used by guests if required. This is a bright warm spot flooded with light thanks to a lovely arched skylight and expansive windows. A wonderful place to enjoy the starry night sky too on chillier evenings. Muted relaxing colours throughout create a New England/Hamptons beach cottage aesthetic with references here and there to the sea, such as the whale motifs on the closet doors in the master suite. These also pop up in other areas and were the owners’ idea. The second, very generous owner’s stateroom lies on the main deck next to the gym and hammam, and is also full beam. All of the furniture aboard was designed by Hoek Design and fixed to the deck with the result that there is hardly any freestanding furniture inside or out. This was at the owners’ request to avoid interfering with the retro vibe. The main saloon is magnificent with doors that open onto the aft deck and seem to draw the views right inside. There is also a separate TV area: the television itself is set into a unit that has bookshelves on its other side. It can also rotate 180 degrees so that the TV can be viewed form either area. All in all, Blue II is not just the perfect floating home but also the ideal way of exploring the world’s most remote areas in complete safety and comfort.

www.turquoiseyachts.com

Blue II is a stunning yacht built by Turquoise Yacht and designed entirely by Dutch studio, Hoek Design. Stretching 55.99m in length with a beam of 9.6m, she can make 15 knots thanks to a Diesel Electric propulsion system comprising twin 800 kW e-motors coupled to a Renk reduction gearbox. The single screw design coupled with twin electrical motors driven by either of the two main generators or three auxiliary generators provides ultimate efficiency for long distance cruising together with high level of redundancy for safety

The first Custom Line Navetta 30 is equipped with a pair of 1000 mhp MAN V8 engines. It has also been designed for a hybrid plug-in system. Opening, the lounge with large windows providing a constant, direct contact with the sea. The furniture is all bespoke with some design pieces like the Bangkok pouf, in the foreground, the Jiff coffee table and Evergreen sofa, all by Flexform. Everything from a design by Antonio Citterio

The interiors are all decorated in light, muted hues to create a sense of cosiness and peace. Whitewashed oak alternates with fabrics, leather and teak accents. All of the furnishings are custom designed. Above, the full-beam master suite. Right, the spiral stairs connecting all of Blue II’s decks. Left, a conversation corner in the main saloon

Exterior, Interior and Naval Architecture Hoek Design

his is the biggest motoryacht we have ever designed and the first superyacht that we have done in this style. The concept came to us when we saw the motor market booming while sailing yacht yards were closing. We also saw many of our classic sailing yacht owners moving to the motoryacht market, so we did an on spec design for a classic-looking timeless motoryacht with modern technology, an optimised hull and good fuel efficiency. This client arrived five years ago. We eventually decided on Turquoise for the build because they have great experience in yachts of this size, are cost effective and build very high quality vessels. Blue II has a timeless design and will still be beautiful in 10/20 years’ time. Her lines are beautiful, both feminine and masculine at once, but they make a lot of sense from a seagoing point of view too: the overhangs have a very distinct purpose especially in rough conditions. On motor craft, the waterline length is important for hull speed but a canoe stern instead of a square stern behaves much better in big

waves. There are many different cosy areas on the different decks where you can sit or sip a cup of coffee or just look at the sea when you’re sailing. The owner liked the concept we designed: he approved the external lines and made a few changes to the layout to have it the way he wanted. The fact that we designed both the exterior and interior created a sense of harmony. It made it easier to create a unique design. We tried to create harmony between the exterior and the interior: it’s nice when they match as you don’t feel feeling you are stepping into another world when you go inside. Blue II has a lot of classic elements but executed using very modern materials. The impact is very special and warm, very inviting for guests as they feel comfortable and at home. We tried not to overdo things in the interior – again the style is contemporary classic with whitewashed oak throughout. We also used gloss teak in certain elements, and leather and fabric-trimmed panelling to strike the perfect balance in the combination of all three, with very soft tones. I’m definitely very happy with the result.

One of the al fresco areas, again the ambience is intimate and relaxed. Top, naval architect Andre Hoek with Ruurt Meulemans, managing director, and the BlueII model. Facing page, top, the full-beam VIP stateroom which is essentially a second master. Blue II’s high bow is designed to tackle seas from the Med to the Arctic with effortless ease

Her canoe stern has a sailing yacht vibe and is home to a cosy conversation area from which guests can admire the natural world in utter comfort. Andre Hoek’s sailing background is ever present

Interior styling John Vickers, CEO at Vickers Studio

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he owner has a great passion for design, and his vision was clear: a modern fresh take on a classic interior. He was highly involved with the design process and we were contracted to help him and Hoek to create this timeless look, the heritage feel of a classic interior with a modern minimal twist. A very simple palette of gloss-finished teak, white paint, and soft beige upholstered panels was used with boldly patterned accent fabrics. This same colour scheme smoothly continued outside, where the owner requested a lot of seating areas but not a lot of loose furniture, which he believed would take away from the classic feel. All the furniture on the yacht was custom made, the sizing and materials were specific to this project. We worked closely with owner and Hoek’s team to design the scheme and style of fixed furniture and we preselected a range of materials such as the leathers used before the final selection was made by the client. Flooring throughout was by Unnatural Flooring. The client wanted a pared-back relaxed vibe, but this needed to be practical. The faux sisal used is exceptionally durable yet comfortable and easy to clean. It allows the clients to keep their shoes on aboard and it can even get wet - just what you need on an explorer boat! The materials for the carpet, walling, ceilings, exterior sofas, were shortlisted by our Design Team for the client to review and select. We worked with Dols Home and Hoek on the more decorative textile designs for blinds, and also completed the lighting designs for the inside and outside. Blue II is a special yacht and we are very proud to be part of her design. Many thanks to the owners, and the teams at Turquoise yachts and Hoek Design.

The interiors are bright and welcoming. Below, the owner’s study and the corridor with stairs that connects it the main stateroom. Facing page, two cabins seen from the corridor. Below, the upper deck saloon which connects to the master suite

The Shipyard Patrik von Sydow, CEO at Turquoise Yachts

lue II started as a refit project but in line with the owner’s requests, we later made the mutual decision to build her up from scratch. The build maintained the authenticity of the original project’s outlook and this can be seen in several areas. As the original hull was a Mothership in the Norwegian Navy in 1956 and was designed to rescue submarines in arctic waters, she still has a spectacular aft deck which was an area allocated for rescue chambers back in the day. The underlying philosophy was to preserve a timeless spirit but to make her a modern yacht underneath that original beauty. The client was very dedicated to the original vision of the yacht and had definite ideas on how to make her a better fit for their lives. For example, as they didn’t want to “need” a crew at all times to have a good time, the galley and bar areas are built for accessibility to allow them to self-serve. A stowing option for a submarine as well as a thermal camera to watch polar animals in their natural habitat were specific requests that the owner had to increase the yacht’s adventure capabilities.

Blue II is the first IMO Tier 3 compliant and first Ice Class yacht that Turquoise has ever built. This makes her a very special beauty indeed, capable of cruising any sea comfortably and safely. Special features include generous under-deck storage for two sizeable tenders

We had already created several yachts in the classic style, both sail and power. At Turquoise, we have very strong know-how all the way from our founder, our design and project engineers, to all our craftsman, so Blue II was a pleasure to build based on the design provided by Hoek Design and Vickers Studio for the interior. As she was our first Ice Class yacht, however, we did have new rules to comply to. Structurally, being able to store such a huge tender out of sight together with a raft of other equipment on a yacht with not very wide hull was both an engineering and, I have to say, a production challenge. Blue II is “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” as our project manager often referred to her. She is a departure from the expected and an acknowledgement of a beautiful tradition. Many of our goals naturally focus on how we design, engineer, and build yachts so that we exceed our clients’ expectations more and more. The Turquoise World is one of perfection and managing our own destiny by cleverly balancing what we do in-house with work done with our carefully selected partners. Our in-house engineering and yacht production will always remain central to our competitive advantage as it drives innovation as well as value for the yacht owner.