There are many interesting sights and points of interest in Northern Ireland including the Titanic Belfast, a visitor attraction in Belfast, opened in 2012 as a monument to Northern Ireland’s maritime heritage on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard where the RMS Titanic was built; but I dare say that the novelty factor (and wow factor) of the Finn Lough Bubble Domes beat even Ulster Museum and Belfast Castle.
Experience Northern Ireland: Finn Lough Bubble Domes
Ireland’s geography comprises low-lying mountains, lush vegetation and inland river, supported by bio-diverse lush vegetation. Not many know this but the land of was covered by thick woodlands until the Middle Ages and that the true heritage of Ireland lies in her rich forests.
Made from 180-degree transparent walls, the Finn Lough Bubble Domes located in a 50-acre forest on the remote peninsula of Aghnablaney remind one of Queen Boudica, leader of the British Celtic Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire in AD 60 using nothing but small-scale guerilla warfare which kept the overwhelming might of Roman army at bay using Ireland’s greatest military asset, the forest landscapes.
Technically “balloon” transparent rooms, Finn Lough Bubble Domes keep the Northern Ireland landscape allowing you to fall asleep in the twilight, wooded surrounds of Northern Ireland without any of the pesky bugs to ruin your stay. It’s the best way to experience true Ireland, totally immersed in the surrounding nature.
Each Bubble Dome features cozy cabin amenities and all the comforts of luxury glamping like custom four-poster beds, ensuite bathrooms, private sitting area, and soft robes. Meanwhile, the crystal clear shell of Finn Lough Bubble Domes allows you to enjoy your repast or books with the sunrise or gaze at the stars as the sunsets. It’s best to come try out the Finn Lough Bubble Domes because next time someone accuses you of living in the bubble, you can say that you literally have.
Escape the world and enjoy the beauty, tranquility and romance of Northern Ireland. Rooms start from $320. Visit Finlough.com
Today’s Simpson charter department consists mostly of three components, (1) Phuket-based bareboat and crewed charters, (2) running the central agency for large crewed Lagoons in Asia, and (3) superyacht charters. The Phuket base is operated by a subsidiary company, Simpson Yacht Charter (SYC), launched in 2013 to meet requests from yacht owners who purchased Lagoons from Simpson Marine.
Many of them live and work in neighboring Asian cities such as Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong… They put their boats into a Phuket fleet, so that they can enjoy yachting holidays sailing around Andaman Sea isles, while at other times chartering them out to earn a profit, and exponentially grow the Phuket charter industry.
SYC is entrusted to take care of each boat’s routine maintenance and also to manage all marketing and sales of the owners’ charter bookings.
In the last five years, SYC has established its reputation among global charter agents as a Phuket boutique operator that provides well-maintained charter boats and highly personalised services.
During the same period, yacht owners who entrusted their yachts to SYC have been very pleased that their vessels have retained a high market value, and remained in good condition. Under the Simpson system, their own holiday plans aboard their boats are not restricted to non-prime charter seasons, unlike other charter operators, and last but by no means least, the charter profits, after deducting all running costs, are very healthy.
Today, SYC has a small but growing fleet of catamarans from 42 to 52 feet, offering bareboat and crewed yacht charters in the Andaman Islands.
Being Lagoon’s exclusive dealer, more and more Lagoon owners have started to appoint SYC as Central Agent (CA) for chartering their large luxury crewed vessels.
Most of these Lagoons have fixed crew, and home ports in Asia, such as Hong Kong, Vietnam and Malaysia. A few owners even start their charter planning from the shipyard launch in Bordeaux. After taking delivery, they make seasonal stops with their yachts in popular charter destinations such as the Western Med, Caribbean, and then cruise through the Pacific islands, with charters being booked on each leg, all the way back to Asia.
SYC is currently the charter CA for a Lagoon 560, Lagoon 620, and even for the worldwide debut of the only Lagoon Seventy 7 available for charter. 2018 will certainly see a new era in SYC’s CA list.
Superyacht charters are a different story. With 35 years history in Asia, Simpson Marine has accumulated an invaluable Asian HNWI customer database, which formed our solid foundation for launching the superyacht charter business of the Group.
By introducing luxury yachting lifestyles, every year we receive increasing inquiries for superyacht charters from our Asian customers. We successfully handled several superyacht charters in the past year, and this will become one of SYC’s focal points of development in 2018.
Personally I have nearly ten years yachting experience in Asia, and realised straight away that it would be a long haul as people got used to luxury yachting lifestyles. Yachting charters are one of the best ways to ignite interest, and thus enable the whole industry to thrive.
I thus joined the big Simpson family, with a mission to further drive the charter department into a strategic component of the Group.
It has been one of my priorities to translate SYC’s successful charter yacht management track records into factual data that can be easily explained to more of Simpson Marine’s yacht owners, so that these clients can understand and benefit from joining our charter management programme.
More examples of Simpson Yacht Charter management appear in the Charter Focus in this issue.
Singapore sport shooters Shun Xie Teo, Martina Veloso, and Jasmine Ser with Longines Vice President Juan-Carlos Capelli
On 7 April 2018, the eve of the Shooting competition, Singapore sport shooters Shun Xie Teo, Martina Veloso, and Jasmine Ser were hosted by Longines, the Official Timekeeper of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018), at its Celebrating Women in Sport luncheon on iconic Broadbeach at Longines Records Club. Two days later, Singapore Shooter Martina Veloso managed to clinch Singapore’s first gold medal of the 2018 Commonwealth Games after emerging victorious at the women’s 10m air rifle event.
Shooter Martina Veloso wins Singapore’s first gold at Commonwealth Games
The Singaporean competitive shooters were empowered by legendary Australian swimmers, Dawn Fraser, Lisa Curry, Stephanie Rice, and Sydney Olympic beach volleyball champion Natalie Cook who answered questions & answers dealing with the pressures of competitive sport and mental fortitude.
“I actually came not realising there were going to be so many inspiring speeches. After hearing what they said, it really resonated with me as an athlete. It’s about how they give back to society, and I feel inspired to do the same,” – 18-year-old Martina Veloso on her experience at Longines Record Club
Singapore Shooter Martina Veloso wins Singapore’s first gold at the Commonwealth Games 2018
The 18-year-old Martina Veloso was in a dead heat with India’s Mehuli Ghosh, finishing with a score of 247.2, and setting a new Games record in the process. In the shoot-off, Veloso finished with a score of 10.3 ahead of Ghosh’s 9.9.
Singapore Shooter Veloso is competing in her second Commonwealth Games. She had previously finished fifth in her first foray at the 2014 Glasgow Games. At the Longines Record Club, Veloso admitted that, “Now that I am more experienced, hopefully I can better my position compared to last time,” she said. “I’m going into the Games with a clear mindset and hoping to do my best.”
Indeed she has. The gold is also Veloso’s first-ever medal at the Commonwealth Games. Veloso has also previous won gold for 10m Air Rifle event at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
The Longines Records Club is hosting a number of events during the Games, attracting VIPs, celebrities and sporting greats at its Broadbeach location. Longines is proud to be the Official Timekeeper and Official Partner of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
YACHT STYLE, Partner of Singapore Yacht Show 2018: The Charter Issue #42 Released
This issue we start with new models being released at the important Miami and Dubai Boat Shows leading up to the Singapore Yacht Show mid-April, YACHT STYLE is partnering with. The leading European builders are really excelling themselves in the variety, sheer quality and value-for-money of crafts, and we hope you will enjoy this wide-ranging preview of what is presented, from sailing multihulls to very large and sophisticated motor yachts.
In this respect, our Shipyard Review focusses on The Italian Sea Group (Admiral and Tecnomar) making a remarkable entry into the Asian markets with the sale of two Tecnomar Evo 120 Ice White Edition series to Chinese clients, the first of which to be delivered in July.
Tecnomar Evo 120 Ice White
Superyacht news includes some very interesting developments at Asia-Pacific based yards as well at European and American ones, and it is worth noting that in 2018-2019 some of the largest superyachts in the world will be delivered to Asia-Pacific owners, not least the aluminium 84m White Rabbit G arriving from Echo Yachts of Western Australia for a prominent Singapore family. Their 46m composite “tender”, Charley, made her debut last year, and it is capable of expedition-style voyages in her own right.
In the Regatta reports, we look back at aspects of the Volvo Ocean Race calls in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and forward with previews of the Rolex China Sea Race from Hong Kong to Subic Bay. In addition, there is the incredible “Retro” non-stop solo Around-the-World Race, being held on the 50th anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s start in the Golden Globe Race, in which he was the only competitor to get back. In this event 20 yachtsmen have committed to sail 32 to 36 foot boats in the Southern Ocean using only sextants and loglines available in Sir Robin’s day. That event starts 1 July, but there is a big celebration in Falmouth in England beforehand.
Rolex China Sea Race Preview
Chartering is the annual theme of this Yacht Style issue, and this year we have approached it by looking firstly at the destinations readers may wish to visit, and then choosing one or more of the vessels that serve them.
This has led to incredibly varied options, anything from multihulls which are increasingly popular in charter fleets to the largest superyachts charging over US$500,000 a week. Surprisingly, though, if one looks carefully at some of the tips offered in these features, chartering a superyacht may not be as expensive as it seems at first glance: weekly rates are often shared between four or five couples, which makes the experience seem more reasonably priced and by any means a lifetime one. For the traditionalists, there are the lovely phinisis such as Dunia Baru and Silolona plying Asia’s exotic seas and straits.
Silolona Yacht
Singapore readers may well be interested in trying the Sunreef Blaze 11 going regularly to the Anambas Islands. We also report on new charters offered in Nha Trang, Vietnam. What about a “bucket list” cruise in the South of France in September? Doing so could be easier than one thinks.
Sunseeker 95
Exclusive Yacht Reviews include four big boats in this issue: a Sunseeker 95 in the Philippines, the intriguing Hong Kong-owned Feadship Letani, Heesen’s Book Ends being shown at the Palm Beach Boat Show late March, and Amels 55m Lili which has just arrived in Southeast Asian waters and is available for charter. The reviews continue with latest mid-range models being released by leading European builders, all being showcased at the Singapore Yacht Show.
Montblanc: Meisterstück Le Petit Prince Special Edition
Writing is like dancing, it requires a lot of dedication, patience, a composed yet a concentrated mind to perfect the art of strokes, without seeking the spotlight. You have to learn to listen, feel, watch and trust yourself. Writing is a solo profession, working all the time to an accuracy of fractions of a millimetre. Gradually, you will develop a special intuition to write thousands of characters by hand and ensuring the nib glides smoothly across the page, expressing thoughts and ideas, transcending dreams and making unsung songs heard.
This April, the German luxury brand Montblanc is releasing the Special Edition of the new Meisterstück Le Petit Prince, to bring together the heritage of timeless gifting favourite and the cultural influence of a great literary mind. Inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s poetic tale, the new Meisterstück Le Petit Prince celebrates the powerful symbol of education and the importance of transmitting ideas to create lasting memories and bonds.
Meisterstück Le Petit Prince Doué Classique shows the cap and metal cone in platinum coat and elegantly decorated with engravings of the fox pattern. The pen clip is adorned with a yellow star to complete the Classique edition.
The cap and barrel of the Meisterstück Le Petit Prince Solitaire features a darker blue lacquer, contrasting with the fittings crafted from platinum-coated metal.
Meisterstück Le Petit Prince Special Edition features the cap and barrel made of night-blue precious resin with the milled cap decorated with a fox face pattern.
The German luxury brand has a long tradition of supporting influential art projects and recognising talents who have devoted their time, passion and energy to perfect their craft. In this special edition Meisterstück, the writing instrument is available in three types: ballpoint pen, roller ball and the fountain pen features an 18k bi-colour nib, showing the outline of the Little Prince and the fox embellishment.
The special edition Meisterstück is inspired by a much-loved book with editions in more than 250 languages and dialects, that tells a story about “a young prince and the fox who enlightens him about the importance of close bonds and human relationships, revealing the core wisdom learned from his own life’s experiences.”
To complete the writing experience, Montblanc has also introduced a selection of men’s accessories inspired by Meisterstück Le Petit Prince, such as leather notebook made of fine Saffino leather with a fox scenery illustration on the cover, a pair of round stainless steel cufflinks and money clip in stainless steel, both finished in deep blue lacquer with a fox face design. The blue leather bracelet features Montblanc’s signature engraving on stainless steel, juxtaposed with a yellow star at the centre.
For more information, please visit the brand’s official website and follow Montblanc on Facebook and Instagram.
After her delivery from the Amels yard in the Netherlands in June 2017, Lili has already racked up some serious mileage – touring stunning off-the-beaten-track locations such as Norway, the Seychelles islands and the Maldives.
She is available for charter with Imperial, which also represented the owner during the completion of the build at Amels. Perhaps the most highly customised Amels 180 to date, Lili perfectly captures the continuous evolution and ongoing success of the Amels Limited Editions range.
We’re confident in saying that the Amels 180 is the most successful 55-metre superyacht design ever, with more than 20 deliveries since 2007,” comments Rose Damen, Amels Commercial Director. “Lili’s owner brought many fresh new ideas to her creation, including an extended huge sun deck with a custom-made pool – plenty of outdoor spaces for everyone on board.
“We’re able to create a personal style that complements Tim Heywood’s original Amels 180 design very successfully”.
Together with the Amels design team, Tim Heywood extended Lili’s sun deck by three metres to 28 metres in length – creating a huge outdoor luxury space of almost 175 square metres. The bridge deck has also been extended, offering both sun both sun and shade.
Bespoke dining room chairs feature a cut-out square that appears to frame the rich ebony table
Lili’s folding balcony from the VIP suite on the principal deck provides a private spot to enjoy sea breezes in the morning. Further aft on this deck, additional folding balconies port and starboard offer uninterrupted views for fresh al fresco indoor dining for all 12 guests on board. These balconies create an unobstructed majestic view to the sea, and let sea breezes inside for a gentle, more informal and al fresco dining feeling.
The Amels paint team did a remarkable job. The application of Castle Tan gloss on the hull makes Lili very distinctive, while the unforgiving Jet Black on the superstructure – which is extremely challenging to perfect – makes a stunning contrast. The engineering required to turn these curves into reality is considerable, and any blemish would show up in the paintwork. Such is the attention to detail and quality of finish at Amels that Lili looks very much the jewel that Tim Heywood intended.
“Lili has such an unusual paint scheme, and jet black gloss across challenging curves and stairwells – any tiny fault would stand out”, Rose Damen explains. “We are well known for the high quality of our paintwork, so it was very important to us that we got it absolutely right. It is a remarkably successful look, and exactly what the owner wanted.
She’s a very personal yacht, but also one that is widely admired and has already proven a popular charter choice. It has been very humbling to see how enthusiastically owners have responded to Tim Heywood’s design over the years.
“Outdoor furnishings have warm tones, which reflect the teak wood and the hull’s Castle Tan – all artfully highlighted with blue marine colours of the sea. Working together with the owner, interior designer Laura Sessa and her team developed a luxurious finish with a very rich use of soft furnishings in velvet and silk.
“The masterpiece is without any doubt the owner’s stateroom on the bridge deck which opens out over a huge aft deck. It was a challenge, in rooms full of light, to create a bold design language that both complements the views outside without forgetting the interior character. The full beam stateroom’s windows offer breath-taking views – glass on three sides with a 180-degree panorama – while the extended aft deck is in effect a private, shaded terrace – an owner’s deck.
“With a view to offering Lili for charter, the owner also created a second stunning 77 square-metre master suite on the principal deck. The suite has a spacious stateroom, office, and private lounge with an exclusive folding balcony to bring in the cool ocean breezes and enjoy the relaxing sound of the sea.
“By adding an indoor gym and four lower deck suites (a total of six spacious suites for 12 guests), Lili is thus perfect for charter clients who want their own spaces to retreat to – as well as the shared lounge spaces and shared sun deck and beach club.
“In stairwells and corridors, very light and high-gloss sycamore is structured with strong geometric black recesses. High contrast dark woods including ebony Macassar make frames in structural elements as well as cabinets, tables, chairs and even bed covers. The bespoke dining room chairs feature a cut-out square that appears to ‘frame’ the rich ebony table.
“The artworks on board are displayed in bold, dark frames, too. These are also echoed in the dark frames around the large windows – with dark shutters connecting with the exterior’s jet black superstructure. This clever design has framed the ever-changing views themselves as pieces of artwork. Soothing whites and light toned walls and carpets provide further contrasts, accentuating the bright sunshine that pours over the surfaces.
“Interior design is very visible in the connection between bespoke furniture and interior materials. For example in the owner’s suite, the custom button-tufted ottoman is mirrored in the same tufting style created on the wall behind the bed. Each space in Laura Sessa’s creation is like a Haute Couture collection, sharing a theme that complements the yacht’s form while providing new points of interest and different impressions.
Sofas are custom-designed for serious lounging in this light and airy layout
“The premier salon emphasises relaxation with an over-sized sofa facing an over-sized huge 105-inch curved 4K television screen. The careful use of mirrored surfaces in the bathrooms – including the shower door – increases the feeling of space.
Superb master suite is among the many features on this highly-customised Amels 180
“Splashes of colour in the lower deck guest suites provide individuality. Everywhere, the disciplined, geometric design requires the highest level of precision craftsmanship and carpentry. Very crisp and sharp joinery, insets and fittings are in perfect alignment and symmetry. “Over the years since we introduced the Amels Limited Editions concept”, Rose Damen continues, “our Amels design and engineering teams have fed back thousands of hours of custom engineering into the design.
“The platform has changed enormously since the first Limited Editions yacht in this segment, Deniki, was delivered in 2007. That includes major changes such as helipad, full-beam bridge deck lounge with larger windows facing aft, plus the extended decks, lengthened beach club and a newly enlarged galley on the principal deck.
“Perhaps even more importantly, the lengthened Amels 180 platform contains thousands of small details that we’ve developed – many representing the changing market and technology innovations, but also we’ve listened to feedback from clients, captains and from the teams here at the yard. The boat has got better, better and better again. In terms of reliability, it’s virtually the perfect yacht platform”.
Aside from Tim Heywood’s timeless exterior lines, about the only thing Amels hasn’t changed is the yacht’s hull shape. That gives clients a lot of confidence – knowing the proven pedigree of their yacht’s underwater body and its performance in all kinds of weather and sea state. The Amels platform is famous in the superyacht world for its seakindliness and manoeuvrability – captains and crews are very enthusiastic about the difference.
The yacht has a slender hull with a narrow forefoot, giving her a fine entry and good seakindly qualities – even in a big swell. The low superstructure (low metacentric height) and heavily-built, stiff full displacement hull makes her very solid and smooth in the water with comfortable periods of roll. This is a hull shape that has successfully circumnavigated the globe, cruised in the Arctic Circle and explored remote Melanesian islands without any modification.
The longevity of that naval architecture is the result of upfront investment in research and development, collaborating with parent company Damen Shipyards Group and their extensive analytical resources. Having that experience with the platform gives Amels absolute control of the production process and allows the yard to achieve the very highest quality.
Lili represents what can be achieved in engineering and design when a yacht builder is willing to be versatile and flexible, listening to owners and willing to make things possible. Her fast delivery in just over a year from signing, impeccable high quality and substantial owner customisation make Lili a perfect example of owners making the most of the Amels Limited Editions approach, a yard spokesman concluded.
Words by Ross Wolfe | Images courtesy of Jeff Brown
*** This article is republished from issue 43 of Yacht Style.
