With Michelangelo's recipes.
Reviews and test drives

With Michelangelo's recipes.

On board the Lurssen 197' Arkley.

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If one had to characterize the style of an Arkley megayacht in a nutshell, one would say it is a rational luxury. Without further ado, it is clear that the boat is 60 meters long, let alone built at the Bremen shipyard. Lurssen...makes a strong impression. The best materials available on the market were used in the construction of the hull and the finishing work. It's not about the cost of the interior work (although it is the highest in its class), but a certain Arkley philosophy. Having all opportunities to enhance the effect of superiority, visually highlight the formidable size and richness of decoration, the design team went a completely different way. Despite her impressive size, an Arkley yacht looks sporty and elegant, designed for sailing and pleasure. One look at her is enough to recall the good weather and the outer islands.

The hull lines were invented by Espen Oeno a few years ago for a boat... Linda Lou and were so successful that it was decided to repeat their overall drawing. The differences are to be found first of all in the interior created by the British bureau Mark Berrymann Design. But before turning to its details, it should be noted that the technical solution of the boat has found the golden mean, which reconciles power with comfort. For example, Arkley can safely cross the Atlantic without refueling and is adapted to cruising in northern latitudes. At the same time, despite the power of two Caterpillar engines, each of which produces almost 2000 horsepower, the engineers have achieved outstanding success in noise reduction: it is the quietest boat in its class.

Marc Berriman's interior design has a true British understated chic. It is a symbiosis of classics and modernity, based on European notions of comfort, but reminiscent of distant wanderings with exotic materials. At a glance, you can see that all the spaces are a single composition, which uses noble natural materials: oak with inserts of zebrano and wenge, leather embossed under alligator, woven bamboo. The interior is minimalistic, but it is neither cold nor ascetic. It's a real hedonist's sanctuary, where everything is meant to be fun. The light range of materials pleases the eye, and textures are smooth, soft and pleasant to the touch. This applies to both walls and floors, which is especially important for those who like to walk barefoot on a yacht.

The bathroom in the master suite is a real work of art. The washbasins are like sculptures created according to Michelangelo's recipe ("take a block of marble and extra compartments"). Marble, by the way, is one of the rarest in the world - antique Iranian. The jet of water is a separate special effect: thanks to an invisible glass stand, the water cascades over the sink.

The space of the yacht is clean, airy and uncluttered. The upper deck saloon will not be crowded, even a large company. All technical and simply small details are hidden in special compartments, each of which has its own purpose. For example, you will not see any office equipment in the study: it was specially removed so that it would not disturb the harmony of the interior.

Everything's comfortable here. Reach for the right drawer sitting in the chair. Get the right brightness of lighting, lying on the sofa (over the corner and the brightness of the LEDs worked meticulous German engineers). Probably, everybody knows how fast it is possible to catch a cold, if the conditioner blows too strongly and is directed directly on the person. On Arkley such thing is excluded.

There is air conditioning even on the Sundeck above the table, which is very convenient in the stuffy southern latitudes. There, on the Sundeck, sitting in a Jacuzzi, you can admire the spectacular views: the glass dodger protects against the wind. Although electronics are everywhere on the yacht, they are neatly integrated and not striking to the eye. Electronics is friendly - at least the heated floors in the cabins are worth it. Even the oldest Bosendorfer Manufacturer, together with Porsche Design, has an iPod connector. The piano tunes up for an exquisite pastime, although it does not exclude noisy parties on a Sundeck.

In any case, the equipment of the boat confidently meets the level of guests with high demands on themselves and the environment. For example, the boat has seven serving sets of dishes designed for daily change. The crew also reincarnates themselves by wearing a new design uniform every day. "We not only reveal the exterior beauty of the interior to our guests, but also its logic and essence," says Mark Berriman. And the essence of this boat is a holiday that begins at the moment when the first guest arrives on the boat.

It is published in YACHTS magazine #32.

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