YACHT & CRUISE
SAILING YACHT
Liara, Baltic Yachts
Nature indoors Designed for round-the-world cruising but equally ready to make a showing at competitive events, the 34-metre Liara, created to suit the requirements of its expert owner, set some tough challenges for the designers and yard. They did, however, develop new solutions, skilfully blending design and function
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iara took the honours for Best Exterior Design and Best Interior Design at the Boat International Design & Innovation Awards in 2020. It only takes one look to understand what features of this 34-metre sail yacht from Finland’s Baltic yard impressed the jury – she displays her own distinctive, refined elegance inspired by an essential, rigorous design with clean lines and decisive geometries softened by the gentle shapes of the superstructure. This is kept as low and streamlined as possible, harmonising with transom, where the teak of the deck slopes down towards the surface of the sea. The British studio Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design designed the exteriors, hull and keel. “The owner is an expert sail yachtsman, and wanted a new, fast carbon fibre cruising yacht to sail round the world on accompanied by his family. During the development process, though, he also said he wanted to compete in some races”, says Malcolm McKeon. The design team changed tack, as it now had to take weight limitation into account, without
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