Welcome to the special “20th Anniversary” section of Top Yacht Design. Here we present to you, day by day, the best stories, yachts, characters we have covered in these 20 years of Top Yacht Design, from 2006 to the present day.
Taken from Top Yacht Design no. 13/2018, pp. 126-131.
VSY and Espen Øeino: A New Family Line
VSY and Espen Oeino return with three dazzling designs.
You don’t mess with success. Which is why VSY stuck with the great Espen Øeino for its new family line. He is, after all, the pen behind all its yachts and, over the years, has produced the illustrious likes of Sealyon (ex Candyscape II), RoMa and Stella Maris, the iconic 72-metre that set a whole new style, comfort, safety and sustainability benchmark for zist century yachts. The lines may have changed but the philosophy behind the new family line hasn’t wavered: a focus on producing elegant Italian-built yachts with a clearly defined aesthetic, tailored around the tastes and designers of their owners. Boats renowned for the comfort of life aboard they afford, the quality of the fit-out, naval architectural prowess, efficiency in the water both underway and at anchor, superb climate control, efficient plant and systems, and the use of certified, environmentally-sound suppliers at the construction stage. This new trio have been arranged differently, however, to produce three different designs with much work done to further evolve the features that made Stella Maris such a truly exceptional yacht. They are in order of size: the VSY 68 M, the VSY 77 M and the VSY 83 M Explorer, three separate sizes and three separate concepts to showcase the possibilities VSY can offer owner.
The VSY 68 M’s signature is the way its spaces have been cleverly laid out to make living aboard as supremely comfortable as possible. Guest privacy is prioritised obviously but ensuring the crew can work efficiency is of great importance too. For instance, there are two lifts, one for the crew and the other for the premium area. A large proportion of the quarters aboard the 68m are earmarked for the owner but others can also convert very easily. The transom, for instance, can be used either as a spa, a beach club, gym room or dive room. The Sun Deck, on the other hand, is a helipad and a sunbathing area near the pool and the bar area. The VSY 77 M is a different kettle of fish and not just in terms of dimensions. Like the VSY 83 M, its naval architecture is by Laurent Giles Naval Architects. Powerful exterior lines, imposing indoor volumes, large floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the interior with natural light, a feeling of direct contact with the marine environment and superb owner privacy are the stand-out features of this 77m. No one could fail to be impressed by the winter garden on the upper deck with its original indoor-outdoor solutions which adapt to suit different occasions and include a bar as well as a dining table.
Other dazzling amenities include a large pool on the sun deck and a wellness area amidships which, aside from a sauna and hammam, also has a private massage room and is adjacent to a second VIP stateroom. The much larger pantries are designed to serve the saloons and the dinette in the crew area which can seat the entire crew at once. Lastly, the VSY 83 M is an explorer with an astonishing 6,50o nautical mile range at its cruising speed of 12 knots (red-line speed is 18.5). The interior layout centres around staggered decks that create larger volumes and floor-to-ceiling glazing. The result is large, bright open plan interiors and goo square metres of exteriors which seem to mingle effortlessly. This is a seriously sophisticated, high-tech, superbly functional vessel. Its design involved finding a new location for the two big 35′ tenders, which are now housed in a garage forward of the beach club, to give guests more space in this area. Other pluses include a sophisticated Kongsberg control system that seamlessly manages the onboard nav, communications and automation instrumentation.
There is even a certified helideck that can be used for day and nighttime Side Landing and Royal Navy type Landing. This will prove a major plus for a yacht designed to tackle the world’s most challenging seas. It also has a green soul too, however, as like the rest of the family line, the VSY 83M capitalises on all of the technologies the yard has developed: propulsion set-ups, emissions reduction, treatment and disposal of refuse waters, etc. Why? Because these are part of the yard’s broader sustainability strategy for which it has won international awards and is widely acknowledged. But VSY’s focus on environmental and industrial ethics is not confined merely to its yachts. It embraces its production too. Both the Tuscan yard’s creations and processes comply with the highest LRS (Lloyd’s Register System), ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) and RINA standards. Furthermore the yard has also been awarded the highest Green Star certification with regard to re-emission of clean air and water into the environment, Maltese Cross certification for its hulls and engine rooms, Charter Class for guaranteed stability in the event of compartments flooding, and Comfort Class for very low noise and vibration levels.
by Giacomo Giulietti
