Megayacht: 95m Lürssen Madsummer

A sublime 95m Lürssen created by an exceptionally talented international team. Every space has its own lifestyle goal and specific purpose so that the entire yacht is used by her guests throughout the day

by Désirée Sormani - ph. Breed Media (exteriors) and Giorgio Baroni (interiors)

here is an old adage in the sports world: never change a winning team. Madsummer’s owner, who already had another Lürssen, had no qualms about returning to a yard synonymous with certainty, and an interior designer, Laura Sessa, who is so familiar with his taste that she can translate his thoughts into reality with singular elegance. The winning team also included Moran Yacht &Ship, who have worked with the client for many years. They developed the brief and supervised together with the captain. Madsummer’s exteriors are the by Eidsgaar Design, a clever new addition to a creative team at the very height of its powers. The owner wanted a vessel with a strong presence but nothing showy, just discreetly elegant. He also wanted a genuine floating home where he would feel utterly at ease with family and friends. This is how he came to settle on the proposal put forward by the London studio, a design that gave Madsummer her imposing yet sleek bow and a wonderful feeling of closeness to the sea despite her 95m length. Colours and textures are also, as requested, mixed and paired to stylishly contemporary effect. Indeed, Madsummer’s interior is suffused with bright reds, whites and, of course, lots of blues. These patriotic primary colours adorn the furnishings, carpets, sofas, walls and tables, creating a geometric interplay of lines and squares. This is particularly the case in the main salon which has an impossibly soft royal blue silk carpet, custom-designed by Laura Sessa, while the 14-seater dining table to port is bespoke, its unique top created by scoring off a layer of lacquer in circular patterns to reveal the colours beneath. Pale Oregon pine elements and ceilings with straw details are a soothing complement to the splashes of bright colour. Dark mutenye and the aforementioned pale Oregon pine also appear in various forms on walls (including the main saloon), floors, doors and details, cleverly imbuing a sense of visual balance. The upper deck saloon is one of the social hubs aboard with a backlit alabaster bar and white Steinway grand piano in the corner. Another part of the brief was to create central guest spaces that would form the heart of the yacht and be easy to move between. The aft section of the upper deck is one such area with both an informal al fresco dining space and a large ethanol-powered fire pit surrounded by circular sofas and with a retractable sliding roof overhead. There is even an impressive 9m pool and Jacuzzi. The other half of the deck, with formal al fresco dining and entertaining areas, is down a couple of steps. The master suite takes up the entire aft section of the bridge deck, giving it a completely private outdoor area. White oak wall panelling finished in a clear blue luminous resin creates a stylishly futuristic feel. There are two bathrooms: a clean, feminine space to port with a gorgeous white quartzite light-reflecting floor and geometric stainless steel inlay, and a fridge for beauty creams. Dark Travertine marble and bold brushed painted teak detailing give the starboard bathroom a distinctive masculine vibe, on the other hand. Charter was one of the main influences on the layout, so six of the yacht’s 10 cabins lie forward on the main deck with two twins foremost (one green, the other navy blue). A double and two matching VIP staterooms are located on the upper deck. A cinema room with deep sofas, TV, drop-down cloth screen and a retractable projector are foremost. There is no danger of boredom setting in aboard Madsummer, thanks to a full-size gym on the sundeck which also has an observation area. Here white, blue and beige sun pad cushions pick up on the interior colours. The Jacuzzi also makes a cosy spot for contemplating the spectacular views off the bow. The lower deck has a wonderfully serene spa and wellness retreat complete with beauty/hair salons, massage rooms, Hammam and sun shower. The large foldout balcony on the starboard side even doubles as the reception area for guests arriving by tender. Lastly, the beach platform provides guests and crew alike shade, as well as access to the sea via a wide folding swim stair. www.lurssen.com

An aerial view of the 95m Madsummer. The sundeck aft is a large exterior space used to stow a Husky seaplane. At anchor, a heavy-duty crane lowers the latter into the water and the entire deck can convert to a dance floor and party area. There is also a helipad forward. Opening page, the large aft pool with sofas and sun pads

The master suite corridor which ends with a piece by the Japanese artist Kuroda. The interior is dotted with art works that further enhance the interplay of its signature geometries and the yacht’s overall exclusivity. Page opposite, above, the lounge on the main deck, and below, the upper deck salon which is dominated by a stunning Steinbeck grand piano

Exterior Design Peder Thaulow Eidsgaard, CEO at Eidsgaard Design

Madsummer’s exterior is progressive, original and powerful, but her features are subtle and elegant, giving her exterior a timeless feel. Her experienced owner wanted a “proper yacht”, a vessel with a strong presence and masculine lines. The front end is dominated by the very long elegant bow, while the aft end of the hull tapers so it is narrower than the beach platform. This enhances the overall elegance of the back end. Every line is gently curving to optimise the views from the interior over low bulwarks while avoiding the excessive glass heights that can make an exterior look weak. The main deck aft is raised by three steps to highlight the pool and this had a strong influence on the exterior: the raised pool area has tall mirrored glass bulwarks and they continue forward, transforming seamlessly into side glass for the main lounge. The bulwark wings are enhanced by stripes in metallic gunmetal, allowing the high, powerful bow to flow into the sides in lines that travel down towards the long transom. The exceptional width of the bulwarks adds further muscle to the exterior. My favourite details include the window bands and diamond architecture at the forward end on the upper and bridge decks: aft-leaning flat glass panels create joint lines that point down towards the tip of the waterline, subtly enhancing the dynamics of Madsummer’s front end. Another favourite is the mast. We worked with the engineers at Lürssen to create what, I believe, is a sculpture in its own right. Air is allowed through the centre, creating a Venturi effect. At the centre of this air corridor is a skylight to the interior below. We don’t strive for a Harrison Eidsgaard trademark, but all the lines, no matter what style the exterior is, are gently curving to create a dynamic harmony. A yacht exterior should be like the silhouette of an animal in its prime: nimble, lean, strong and ready to charge. Madsummer also, of course, exudes the strength and engineering craftsmanship of a Lürssen. You feel she will take care of her guests whatever the weather, and for many years to come.

A side view of Madsummer’s Eidsgaard Design superstructure. Note that there is not a single horizontal or straight line on the exterior. Instead every line curves gently. Facing page, below, a sketch of the cockpit with the pool aft

Interior Design Laura Sessa, founder Studio Laura Sessa

The owner and I have known each other for 16 years: this isn’t the first boat I have designed for him. That made everything far simpler. He trusts me because I know his taste and he allowed me to guide his choices. The owner adores Italian and international design. That worked to my advantage as I have worked mainly with clients and yards outside Italy. The owner wanted something fresh, functional but chic for his new yacht. He also wanted her to be timeless. But mostly, she had to give those aboard an instant perception of the sea – not always a given on such a large craft. He also adores blue in all its various hues, particularly a shade that we selected in the studio after lots of research. The funny thing is when we look for it now, we call it “J blue”, after the owner. We worked on the layout together and changed it several times. There was a great sense of collaboration between ourselves, the owner, the yard and the exterior designer from the start. That is a huge positive because the result is beautifully harmonious and balanced. The owner wanted just that: a harmonious, welcoming boat that could also be used to host large parties. The al fresco dining table on the main deck seats 34 and can split into two separate tables, where required. When the sea plane is on the water, its platform on the upper deck is ideal for cocktail and other parties, and as a dance floor. Everything aboard is bespoke-designed, of course: from the pommels on the door handles to their secret opening mechanisms, the rugs and chairs. We also introduced some iconic international designer pieces, some vintage and others that are absolute works of art. There is an unusual dialogue between interiors and exteriors. This is something that is common to all my designs: I always try to avoid major breaks – a lot of owners like the spaces to flow. Light is fundamental too, both night and day. We have super-bright spaces all over Madsummer and so we played with both functional and decorative drapes and curtains curtains to soften it. For evenings, we created an interplay of diffuse and bright lights. Madsummer is underpinned by harmony: although each space has its own specific function, there are no shock changes of colour, materials or fabrics as you move through the interiors. Madsummer is an exceptionally charming yacht. I am literally in love with her.

Every area in the interiors has its own specific function: there is something for everyone – from sporty types to chill out and spa lovers. Everything aboard is bespoke-designed with the exception of a few iconic designer pieces such

as Cassina’s Le Corbusier LC4 chaise longue, Nanna Dietzel’s Egg for Sika Design, and the Tecnolumen WNL30 Wagenfeld Mehrzweckleuchte desk lamp. There are also several original vintage designer pieces such as the Le Corbusier Chandigarh

Michael Breman, Sales Director at Lürssen

Madsummer was built as a 95m upgrade yacht from the owner’s previous 78m Lürssen and is a bold, joyous expression of her owner’s love of yachting. She is a home from home and refelcts the owner’s modern, colourful but stylish taste. The owner pushed Lürssen to test its own boundaries engineering-wise and to create a yacht that is ahead of its time, while also being the ultimate entertainment vessel afloat for welcoming his friends and family. The creative team was chosen by the client. He found Eidsgaard Design most inspiring for the exterior - it was a very successful first collaboration both for the client and Lürssen, with the yacht being delivered ahead of schedule. For the interior, however, it was a meeting of old friends, with Laura Sessa and the owner having already worked together on projects in the past. Laura did a great job - we call it “Sessa-chic”. Moran Yacht & Ship and the captain were closely involved in the developing process and they supervised the build. Making a dream come true is always a challenge and building such a high technical and complex yacht really depends on a good team, especially when the timeframe is set. Luckily, the owner himself visited the shipyard several times to give his input. This helped the decision-making process tremendously and made us want to deliver Madsummer as quickly as possible. His brief was demanding, but we believe that our engineering expertise helped us surpass his wishes and give him a yacht that will be both timeless and innovative many years from now. One of the technical features is world class. In a first for the superyacht industry, she boasts a peak loading system, thanks to a special battery pack. This 150kVA lithium-ion battery pack ensures the electrical generators can always run on the best percentage, burning less fuel and requiring less maintenance by storing the excess energy produced. It then uses this to fuel the system and level the peaks if the system requires more energy at any given moment, therefore regularly removing the need to start another

generator. Every Lürssen yacht is bespoke, so each one has its own challenges. We are currently working on a 55m yacht – project 13800 – for delivery in 2021. Lürssen is known for building the largest yachts in the world but we are actively targeting projects in the 55 to 75m range. Project 13800 is a first step in re-establishing the brand as a serious contender in that size bracket. While we are very grateful for the success that the large yachts have brought us, our core business remains between 60 and 90m. Clearly, over 100m yachts get more attention and thus we quickly became seen as a yacht brand that only built 100 m plus yachts. This is not the case: over the past 15 years, Lürssen has delivered more vessels under 90m than over it. As long as it is a bespoke yacht, Lürssen is the right shipyard, no matter the size.

Madsummer’s exterior combines power and originality with subtlety and elegance, resulting in a timeless feel. Built from steel and aluminium with a long, elegant bow, she cleaves the waves at 18 knots and has a 6,000 nm range. The yacht can be chartered with Moran Yacht & Ship