APRIL 2017 WWW.BOATINTERNATIONAL.COM APRIL 2017There’s usually chaos before the calm of a superyacht
launch – or relaunch. The planks and tarpaulins,
the entrails of electrical systems, dusty contractors
wedged under and behind things; no matter how many
times you see the endgame of a superyacht project, it
seems inconceivable that they’ll pull it off in time.
Polar Star, moored up at MB92 in Barcelona, was
a maelstrom of activity in November. Built in 2005
and bought by her current owner in 2007, she had
a thorough refit in 2015 and was back at the Spanish
yard for some warranty work and edits to the
sauna, before heading to the Caribbean. The World
Superyacht Award judge who accompanied Boat
International to visit the boat summed up the feeling
succinctly.
“When are you crossing?” he asked.
“She leaves on Saturday or Sunday,” replied project
manager Trevor van Wyk, of Master Yachts.
“This week?”
“Yes.”
“Oh God.”Above: the stylishly
enclosed main deck
aft, with the swim
platform accessible
down a flight of
stairs, left, and
tenders and toys
hidden behind
louvers to the right
Right: the original
blue hull has been
replaced with a
muted brownIt is a testament to those behind
this extraordinary project that she
met her deadline. But then this is
a team adept at recognizing the
changes that will make the biggest
difference while using the lightest
touch. The total project time was
nine months; the interior team
FM Architettura d’Interni, which
fabricates most of its products
from scratch, had just seven.
“Our approach is cosmetic,”
says Francesca Muzio, co-founder
of the company. “We don’t modify
the structure because, if you start
with a very intensive, aggressive
approach, it costs money and
time.” And she should know,
having spent 10 years as design
director of CRN.
Luckily they had an Espen
Øino-designed, well maintained Lürssen to work
with, so there weren’t many worries on the structural
side. The biggest edits to the guts of the boat were
the electrics, electronics, audiovisual, plumbing,
and exhausts. Changes to the structure were mostly
limited to exterior areas.
The contemporary layout was fine as it was, but
the owner wanted a rethink of the country house-
style décor. The guiding principles from Muzio were
“cleaner, purer, softer” and – fittingly for an explorer
yacht – the owners requested a design that was more
in tune with the ocean environment. The most literal
examples of this are the stairwell carpets, designed
and made by FM Architettura d’Interni, and rippled
and colored to resemble the Caribbean Sea, and the
hand-stitched leather handrails that blend with the
beach atmosphere. But the color palette throughout
the boat is delicate silver gray, with aquamarine and
bronze accents. The yellow tone of the varnished oak
paneling has been muted and cooled with a bleach
wash, while wallpapers by Venetian company Rubelli
have a subtle silvery shimmer.
The deeper aim of the revamp was to streamline the
interior, making it more usable and, as Muzio notes,
“increasing the perception of the volume.” The main
salon is a case in point. Heavy floor-length drapes
(which also featured on other levels) used to block out
the edges of the window frames, even when drawn.
These have been replaced with cream blinds that
make the most of what the massive windows have to
offer – views out on to whichever seascape the yacht is
exploring. Even when closed for privacy, the blinds’Luckily they had an Espen Øino-designed Lürssen
to work with. The contemporary layout was fine
but the owner wanted a rethink of the décor
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