Angel and Demon

A yacht with a dual personality, the RP-Nauta 100 Morgana is a cruiser-racer from the Southern Wind yard. Created by the international Nauta Design studio in collaboration with the expert owner, in this 30-metre model form and structure mean performance and comfort for a yacht that is equally suited to cruising and racing

Morgana is more than a custom yacht, it’s an “efficient custom”. That’s how Andrea Micheli, commercial director of Southern Wind, an Italian yard based in Cape Town, South Africa, describes this new 100-footer with the SW label. “Optimising efficiency was a key driver in the design of Southern Wind”. The yacht closely mirrors its owner, who is a cultured, expert yachtsman. His new dream is based on three crucial elements – functionality, for safe, comfortable sailing, performance, to enable him to compete in superyacht races, and a sexy, well-defined look, like an athlete’s body, with sporty, modern lines. Its design was handled by the Nauta Design studio, which incorporated the owner’s ideas into the exterior and interior shapes, and the American Reichel Pugh studio was chosen for the naval architecture. Morgana is a cruiser-racer. “She took around 3,000 work hours to complete”, say Mario Pedol and Massimo Gino, founders of Nauta Design. “The owner wanted a yacht for cruising with his family and friends, but he also wanted to take part in two or three races a year. That demanded constant efforts

Shipyard: Southern Wind Concept, interior and exterior design: Nauta Design Naval architecture: Reichel Pugh Yacht Design Length (LOA): 30.5m Length (LWL): 28.96m Beam: 7.46 m Draft: 4m – 6.1m (lifting keel) Displacement: 63,620 kg (lightship IRS) Sail area: 638m2 Cabins: 1 owner + 2 guests Engine: Cummins QSB6.7 301Hp@2600rpm

Author: Désirée Sormani Photo credits: Rob Kamhoot

to optimise weight, efficiency, design, comfort and developing the most efficient solutions”. Clean, elegant yet decisive lines define the profile of this 30-metre yacht – the deckhouse, with two lateral elements in composite and a central unit in teak, seems almost to have been chiselled out in the centre of the deck. “It took an incredible amount of research, designing and tests to find the right shape”, say the two designers. The clean, essential deck is hyper-technical and designed especially for this model, with all the rigging (sheets, windlasses etc) concealed beneath the deck. The teak surface is the dominant element, with warm tones interrupted only by the apple green of the guest cockpit upholstery, echoed in the graphic line running along the length of the hull and transom. The interiors have the elegant, intimate essentiality of a sail yacht, rather than a villa on the sea. The contemporary appeal recalls product design work. The Morgana’s layout revolves around the central salon – towards the bows, and on a slightly

lower level lies the relaxation corner with TV, a guest cabin and the owner’s suite. To aft is the third guest cabin, separated from the crew area and large engine room, the technical heart of the yacht. All these spaces display a clear uniformity, dominated by the warm tones of oak, the wood used for furniture and structures, alternating with the white wall panelling, white lacquered ceilings and light oak flooring. Carbon fibre and titanium inlays evoke exterior details, like those of the two bespoke lounge tables by Nauta Design with the white lacquered composite top, the carbon fibre directors chairs and the bookcase columns that, like the handrails, are in titanium. The sunlight filtering through the skylights creates an interesting play of light and shade that harmonises with the artificial lighting provided by indirect units. Wallwasher spots by iGuzzini transform the walls and recesses into fascinating lighted surfaces, and a rope light on the dado runs along the entire perimeter of the interiors. The overall result is a series of charming, attractive spaces.