PHOTO: Charlotte Thomas
PHOTO: Charlotte Thomas
The great superyacht adventure
It’s easy to focus on the glitz of a yacht or the glamour of a famous destination, but yachts actually open up avenues for pure adventure both on the water and before the yacht is even launched.
There are some moments in life where all thoughts of the everyday just slip away, and you are left with nothing but the simple joy of being in the moment. It’s one of the greatest pleasures of travel, for instance, and travel by superyacht in particular. Sitting atop a hill on a small Indonesian islet enjoying a sunset picnic after swimming with manta rays in crystal clear water; fishing for Komodo dragons from a small rubber dinghy with slabs of meat hung off the end of bits of tree branch; or staring at the impossibly diamond-studded starscape of a night sky above an anchorage with zero light pollution. These are the moments not of the luxury and opulence of material things, but of awe and wonder and comradeship with those you share the moments with – owners, guests and crew alike.
I was fortunate to enjoy all three of those moments on an extraordinary trip aboard a traditional Indonesian vessel built on a beach as a superyacht, and her build owner – an American businessman who had been based in Indonesia for some years – was very clear how superyachting and enjoying the oceans fitted into his and his family’s lives. “I’ve always tried to instil in my family and children that you should never take a vacation,” he told me at the time. “You can sit by a swimming pool and it’s just kind of boring. Really, what we always want is adventure, and the way I define it would be when you did something where you experienced all the emotions, and not just joy, happiness and excitement but also feelings of discomfort or frustration. But once you’ve done it you have a feeling of accomplishment.”
Rinca Indonesia PHOTO: Charlotte Thomas
Rinca Indonesia PHOTO: Charlotte Thomas
Relating that idea also to the experience of building the boat itself, he continued: “When I’d be sitting in my office and having to pay for the boat I’d become very frustrated. But then every time I went to the jungle [where the boat was being built] I’d leave with this positive sense of everything. When the boat was finally finished we went through all the emotions. It qualified as the adventure, the ultimate adventure.”
For many owners, the process of building a yacht, of going through the design, of seeing the project take shape as hundreds of skilled tradespeople and artisans work their magic over the course of months or years, and of sharing the experience with those workers – who are often celebrated at private launch parties where the whole shipyard is invited by the owner – is a key part of the joy of building and owning yachts. In many ways it reinforces not only the skill and talent of those people, but also that the act of buying or building a yacht provides lifelong opportunities for thousands of workers, from trades, designers and engineers to artists, cabinetmakers, project managers, brokers, yacht managers, crew, and yes – even journalists.
Lawa Darat PHOTO: Charlotte Thomas
Lawa Darat PHOTO: Charlotte Thomas
The ultimate adventure, then, begins not when the cruising starts, but when the passion stirs and the yachting bug bites. For serial sailing superyacht owner Pier Luigi Loro Piana, an heir to the Loro Piana high-end Italian clothing house, that adventure recently included something of a departure. Changing priorities led him away from competitive sailing and towards a round-the-world trip, for which an explorer style yacht would prove a far better platform.
“I decided to go for a big, beautiful motor yacht of around 50 to 60 metres in length, capable of exploring the world in safety in comfort,” he enthuses. “The size was critical – any bigger and I wouldn’t be able to access the small, secluded bays I was used to visiting with my sailing yachts.”
The answer, with time of the essence meaning a new-build was not the ideal solution, arrived in the form of an opportunity to refit a 51-metre yacht, and with designer Mario Pedol introducing Loro Piana to the yacht’s owner a deal was struck. The Nauta Design team, interior designer Misa Poggi and Loro Piana worked closely together, creating an adventurous project that included the complete redesign of the main aft deck to include an open-air beach club and plenty of space for tenders, and amphibious boat, and helicopter operations – perfect for creating extraordinary experiences and for self-contained exploration wherever Loro Piana and the yacht find themselves.
Masquenada Photo: Giuliano-Sargentini
Masquenada Photo: Giuliano-Sargentini
The refit took just eight months at the Lusben shipyard in Livorno, Italy, and the yacht – now named Masquenda – was relaunched just in time for the 2021 summer season in the Mediterranean. Loro Piana wasted no time in getting on board and exploring the Med before the yacht crossed the Atlantic for the winter Caribbean season – the first leg of a three-year round-the-world odyssey.
Like so many owners and charterers, the process of design, build and refit has become just as mush part of the experience for Loro Piana as the cruising itself. “Masquenda is a very versatile yacht and I am definitely very happy with the final outcome,” he enthuses. “All the design team worked very well, and my life on board with my family and friends last summer was just what I had envisaged when we started out on this adventure.”