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

Liara 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

Shipyard: Baltic Yachts Naval architect & exterior styling: Malcolm McKeon Interior design: Adam Lay Studio Shipyard: Baltic Yachts Length (LOA): 34.14 m Length (LWL): 32 m Beam: 7.90 m Draft: 6.15 m /3.91 m Displacement: 88 tons Sail Area: 437 sq.m Cabins: 1 owner + 3 guests + 3 Crew cabins Engine: Caterpillar C7.1

Author: Désirée Sormani Photo credits: Josh Czachur, Breedmedia

compromising on comfort. The result was a series of challenges to overcome, for the yard, too. “The yacht, to be used both as a cruiser and also for racing, meant that we had to evaluate every detail in matter of weight”, says Henry Hawkins, Baltic Executive Vice President, “Like hose clamps for ducting, electrical cable trays made from carbon, using Nomex in aft ship bulkheads for weight saving, titanium deck equipment etc.” The owner wanted a low, sleek superstructure where the lounge is on lower level than the cockpit, so the designers opted for wide expanse of curved glass between the cockpit and lounge, creating continuity between the lounge and deck, an unusual feature on a sail yacht and a stylistic element that provides enhanced visuals for the yacht’s pilot. It is also a key feature for the interior style, too, the work of the Adam Lay Studio. The bright, expansive living area linked to the cockpit unfolds over two levels, with a few steps separating the dining and relaxation areas. The designer has made best use of natural light to create interiors that seem to float in space. In Adam Lay’s words, “The design brief for Liara was to create a practical, functional sailing yacht interior with an open feel that reflects the natural environment of the owner’s home islands, the Channel Islands. Liara’s interior is intentionally ‘weathered’ to look and feel natural, comfortable and relaxing”. A series of bright colours is used, dominated by oak wood in an assortment of finishes and types, designed to evoke the natural world entering and becoming a part of the yacht - the dining and coffee tabletops, for example, whose grain recalls concentric ripples forming on water. The texture of some fabrics also reflects elements of nature, while the lighting is intended to enhance features and details. An artistic touch is provided by the works of Valerie Travers, a native of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. Elegance and stylistic coherence are also on show in the sleeping area with an owner’s cabin forward, VIP cabin amidships and two twin cabins aft of the salon, all, of course, with en-suite bathroom. The interiors are personalised by different-coloured bedheads and fabrics, contributing to this sail yacht’s unique personality.