Full photography has been released of the sophisticated M/Y Olokun, the third unit in Tankoa’s 50-metre series of all-aluminum yachts with sleek exterior styling and interior layout by Francesco Paszkowski and interior decor by Casa Dio Miami/London.
M/Y Olokun confirms the success of the dynamic and efficient design of Tankoa’s S501 platform. The series, begun with Vertige and quickly followed by her hybrid sister-ship, Bintador, is still the shipyard’s bestseller that focuses on building flawless yachts, dedicating time and attention to its products and customers who always play an active role in the process.
Olokun’s exterior and layout were crafted to deliver a rigorous stylistic coherency with a clean, contemporary look. It has also maintained its predecessor’s signature features like fold-down terraces in the master stateroom on the forward main deck, a large sundeck with bar and hot-tub and a spacious beach club with spa in the transom.
However, there are some important variations, following the owner’s specific requests:
• The main deck aft is dedicated exclusively to a spacious lounge for relaxation with the dining room relocated to the upper deck.
• The side-loading tender garage in the stern has been converted into an extension of the beach club as the owner prefers to use a 15mt chase boat (although it is fully equipped with telescopic crane to fulfill its original function).
• In addition to the four guest suites on the lower deck, the master stateroom features a private office that can be converted into an extra cabin.
“As a boutique shipyard we wanted to offer maximum flexibility to tailor the yacht to owner’s personal needs,” says Vincenzo Poerio, CEO of Tankoa Yachts. “The result is a perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality. Olokun is a fully customized yacht both in terms of GA and interior decoration and thanks to its elegant exterior lines it will be enjoyed by the owner for the next 10 years.”
Another example of client customization is the elegant black hull and metallic grey superstructure. Dark hulls easily overheat in the sunshine, so to meet the owner’s request and achieve optimal results Tankoa specified special Awlgrip coatings that reduce the temperature of the metal hull by as much as 10°C.
Olokun’s exclusive interior decor by Casa Dio Miami/London – a US-based studio with experience in the residential, aviation and marine sectors – is founded on three distinguishing principles:
• Simple, clean lines inspired by Japanese design;
• Bespoke, one-off furniture pieces created specially by the Casa Dio Miami/London;
• Top-quality fabrics from prestigious Italian brand Loro Piana.
Casa Dio Miami/London focused on developing the interior and furniture design, based specifically on the owner’s tastes, resulting in a clever and beautifully balanced interplay centered around brushed oak in three different shades: natural oak, Tokyo Black and Bitter Grey.
The three colors are alternated for the vertical trims and ceilings, a motif that runs harmoniously through all the decks. It also appears in the bathrooms where it is paired with the toughness and elegance of Compac high-tech quartz for the Calacatta and black marquina marble trims, and in the cabins where it creates a delicious mix with jute and wool carpeting by Loro Piana. All the furniture pieces were custom designed and manufactured by the Casadio craftsmen who have dedicated their lives to manufacturing bespoke furniture.
“We believe in innovation through the unusual minimalist but contemporary use of interior finishes and furniture,” says Dio Rodriguez, founder of the Casa Dio Miami/London studio. “The use of neutral colours throughout the carpentry and furniture allowed for a high contrast and timeless quality.”
High up on the owner’s wish list was a hammam lounge and relaxation area as close as possible to the ocean, which led to the challenge of maximizing the beach club space within the 499GT volume of the 50-metre yacht.
“In order to bring the owners requirements to a reality, we transformed the beach club space to create the hammam and also converted the tender garage into a lounge where the owners would find additional space for relaxation,” says Rodriguez. “By doing this we were able to not just meet but also exceed the owner’s expectations.”
The owner further requested the main salon to be as large as possible, which is why it was decided to move the dining room to the upper deck, where there are two dining tables, one interior and one on the open aft deck, which can both seat a full complement of guests.
“As we already know from experience, the interiors of yachts are often quite small and we always suggest to the owners to create open environments where they can enjoy the view and the interiors at the same time,” says Rodriguez. “We focused on making the entire interior of the yacht convey a sense of residential life by reflecting the exterior and transforming the interior into a complete nautical experience.”
Tankoa’s 50-metre platform has been progressively fine-tuned with each new launch, both technically and aesthetically. Olokun has a semi-displacement hull with conventional diesel propulsion (2 x MTU 8V4000 M54 engines) for a top speed of 17.5 knots and a cruising speed of 14 knots. At an economical 11 knots she has an oceanic range of 4,500 nautical miles.
Currently Tankoa is building 3 units of the same series, the S501. Two already sold and ready to be launched in 2022 and one on speculation.
