[ COVER STORY ]
An unusual 66-metre with a dual personality. The product of design maestro Espen Øino’s creative genius, the artistic talents of Reymond Langton Design and the Lürssen shipyard’s renowned construction prowess. A unique achievement by Désirée Sormani and Mary Hegarty 56
pictures by Klaus Jordan and Guillaume Plisson
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ster is a stunning grand dame of the sea with a dual personality
the main deck to do away with any freeboard issues during launch
that makes her quite unique. This is a yacht full of surprises
/retrieval. The bespoke tender was designed by Øino himself to
– all pleasant. Stretching a graceful 66 metres, Ester III has a
mirror Ester III’s overall aesthetic. Built by Windy Boats in Sweden,
very powerful profile that makes her instantly recognisable. We have
it has custom upholstery and fittings by Hermès. The yacht’s deck
Espen Øino to thank for those geometries which he penned to mirror
spaces will be used for a mix of meetings, entertaining and meals
the personality of the owner (a close personal friend) and the heritage
with friends and family on an ongoing basis. The family loves good
of the Lürssen yard that built her. Ester’s exteriors are dominated by
food, entertaining and eating in large groups so the top deck has a
large, often full-height, windows which draw in sunlight and allow
barbecue and teppanyaki grill in the al fresco galley which doubles
guests feast their eyes on the passing seascape. This feature together
as a bar. There is also an outdoor cinema and a full-blown disco
with Ester’s vertical bow and the rather angular design of the topsides
as well as golfing amenities.
and superstructure surfaces lend her quite a macho character. A
her dual personality. It is very different to her exterior but does not
quick glance at her exterior floor plan speaks volumes about her
clash with it. The theme is French Classical to which British studio
owner’s ambitions too: she boasts a surprisingly large pool for a craft
Reymond Langton Design has brought an authentic contemporary
of her dimensions and a helicopter platform atop the wheelhouse, to
interpretation. The lobby is dominated by a circular glass lift around
allow him and his family come and go without interfering with life
which curves the main stairs featuring incredible hand-carved leather
on the aft decks. Equally, the tender garage is located forward on
artwork created by specialist furniture manufacturers, Silverlining.
Ester III’s interior reveals more of
Above: the cockpit on the upper deck is fitted out, like all Ester III’s al fresco areas, by Sabrina Montecarlo. Right: the three decks that the exterior communal areas cover and the yacht’s unusual angular design, which is highlighted by a two-tone colour scheme
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to the lower guest accommodation comprising five cabins which are individually tailored to specific schemes and have with floor-to-ceiling windows. Each is also decorated with bespoke fabric artworks that extend from the headboards to the ceiling. The owner’s suite is forward on the main deck. Full-beam, its ceilings are an airy 2.4 metres high. It is accessed through a private study and has its own lobby off which open his and hers dressing rooms. The stateroom itself is a wonderfully indulgent retreat with sumptuous Avodire wood, gold leaf and bronze detailing complementing thick silk carpets by OT Carpets. The furnishings are classical in style and, like all the decorative detailing, designed by the English studio to be custom-made by the yard’s craftsmen. The bathrooms are a triumph of various kinds of onyx too. The luxurious saloon on the main deck has three different areas: the lounge, a more intimate central seating group by an ethanol-fuelled fireplace and a dining area which is swathed in an Amboyna-framed fabric artwork to create a light, romantic atmosphere. The Bridge Deck has a very bright, airy sky lounge with oversize windows and sliding doors onto the aft deck. Comfortable sofas and a TV tucked away behind marquetry panels make it perfect for simply chilling after a long day’s sunbathing and swimming. The A view of the enormous (for a 66-metre) pool, which has one entirely glass wall facing the sea, with a jet flow and a waterfall running down to the bathing platform where the water flows into a teak grating. The perfect place to relax, cool off and just watch the natural world float by
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Assyrian-influenced spa on the lower deck is calming and rejuvenating with mosaic inlays and a dramatic full -size wall relief carved in stone.
www.lurssen.com
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Left: Avodire wood, gold leaf and bronze detailing complement thick silk carpets and ornately detailed classic furniture. The interior designer says this is “the ultimate expression of the luxuriant style that defines the yacht. Below: a view of the main saloon. Opposite page: top, the fireplace in the saloon. Below, the hand-carved leather artworks in the stairwell
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The Naval Architect
Pictured here: naval architect Espen Øino. Below: a profile view
Espen Øino
featuring the spectacular use of glazing aboard. Opposite page: angular geometries really do make Ester III quite unique
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hat made the story of Ester III a bit unusual was the fact
I did that but I also made sure the owners’ character and Lürssen’s
that the clients and their family are good personal friends.
own strong heritage were reflected by identifying the owners’
So this wasn’t a regular client/designer relationship, in other
needs and requirements very clearly. The layout does reflect the
words. For me personally, this meant both an opportunity and
fact that the family will spend a lot of time on the yacht. The deck
a risk. It was an opportunity because I would clearly have the
in particular will be used very intensively for eating, entertaining
client’s ear for designing something truly unique but it was also a
and meetings. Food and hospitality are a big thing for the family
risk because it might potentially put the friendship under severe
and there is a barbecue and teppanaki-fitted open-air kitchen on
strain. The latter became a real possibility as the client quickly
the top deck. To my mind, Ester III’s most impressive features are
adopted a very hands-off approach once the brief and conceptual
her large windows, the two-tone colour scheme and the angular
design had been defined. More and more frequently, the owner
design. I suppose what I liked most about the project was that it
would say “Just do it as if the yacht was for you, Espen…….!”
was a real blank page design.
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he owner’s brief was that he wanted an exceptional yacht for his family that would be elegant sophisticated and, above all,
comfortable. He and his wife were closely involved as this was very much a family project. Both have very good visual awareness and a great understanding of detail and colour too. The French classical bias of the design followed from a style that they presently live and are comfortable with. We then developed the Assyrian influence at the owner’s request. The contrast between the exterior and interior really enhances the uniqueness of the yacht, I think. We designed the whole of the interior, however. Nearly all the furniture was specially designed, with Silverlining producing the majority, including the main staircase artwork, the bathroom vanities and decorative panels and 99 per cent of the loose furniture. Sabina Fay Braxton produced all of the custom handmade fabrics and fabric artwork panels. I have to say that her attention to detail and quality are second to none, and definitely enhanced the decor. So much intricate detailing means there are layers that are not obvious at first glance, but all the elements are in harmony. The Spa, for example, has four specially commissioned mosaics panels and floor by company DKT. These alone took a team of eight people nine months to complete. Design-wise, the word’s I’d use to describe Ester III would be comfortable, detailed, quality and home. She is completely unique.
The Interior Designers Reymond Langton Design Above: the Spa with Assyrian influences. Below: left, a render of the Owner’s suite (below, a detail). Opposite page: Pascale Reymond (left) and Jason Macaree
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The Owner Representative
The Shipyard
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Michael Breman, Sales Director
he client wanted to build his yacht at the best place he could find, and he found Lürssen.
My ambition was to build this yacht the right way and to
exceed the owner’s expectation of what a real family boat is. I wanted to help create the home-from-home family wanted. So Ester III is the result of great teamwork and one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Plus she looks damn sexy!
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hat I like most is that this is a very masculine yacht with very strong features yet it manages
to achieve an almost timeless elegance. It has very innovative looks and some of the technical outfitting, although standard on a Lürssen, would be unusual on other yachts. We enjoyed an excellent relationship with the owner and his family. We met them through the designer Espen Øino and had the pleasure of meeting them many times as the owner was very closely involved in the process. We had already worked with both EOI and Reymond Langton several times and we had always had an excellent relationship. They are real professionals in their fields and that makes them a pleasure to work with. I suppose every yacht we build is like child that we will cherish our whole life. But it wasn’t all plain sailing as the shapes of the yacht look easier to build than they are and some very sophisticated elements in the interior decoration gave our staff sleepless nights before they finally came up with a solution.
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