It has come to our attention, through articles recently published online and in the press, that there is a degree of confusion and misinformation about the design of the mega-sailer S/Y Black Pearl.
We would therefore like to clarify the role of Nuvolari-Lenard in the development of the project and hope that this statement may contribute to the dissemination of accurate information.
In 2012, Nuvolari-Lenard was introduced to the Owner of Black Pearl by the renowned brokerage house Moran Yacht & Ship, and was engaged by the Owner to provide exterior styling and interior design services for the project, after being selected from among a group of famous international design houses.
We provided these services until the launch of the yacht in late 2016, under the design name “NL242 Black Pearl”.
At the beginning of our project, Oceanco supplied Nuvolari-Lenard with the so-called naval platform* of a yacht with an overall length of 98 metres, which had been developed years previously for the purpose of a bid, by a designer with whom the Owner was no longer in touch.
Nuvolari-Lenard created a layout for a 107-metre yacht, with proper construction heights and based upon the Owner’s requirements.
After many meetings with the Owner and an accurate and thorough study for the exterior style of the yacht, Nuvolari-Lenard finally produced the external shape of this mega-sailer, based on hull lines from Dykstra Naval Architects.
NL242 Black Pearl displays various unmistakable exterior design elements that are typical of Nuvolari-Lenard’s characteristic Italian style.
These include, but are not limited to:
The original bow shape, which combines the longest possible waterline length with a flared bow.
Muscular fashion plates, which give continuity to the lines of the yacht’s superstructure, connecting it to the hull while also providing protection from side winds. This reflects Nuvolari-Lenard’s approach to always anchoring styling features to a functional purpose.
The yacht’s interior design represents a philological research study of Louis VXI style, with a number of interspersed Art Deco elements, magisterially executed by the builder. Black Pearl’s interior was entirely designed by Valentina Zannier, Partner and Head of Interior Design at Nuvolari-Lenard. She was assisted by French architect Gerard Villate, who designed some of the styling details.
A huge amount of time was spent assisting the Owner in the design of the Black Pearl’s particulars, conducting research, selecting materials and choosing colours, as is customary for any project of this magnitude, complexity and value.
In conclusion, the yacht’s exterior and interior shapes have been engineered and built by Oceanco, based on original designs and files conceived and developed by Nuvolari-Lenard.
As is customary these days in the yacht industry, the naval platform of this yacht had been previously developed by others for the purpose of a bid, which by no means implies they quote themselves as exterior designers of the yacht that was finally built.
Suffice it to say that the platform developed by Nuvolari-Lenard for many a successful project (including, for example, M/Y Alfa Nero and M/Y Seven Seas) has been used by many designers since, while Nuvolari-Lenard has never claimed we should be named as the designers of such projects.
*Naval Platform: The “naval platform” includes all data and designs concerning the technical aspects of a yacht.
