You may need to use your motor yacht for business meetings and exclusive receptions.
But, at the same time, you would like an intimate private space on board which can be accessed by only your nearest and dearest, and not just for leisure. This is often the case with superyacht owners who, for the most part, do not have public celebrity status, but still have elite taste and technical dreams. They call for mega yacht designs that create a strict separation, whether temporary or permanent, between a luxurious guest area with all the trimmings and the owner’s home. Most important though is that these designs should be generous. The 90-metre, purely private yacht from beiderbeck designs in Bremen, Germany achieves just that, spread out, as it is, over six levels.
“The desire for seclusion in the midst of a large yacht is something that more and more of our customers are reporting to us,” say Tim Ulrich and Immo Lüdeling, CEOs at beiderbeck designs. Both single owners and couples want to determine for themselves when and where to greet their guests, and whether they want to enjoy the trip together or leave them to their own devices. This trend can be seen in a number of projects carried out by the renowned Bremen-based design firm which, for the most part, focuses on mega yachts ranging from 100 metres in length and above.
Ever since the largest super yachts in the world began to push the 200-metre mark, the circle of private individuals and businesses involved in watersports rarely define themselves by just the length of their boats. Many also avoid like the plague the strict building constraints put forward by SOLAS (requirements for yachts for more than twelve guests). Instead, they prefer a true private yacht, which offers an atmosphere of wellbeing that focuses more clearly on the individual.
This standard very often ends with 50 or 60-metre-long yachts. This is the category in which wide side decks stretching all around the boat, as they did on old, classic yachts, offer only limited space in which to sit and take a stroll, let alone go for a jog. By contrast, the 90-metre-long beiderbeck solution has an easy-access helicopter landing pad on the foredeck as well as partly covered and partly open roofs above a total of four sun – or sunny – decks. In many areas, the standard deck height of just 2.10 metres is raised to a more pleasant and airy 2.80 metres.
What we sometimes call the “bd90” is in no way intended to be a mini cruise ship for as many passengers as can fit. It is meant to be a floating resort for a maximum of twelve select guests plus the owner. A captain and first officer in charge of the 24 crew members look after them and offer first class service around the clock. Although charter runs generally remain possible, the designers avoid the somewhat non-private atmosphere sometimes felt in hotel lobbies, by presenting, in the main, a classic yacht design, which is guaranteed to make you smile.
The “second upper level”, as the owner’s deck, is strictly reserved for private living. The client is able to decide whether everything above that level remains off limits or whether a lift can take passengers from below up to the observation deck. The owner’s family or handpicked friends can use the sky lounge, located in a celestial dome. This offers a generous space for sunbathing on the left hand side, a cosy, recessed sitting area to the right and a bar in the middle with a high-end sound system for excellent chilling.
The 14.20-metre width of the yacht incorporates the owner’s stylish or more dignified 150 square metre penthouse; naturally not including the huge terrace area with its private pools at both the front and back. Here, in your private area, you can even put a pizza in the oven whenever the mood strikes. And, instead of paintings by Monet or Manet, the walls are decorated with family photos. The continuous windows and transparent doors are shaded using special construction geometry.
The sleeping quarters located further aft are finished off with a concave home cinema wall where you can decide whether to watch James Bond, Formula One in Monte Carlo or the Champions League, all up close and in 3D. However, the cabin can be opened out all the way to the aft deck. Despite this, the bathroom, which comes with a whirlpool/tub, and the dressing room won’t induce feelings of claustrophobia. The office, bar and library are standard features of this class of mega yacht. The individually customised owner’s gym is an additional feature that will amaze most weightlifters.
The bridge deck below has been designated as a party area by the designers and is aimed at providing every guest with their own personal memories. The illuminated dance floor both inside and out, as well as the smaller pool and cocktail bar make this a hotspot. DJ Gary can pull out all the stops of an upmarket, exclusive club. There are two tables where you can play roulette, black jack or poker while sipping a Manhattan cocktail – all of which is completely legal providing you don’t bet any money of course…
Your honoured guests can opt for either formal or casual dining on the main deck, both outside or in, all the while receiving five star service. Further forward and behind the twin tender garage, there is a portside spa and wellness area that leave nothing to be desired. The on-board cinema is also located opposite. The beach club, which is spread out over two levels, can more than hold its own against any found on board a cruise liner but, unlike its counterparts on those ships, has far fewer people. The upper pool is big enough to swim against the counter current to keep up your fitness and is fittingly located almost at water level.
In fact, the transparent pool makes both levels feel like a thermal bath. Below, on the lower deck, where each of the VIP cabins measures no less than 25 square metres and is fitted with a comfort bathroom, the pool is located next to the guests’ gym and fitness room. In addition, the crew have their own small gym and bar on the lowest level, the tank deck, where the fridges, freezers and storage rooms are also found in addition to the laundry and even a medical room.
The bathing platform resembles a spa area with its round, fixed parasols and palm trees. Protected by large flaps, it opens out either to the aft or laterally, depending on which bay the 90-metre-long beiderbeck is moored in, having moved location at a speed of 21 knots.
