NAVIS June/July'20

Lürssen Flying Fox; The Magnus Opus of the Sea

What does it take to make a magnus opus of the sea? How do you dream bigger than anyone has dared? And how do you take a singular idea and turn it into something that doesn’t just push the boundaries of superyacht innovation, but straight up breaks the mold.

Espen Øino has the secret; you keep it simple. For the man responsible for designing the world’s largest charter yacht, piecing together the vision of M/Y Flying Fox had to be tackled with the simple seed of conception. ‘Conceiving a 136m yacht is not much different from conceiving a 70m yacht, it’s like designing anything. You have one goal and one goal only – to interpret a vision and satisfy the client’. Of course, a ship of this magnitude takes a village and fortunately, Øino had some of the finest assistance with Lürssen at the shipyard helm and Mark Berryman on interior design. As the world authority in the industry, Imperial Yachts also played an essential role in the construction of Flying Fox, weaving together the contacts, compassion, and commitment to elegant ocean-bound dreams that make it possible for a superyacht like this to exist. Imperial acted as the owner representative and construction supervisor throughout the whole process, adding yet another incredible feat to their portfolio of seven 100+ meters yachts built or under construction in the last five years alone. 

For more than half a century, France’s Dufour Yachts has successfully catered to megayacht clientele. Both its Performance and Grand Large ranges have been popular and received considerable acclaim. First unveiled at BOOT Duesseldorf in 2017 as a part of the Exclusive line, the 63 was also welcomed with acclaim, reaffirming Dufour’s reputation for excellence. Even in the large hall, it was evident the 19.20 meter 63 and the Exclusive line itself were imbued with the same design and performance ethos that graced the brand’s custom work.

When you board a yacht and enter the main saloon that features a backlit onyx arch as part of its design, you know you have encountered something special. Created to provide a ‘wow’ effect for guests boarding the vessel, it was the invention of the ship’s interior designer Elmer Benavente. The designer wanted something that immediately impressed guests as they entered the ship, and the installation of a boldly lit onyx arch does just that. In addition to creating a brightly lit entrance to the boat, it features a selection of 21 floating wine bottles to add to the opulent effect.

The 55-meter mega yacht is the result of a collaboration between Heesen, Omega architects, and BeDesign. This is Benavente’s first nautical project, but with his excellent style, strategic use of color palettes, and flowing interior design elements, the results are stunning. 

I am not an astrologer and don't even pretend to be one, but magic can happen when the stars align. Even during these strange times when the world has been in lockdown, some good stories are coming out. Here is one that should brighten your day. It's a great story of camaraderie in the times of COVID-19.

It all began when the Southern Wind Shipyard built Aragon (formerly Windfall) decided to compete in the Superyacht Challenge in Antigua. Her new owners were moving up from a smaller performance sailing yacht and were looking forward to competing in the event for the first time. They had plans to set off on an around-the-world cruise right after the regatta in Antigua. As chance would have it, there were four other Southern Wind Shipyard built yachts in the area at the same time. SW105 Wolfhound (formerly Satisfaction) was there as was SW96 Sorceress, the SW100 Padma (formerly I-Sea), and Freebird (formerly Mrs. Marietta). What better occasion than to get them all together for some friendly competition?

The Ferrari F8 Spider, an incredible supercar

The Ferrari F8 Spider is the latest incarnation from the supercar maker to carry the Spider nametag, and it’s a thrilling creation.

This is the soft-top alternative to the impressive F8 Tributo hardtop - and a replacement for the much-loved 488 Spider - and the newcomer matches it for style, speed, and acceleration.

Indeed, this is a Prancing Horse that has a hair-raising 710bhp available to help deliver another strong offering with a unique vocal soundtrack for fans of Ferrari’s mid-engine heritage to enjoy.

The roof is simplicity itself to raise and takedown and divides impressively into two parts and is stowed directly on top of the F8 Spider’s engine.

As many times as we’ve set our feet on or dropped anchor in Monte-Carlo, the Hotel Metropole has always been a respite, a place to unwind or indulge. What’s nearly the most striking thing about this sanctuary is its central location. Whether it’s the Place du Casino and its lush gardens, a mere 50 meters away, that call to you, or the alluring boutiques adjacent. Ocean Drive is not more than 100 meters away, making the Metropole a welcoming, sheltering jewel. The Metropole excels in its status as Monaco’s smallest Five Star property, with just 126 rooms, over half of the inventory is suite product. This boutique remains at the heart of the Monegasque life.

Marketed as ‘the world’s most intelligent loudspeaker,’ the Beolab 90 from Bang and Olufsen is a made to order, a customizable speaker that can adjust to your living space and listening preferences. Using the most advanced Digital Signal Processing, the loudspeaker promises the ultimate sound delivery no matter the situation. For sound aficionados, it is a sound quality that simply has to be experienced to understand.

After extensive research and design over three years, the Beolab 90 was created to provide the most powerful sound experience possible, with a quality and range that is unsurpassed.

Blending world-class design and acoustics with a massive 8200 watts per speaker, it is a sound event that surpasses all others. This is a speaker that is intelligent and highly adaptable.