23 minute read
Enjoying the BeachClub side of life
But the real pièce de résistance of a stay at the Gasthof Post Hotel is the access to Alpine gastronomical wonders, with a total of four on-site restaurants. The spectacular panoramic restaurant, Postblick, is the latest at the Post. Built in 2017 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Moosbrugger’s ownership of the hotel, the restaurant affords unbeatable mountain views from sunrise to sunset. Bemelmans Bar is another firm favourite with guests for a touch of après-ski; as well as for enjoying a more refined cocktail or glass of champagne later in the evening. The whole family takes a hands-on approach to operations. Florian runs the restaurants to ensure service is like clockwork: his wife, Sandra, takes care of the decor and hosts the whole guest experience from start to finish. This is not necessarily unique in the area, however. “Most five-star hotels and chalets in Lech are family-owned,” says Florian. “This is also part of Lech’s strong and unique character. From the very first moment that you enter this property, you know that it’s not only designed by an architect, but the lady of the establishment does the decoration and that the owner of the hotel is sitting behind the reception desk and is making sure that everything is arranged personally. That makes a big difference.”
With impeccable skiing and unbeatable charm, for an altogether more elegant winter ski experience, the Gasthof Post Hotel Lech is the place to be.
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©Lech Zürs Tourismus
A perfect day in Alpine paradise
Owner Florian Moosbrugger takes us through his tips for the ideal day on a family ski holiday at the Hotel Post Lech.
“Even on vacation, the morning begins before the sun comes out! At the Post Lech, we have a wonderful outdoor swimming pool in the middle of the garden. It’s truly a hidden paradise behind the hotel. Take a swim outside in between the snow and below the mountains for a fantastic way to wake up. Next is the restaurant for breakfast. Our panoramic restaurant offers a beautiful view of the slopes - the perfect place to sit and enjoy a fresh coffee and traditional breakfast. Go skiing early - before everyone is on the mountain! There is truly something for all levels of skiing on the Arlberg, from absolute beginners to seasoned experts, and I think that’s the remarkable thing about this area. After a few hours on the slopes, have a late lunch somewhere up in the mountains and either continue or break with skiing for the day. Once you return to the hotel in the afternoon, go and sit in the spa area for a while. Then relax in the bar with a book, enjoying a good glass of white wine before finding yourself together again with family and friends in the dining room, having an entertaining evening full of fantastic cuisine, flowing conversation and entertaining stories from the slopes.”
Lech: the details
* December - April season * 1,444 metres above sea level * 14 five-star hotels
* 300+ km of slopes * 15 cable cars * 45 chairlifts * 28 drag lifts
DARE TO DREAM
with Valimare Luxury Swimwear
By Georgia Tindale
As we look toward the upcoming summer and the reopening of the world with cautious anticipation, there is a feeling that every moment matters. The ordeals of the past year have encouraged us as consumers to sit back and ruminate on our choices, to make intelligent purchases from companies backed up by genuinely sustainable practices and, above all, to make the most of all of life’s frissons and joys when they appear.
If you were looking for a company to step boldly into this moment of change, you need to look no further than London-based Valimare luxury swimwear. Sashaying their way into the fashion scene back in 2014 after first surfacing at Miami Swim Week, Valimare was founded by couple Paula Fernandez and Ankit Jain and now stands as one of the world’s foremost luxury swim and resort wear brands, appearing at premium retailers and department stores in more than 20 countries, as well at boutiques and hotels in exclusive resort locations around the world.
The reason for its success today? There are a few. It certainly helps that Valimare’s swimsuits have graced the bodies of some of the world’s top celebrities, including Katy Perry, Kate Moss and Lupita Nyong’o. They’ve also made appearances in top fashion magazines from ELLE to VOGUE to Harper’s Bazaar and Marie Curie, and been featured on the social media accounts of leading global influencers, including Caro Daur, Wethepeoplestyle, Jen Meyer and Carolina Vazzana. Crafted in Italy from the highest quality fabrics which fit your body like a glove, Valimare’s bikinis and one-pieces strike the ideal balance between bold and chic, bringing together striking, elegant colour and texture combinations in styles that are wearable above all. This makes the swimwear perfect for those of us who might be feeling a little anxious about venturing out onto the beach after so long spent indoors.
But enduring success needs to be more than skin deep in 2021, and here Valimare delivers too. Sustainability is key: the company has committed to planting trees to compensate for every Valimare piece sold and works exclusively with an Italian mill on the production of its fabrics, closely monitoring its production cycles to ensure they are as eco-friendly as possible with minimal wastage.
And, after recently launching its new Resortwear line of elegant, easy to wear, day-to-evening summer dresses (delivering the brand’s distinctive colours and textures in high-quality fabrics and versatile styles), Valimare luxury swimwear is perfectly placed to help you take on the summer season ahead. See you at the beach!
BEHIND SHED
DOORS: TRYING OUT By Georgia Tindale BLUE JEANS Ahead of her hotly-anticipated 2022 delivery, we take a sneak peek at the fully custom 33-metre allaluminium superyacht, Blue Jeans, currently under construction at Van der Valk shipyard and discover why she’s the perfect fit for her Far Eastern owner.
Sporty lines
As the latest raised pilothouse model to come from the Dutch builder, Blue Jeans showcases both exterior and interior design from the drawing boards of Leiden-based studio Guido de Groot. Her exterior styling is sleek and sporty, with her glass bulwarks providing panoramic ocean views from every angle.
A sociable boat
Designed with entertaining in mind, Blue Jeans packs a huge amount of sociable space into her 33 metres, whilst still maintaining a sense of volume onboard. This is thanks, in part, to the high ceilings that can be found throughout the vessel.
Blue Jeans boasts a generous main salon ideal for kicking back and relaxing which comes complete with a bar, three seating areas and a forward dining area. With flexibility built into the heart of the yacht’s design, her capstan table can double in size in a matter of seconds to accommodate more formal dining experiences or be kept compact for use as a games table.
When the sun begins to set and it’s time to retire for the night, accommodation is provided for eight guests across four beautifully-styled staterooms, comprising a master suite, two VIP cabins and one twin, as well as an additional area for her dedicated crew of four.
Making a splash
Located on either side of the vessel, Blue Jeans’ two drop-down balconies double up as diving platforms for guests brave enough to take the plunge, with a third retractable diving board integrated into the flybridge bulwark above.
Guest comfort is paramount to Blue Jeans’ layout, as is clear from the additional bathroom and shower on the upper level for those who want to take a quick dip but do not wish to return to their cabins to change.
On deck relaxation
In addition, her deck spaces are perfect for casual socialising: a quality which is enhanced by the addition of a ‘chill-out zone’ which is concealed in the forepeak. Blue Jeans also comes equipped with an exceptional sound system to enhance the onboard ambience.
Performance is everything
Finally, when it comes to yachting, performance is key, and, here too, Blue Jeans delivers this in spades. She can reach a top speed of approximately 28 knots and cruises effortlessly at 22.4 knots, with her power provided by twin 2,600 hp diesel MTU engines.
Blue Jeans will offer the ultimate home-awayfrom-home upon delivery to her new owner next summer, thanks to her combination of style, flexible layout and top performance. Watch this space as she comes together!
Too good to eat (almost)
By Andrew Rogers
Amaury Guichon is one of the leading lights in a new generation of passionate pastry chefs, constantly reinventing their craft and sharing ideas. His truly remarkable pastry creations combine the very best in taste and visual effects. Amaury shares his knowledge with students at his Pastry Academy in Las Vegas and has taught all over the world. He also showcases his creations on social media and has 3.2 million followers on Instagram.
Thirty years of age, the Swiss/French pastry chef Amaury Guichon grew up in the Haute-Savoie region of France. After two years studying cooking in Thonon-lesBains, France, Amaury felt drawn to pastry and served a two-year apprenticeship in Geneva, during which time he won a number of local showpiece contests. He went on to study advanced pastry skills at the prestigious Maison Lenôtre in Paris, France, and in 2010 was named one of the best apprentices in the Paris region.
Amaury first came to the attention of the French public in 2013, when he took third place in a nationwide TV reality show competition between talented young pastry chefs. This led to an invitation to join some of the most high-end pastry shops in the Las Vegas casinos. Once there, Amaury helped renew the whole pastry offering and worked on numerous of his now trademark showpieces. In 2016, he started publishing his creations on social media in the form of images and ‘how to’ videos. These proved so popular that in 2017 he started his own company to consult and teach classes to professionals all over the world.
In 2019, Amaury launched The Pastry Academy in Las Vegas, which hosts 10week courses four times a year. Sixteen students from all over the world attend these classes, which are the only teaching Amaury does currently having previously travelled the world to run masterclasses. “It was amazing to see first-hand on these trips how popular quality baking inspired by French pastry-making has become,” he says. “But the greatest thing for me is to discover and explore fresh ingredients and tastes which open up a host of new opportunities and creative possibilities. I learn as much as I teach and my greatest satisfaction and pleasure come from sharing knowledge so that we can create better tasting and healthier products all round. Although I absolutely love working on complex designs in order to show my students various techniques, my current mantra is ‘never compromise on taste!’.”
J Class: Hanuman, Ranger, Lionheart, Rainbow
© Stuart Pearce THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA By Isla McKechnie
With its roots in an end-of-season gathering for yacht captains, the Superyacht Cup Palma is one part regatta and plenty of parts fun. We sat down with event director, Kate Branagh, to learn about the Cup’s pedigree, competitiveness and inimitable panache.
With 2021 marking the 25th anniversary of the Superyacht Cup Palma, how has the Cup changed over the years?
KB: It started out as an end-of-season gathering for yacht captains which often owners didn’t attend. Soon, the popularity grew and more boats came especially to Palma to participate. The rules and ratings processes were improved enormously over the years and in the last seven to eight years it has become much more competitive. There are still boats that come for the fun of sailing in company but more now are interested in the competitive nature of racing.
Can you tell us about your involvement in the Cup?
KB: I have been involved since 2000, initially bringing in the idea of sponsorship and media coverage and then helping build the event into a more internationallyfocused and professional organisation. I acquired the event from Informa PLC in 2013 and have continued to focus on developing the racing, while providing an international platform for sponsors.
43m Royal Huisman, Ravenger
© Sailing Energy / The Superyacht Cup
SY Firefly © Stuart Pearce
34 metre Abeking & Rasmussen, Baiurdo VI
SY Missy, Nilaya, Shamanna
SY Firefly © Stuart Pearce
What gives the Cup its special flavour?
KB: It has a very unique, informal atmosphere. Palma perfectly lends itself to helping with the fun, friendly and informal environment.
What does this year's edition mean to you in light of recent world events?
KB: COVID has made planning very difficult with so much uncertainty, but we committed to go ahead in a simplified format and with a focus on racing. It’s very satisfying we have been able to pull off an event.
What do you feel the Superyacht Cup adds to the global superyacht community?
KB: SYC and other superyacht regattas are an important part of the superyacht community. The media coverage reaches a wide audience, and we hope it introduces superyacht racing to people who would not otherwise have known about it. It is really important to maintain the profile of the event, as it helps position Palma as the hub for superyacht refit and repair and as a base for yachts and the yachting community.
Which highlights of the Cup stand out to you over the years?
KB: The 2007 Superyacht Cup - with 52 yachts entered - was an incredible achievement, one which has never been matched.
Which class do you most looking forward to seeing on the water?
KB: We had two classes of superyachts this year, but next year we could have a large performance fleet to add to it all, and even a few Corinthian entries coming with friends and family.
“I am very grateful to everyone who has stuck by us in the past 12 months; the sponsors and yacht owners who committed to participating - it would have been a great shame to miss the 25th anniversary event!”
The 25th Superyacht Cup Palma ran from 23-26 June 2021 and was won by 43m Ravenger. The 26th edition of the Cup will run from 22-25 June 2022.
A WELL-DESIGNED TEAM
Meet the team takes on a different meaning when it comes to the build of a yacht. Not only does our in-yard workforce spread across an extensive number of disciplines, there are many other key personnel which contribute to the DNA of each Van Der Valk yacht. Central to the pedigree of each yacht is its designer. The designers we work with have become an integral part of the Van Der Valk team; here, we flipped the script and asked some of our design partners what they enjoyed about working with us.
By Isla McKechnie
DESIGNER:
GUIDO DE GROOT DESIGN.
As the designer with the most-extensive body of work with Van der Valk, what do you think makes your combination special?
GdG I think we both benefit from each other. I turn Van der Valk’s clients’ special requests into reality, they bring me into contact with clients, so it’s good for us all round. Our very short design and build phase is special - almost within two years for some big boats - so if clients are interested they can design and have their boat built within a short period of time.
Which Van der Valk projects are highlights for you?
GdG: I have great memories of our first project which started the ball rolling. I was brought in by the owner’s representative, and wasn’t too familiar with the shipyard, but it was so successful that we moved on to do more projects together.
From there, we immediately went to one of Van der Valk’s largest yachts, it was a big step because of size, and the elaborate interior design.
What innovation are you proud of?
GdG: We worked to create a specialised, wheelchairaccessible yacht, with elevators and no seals in the flooring throughout, so it’s great seeing the shipyard grow in that way. It’s also been great seeing Van der Valk’s facilities grow bigger in order to make those bigger yachts.
What has changed and what has stayed the same during your work with Van der Valk?
GdG: At Van der Valk they do everything in-house; they don’t sub-contract, which makes it very easy to oversee everything. This keeps things fast, streamlined and efficient. The numbers of carpenters, engineers, welders, and technical people have grown during the years I’ve been involved, but there’s the same great relationship between client, shipyard and designers, and the clients enjoy watching the process.
DESIGNER:
COR D. ROVER DESIGN.
You’ve collaborated with Van der Valk on a number of projects; what aspects stand out as highlights for you?
CdR: Each project we’ve worked on at Van der Valk has been unique but the beach series is becoming a very exciting one. It was Wim Van der Valk himself who saw the potential of the concept within five minutes of us presenting it to him.
He was brave enough to start building a couple of hulls on speculation and the rest is history. We are very excited the build received the YACHTS innovation award at the Cannes Yachting Festival, and are designing several variations over different lengths of the concept.
What was your inspiration behind your beach club, and behind your pilot concepts?
CdR: The Beach club concept was conceived in pursuit of our never-ending quest for better quality-of-life onboard our yachts. What better place is there than being close to the water?
The beach club would not have been possible without the compactness of the Volvo IPS drives, because by using them, we were able to install a full-height engine room resulting in one connected accommodation deck from stern to bow. Many competitors are copying us now, which we see as flattering.
The pilot concept is another development with maximum real estate volume and value at a certain length. Spoiler alert: a contract has been signed so soon you will see a combination of Beach club and pilot concepts in one.
CdR: Van der Valk is a great mid-size shipyard with unlimited possibilities for customisation; something which will definitely achieve much-deserved appreciation in the years to come. It delivers great value for money and is a wonderful team to work with.
DESIGNER:
NICK TOP.
NT: The highlight was the satisfaction I could detect on the face of the craftsmen when seeing the end result of the collaboration. There was true pleasure in delivering high-end craftsmanship.
What aspects of the project you collaborated on with Van der Valk stand out to you?
NT: As work progressed, I felt I effectively became more a part of Van der Valk, not only for the sake of efficiency, but also to deliver a better end result for our client. Bram (General Manager, Van der Valk) brought the external and internal parties together, creating a bond and the captain, owner, contractors, internal craftsman, worked impressively together in a strict time frame.
DESIGNER:
HOT LAB, ENRICO LUMINI.
EL: The passion you feel when talking with anybody in the yard, their commitment, and their pride in what they have achieved. Those feelings and the sense of excitement are contagious.
The Van der Valk approach is to consider a problem a possibility to get something done better the next time, which demonstrates an incredibly positive attitude. This approach isn’t the (industry) norm and it is what makes working with Van der Valk so enjoyable.
What aspects stand out as memorable?
EL: The idea of letting the designer express himself without too many limitations. They want to understand what really makes a design firm different from another and you may do this only by letting it do what it is best at. This is what we felt. Freedom and respect.
DESIGNER:
CARLA GUILHEM.
CG: I appreciated Van der Valk’s receptiveness and trust in my designs, and they were fantastic collaborators with our team. They were incredibly understanding and met all of our needs, showing great care and attention to detail in their construction.
What aspects of the project stand out as things that excited you?
CG: Working on the interior design of a yacht is a uniquely challenging project. There's a lot of moving parts to juggle, and working with Van der Valk made it a much more smooth and enjoyable process. To see our design concepts and collaborative efforts brought to reality was a surreal experience and a deeply gratifying moment for me. The quality of Van der Valk’s work and smooth execution is of the highest calibre of performance; a professional designer's dream come true.
DESIGNER:
DIANA YACHT DESIGN, HANS-MAARTEN BAIS.
HM: Diana Yacht Design started working with Van der Valk, building hull number 122 for the first time. Jaron Ginton did the naval architecture and we were responsible for the construction and engineering.
With Guido de Groot the designer of the exterior and interior, the design team was all Dutch, making the communication very easy. What we particularly liked was the enthusiasm and experience at the yard.
Like our office, the team is relatively small, but very hands-on and experienced comparable to our team. Decisions are made quickly and ‘half a word’ is needed to come to a workable solution for a problem. This speeds up the process of the engineering and the build time of the aluminium hull and superstructure. HM: After the 122 we did some smaller projects together like a bimini and concept study. The next new design was the BN127. The same companies teamed up and in record time the design was finished and the building time was also reduced by some months. For us this was a real challenge but a great achievement for the whole team. Short lines, not wasting time and communication were key to this success.
We really like working with the Van der Valk team as we speak the same language. Not only literally but we have the same work ethic. We want to go ahead, challenge ourselves and do what we like most; designing and building beautiful yachts. I hope we are able to raise the bar together and work even more efficient and faster by reducing hours and increasing quality.
At the moment we are responsible for the engineering of five projects at the yard. This requires organisation and planning to get all the information to the yard and sub-contractors to be able to deliver in time. It is a real pleasure to work together and I hope we can for many more projects to come.
DESIGNER:
GINTON NAVAL ARCHITECTS, JARON GINTON.
JG: The wave piercing bow. For ships sailing at speeds around the hull speed, a traditional bulb-ous bow is a very effective way to reduce wavemaking resistance. However, for ships sailing at semi planing speed - which is a speed at which the ship is not yet planing - the traditional bulb-ous bow is mostly counterproductive and may increase resistance.
For these ships, wave making resistance is predominant and can account for about three quar-ters of the total resistance.
For semi planing ships, the length of the water line and the displacement are the most significant parameters affecting the resistance.
JG: When Van de Valk shipyard assigned us for the design of the hull of MY Anemely, they asked us to implement whatever necessary to reduce resistance. On the computer, we ‘cut the hull’ horizontally just below the waterline, and then scaled the submerged hull in the length as to increase the effective submerged length. The results were very positive as we realised ship’s speed was beyond the predictions. We call it wave piercing bow.
Now it has been fitted to several fast yachts and has been a repeat success. Whenever we design a new hull, we examine the suitability of this wave piercing bow, and if suitable, we fit it.
DESIGNER:
VRIPACK YACHT DESIGN, BART BOUWHUIS.
BB: We appreciate the can-do approach of the team of Van der Valk. As designers we aim for the best, which might not always seem to the benefit of the shipyard. What we experienced with Van der Valk was a pleasant cooperative approach which was more ‘how can we?’ rather than ‘no we can’t’, or there’s ‘no budget for that’.
What aspects of the projects you've collaborated on with Van der Valk stand out to you?
BB: The two projects we recently developed with the Van der Valk team both had an extremely ambitious time schedule which they succeeded to accomplish within 99 per cent of the anticipated quality parameters. Job well done! We all know time is ultimately the most precious element for all our clients.
© Jim Raycroft © Jim Raycroft
ULTIMATE EXUMAS SUPERYACHT
Celebrate the Exumas yachting lifestyle with LeVen Yachts, a revolutionary Dutch superyacht line designed by Vripack. With its shallow draft, LeVen goes where other superyachts cannot follow.
Taking a cue from luxury beach home designs, LeVen’s main deck is open, bright, and features a massive Chef’s Table-style galley forward. In essence a Great Room at Sea, the main deck is ideally suited for entertaining friends and family, and the perfect venue for guests to gather & socialize with breathtaking 360-degree ocean views.
