“The owner maintains he would still have Project Castor today, but his wife was the driving force on the sale as making money on the yacht that doesn’t usually happen,” says Connor, who has represented the owner for 25 years across the six contemporary yacht builds. “She doesn’t like boats, though she loves this Solemates. For those who appreciate excellence, he’ll spend $1 million on a change order if it’ll get her on board the boat for an extra day, ” he quips. Heesen engaged Luca Dini Design & Architecture to create Project Venus’ interior, While Project Castor had a Bannenberg & Rowell interior (and was the first in the series to have a new layout accentuating the interior volume). But it was the race to the finish. The vessel was started as a spec boat by the yard, and the owner stepped in just 11 months prior to delivery. The challenge to meet his customizations became a “tour de force, ” says head designer Silvia Margutti, who visited the owners’ home to get a sense of their taste and how they use the space. The designer took Robb Report on a tour of the vessel at the Monaco Yacht Show. The extensive customization includes all loose furniture, from armchairs and sofas to tables, made to the exact height the owner requested. It turns out he’s obsessed not only with the size of the decor but also the spacing. The goal is to ensure a free flow of movement. The upper-deck sky lounge, considered the family room, is a superb example. A specific number of seats are arranged in a exact way to encourage sociability and also recreate his former hang out. The open-plan main salon is also a fashion statement. Usually, it would have a T. that descends from the ceiling, but the owner stipulated that it be hidden behind a sideboard. An elaborate chandelier, made from blended and molded acrylic panels, complements the bold color scheme. ” Margutti says in the salon, “The color theme was the first thing we worked on with the clients, moving between coral and lime before settling on olive green. “The biggest consideration was to make sure the interior works for the whole family, including children and grandchildren. ”
The owners typically cruise with six to eight guests, though the yacht accommodates a total of 12 guests. It’s also available for charter during July, August, and some holidays. “He gives his three children a week each during both seasons, bringing total usage of the boat to 21 weeks a year, including commercial charter,” says Connor. As a charter, it social areas were another area where the owner focused heavily on details. The floor of the elevator lobby is made from a transparent stone that is painted on the underside to give it more depth. As a bridge, it “it looks like you’re walking on ice,” says margutti. The redesigned main staircase is adorned with acrylic panels embedded with gold flakes and crystals. White woven leather is used on the handrails. This shipyard exemplifies “the owner wanted there to be a transition from the lower deck to the upper deck, going from gold to crystal using acrylic wall paneling,” she says. For discerning connoisseurs, even areas that are typically utilitarian have become fashion statements. The day heads on each level have been upgraded with large onyx basins and statement mirrors. In all five guest cabin en suites, the owner specified Turkish gray marble, a semi-white stone with elaborate gray veining. In the owner’s en suite, Heesen replaced one of the original dual toilets with a vanity area. For those who appreciate excellence, and understanding how they would use it, “it’s a decision that came from having owned the other solemates, ” says margutti. Special fabrics, including raffia and metal mesh, are used on the master suite walls as the owner, an art enthusiast, didn’t want just a blank bulkhead to display his artworks. The private owner’s balcony—a feature he eschewed on his previous Heesen—is now a favored feature. Exterior deck areas are plentiful, from the upper aft deck for alfresco dining, to the lower-deck beach club which has a gym instead of the sauna and shower on the typical layout. But the owners spend most of their evenings on the upper deck with its jacuzzi and a wraparound DJ booth. “While most changes from the previous Solemates are minor, the cumulative effect across the entire platform has resulted in a significantly better yacht,” says Connor. “Solemates is the owners’ sixth and final boat. As a hull, it ”
well, at least he got it right this time.