boatinternational.com• 052019still offers the Darwin class up to 107ft, but
Mimi la Sardine is a 110 footer in the Nauta
Air class. As ruggedly built as the Darwin,
thishandsome,semi-productionvessel
hasanextremelyefficientsteelhullfrom
SergioCutoloatHydroTectoppedbyan
aluminumsuperstructure.Thestylingof
theyachtanditsinteriorlayoutwerethe
workofNautaYachts,whileMaxine
becameintimatelyinvolvedintheinterior
decorationfromdayone,workingclosely
withCantieredelleMarche’sinteriors
boss,FilippoBevilacqua.
“Asanartist,I’mveryinterestedin
plasterandclaysculpture,”Maxinesays,
“and my work often incorporates
impressionsofbarkandnaturalorganic
materials,likeshellsandflowers.”This
newboat,thefirsttheyhadbuiltfrom
scratch,hadtoembracethisstyle.“Weare
quiteearthypeopleandarenotinterested
inaninteriorfullofshiny,polished
surfaces.Wewantedtocreatethefeelof
a family holiday home, with the close-to-
the-water feel of a relaxed beach house.
I wanted to use plenty of natural materials
likereclaimedwoodandfabricslikehemp,
linenandbamboo,andweeveninsiston
organicsoapsandcandles.”Whattheydid
notwantwas“Wedgwoodporcelainor
white-glovedstewardessesconstantly
offeringyoucoffee.”Luxurywasessential
but she describes it as “Bohemian
boutiquehotel”or“richhippy”ratherthan
formalglamour.“Lifeforusisallabout
findingthebalance–enjoyingwhatwe
haveworkedhardtoget,butnotleavinga
trailofenvironmentaldestructioninour
wake,”shesays.MimilaSardineisan
economicaldisplacementyachtwiththat
ethosrunningthroughout–theyhave
bannedplasticstraws,forexample.
Theunusualstylepresentedsome
challengesforMaxine,thelargestofwhich
wasmakingtheyardunderstandexactly
whatwaswanted.“Idon’tspeakItalian