Andrea VI. clients take full advantage and. arrangements, Horizon Yachts. When it comes to customising. unexpected Diane M. Byrne

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2 Andrea VI When it comes to customising arrangements, Horizon Yachts clients take full advantage and Andrea VI s owners did so in ways unexpected Diane M. Byrne 86

3 The ability to CUSTOMISE and make changes was one of the BENEFITS Twenty-four naval architects. A thousand employees. Twenty-seven acres of manufacturing space. These are among the reasons why Horizon Yachts is able to offer seven different yacht series from 14 to 49.7 metres, and has become the fifth-largest customyacht builder in the world in terms of volume. And, they also explain how the builder can move quickly to adapt to both market trends and customer requests. Such was the case with Andrea VI, hull number one of the RP110 series. We were very involved in every detail of the design and construction of the boat, the owner of Andrea VI says. The ability to customise and to make changes is one of the benefits of working with Horizon. Our captain was project manager on the build, which greatly helped in solving issues as they arose. The metre motor yacht, a raised-pilothouse design, grew out of the metre RP97. Customers liked the stylish profile and roomy configuration of the RP97, but a few clients said they d like her even better if she offered a bit more volume. When Horizon unveiled the RP110, she quickly became one of the Taiwanese builder s most popular models, seeing five hulls commissioned pretty quickly. What s more, each of those yachts is distinctly different from the next. Indeed, from her general arrangement to her interior accoutrements, Andrea VI has features you d never expect to see of a yacht of her size. It s all in keeping with Horizon s customers embracing the opportunity to infuse their yachts with their own personality. The active cruisers who commissioned Andrea VI took to that with aplomb. Being the owners of a 25-metre Horizon E82, they were already comfortable with the idea of special requests, and with working alongside Horizon s team. The arrival of grandchildren in the family meant that there was no longer room for everyone to cruise together in the E82. The ability to have four staterooms (some buyers have opted for five) solved the most pressing problem. One of the more unusual facets about Andrea VI s arrangement, though, is the Above and right: While no photos are available of Andrea VI s flying bridge, this sistership illustrates just how different layouts can be. Andrea VI skips the hot-tub and has a central support aft for the hardtop that contains a day head. 88

4 90 We wanted a lighter and more airy feel, with an eye toward a Nantucket beach house Above: The owners worked with Marty Lowe to create a lighter and more airy feel, with an eye toward a Nantucket beach house. Left: No traditional aft-deck table here; rather, the owners wanted a lounge-like atmosphere. Right: Walkaround decks (and stylish ones at that) ease the crew s job. Far right: The forward galley area is the spot where the family gather in the morning to plan the day ahead. Above right: The wheelhouse has some useful observation seats. placement of all staterooms below decks. This includes the master. Increasingly, designers and builders of superyachts starting around this LOA are situating the owner s stateroom forward on the main deck. That was certainly possible for the owners of Andrea VI. In fact, the owners of the second RP110, Carnival Liberty 3, opted for it. But, Andrea VI s owners really wanted a big country kitchen on the main deck. Since they re American, you may not be too surprised at this. It s worth noting, though, that the arrangement has more to do with how the family like to eat together as much as possible. This dining spot, along with a more formal table aft by the salon and an alfresco area on the flybridge, is where most meals are taken. Also worth noting is the configuration of the country kitchen. It s bigger than many aboard similar yachts. It s also arranged like an upside-down L, with the longer section running fore and aft along the port side. The appliances are grouped together here, tucked away from the healthy sized prep island and dining area. A perfect day starts with the family and guests assembling here for breakfast to plan the day s activities, the owner says. What you won t find aboard Andrea VI is an aft-deck table. Given how essentially every superyacht on the water has one, it may seem strange. If you take a good look at Andrea VI, though, you ll see that the owners have instead created a wonderfully welcoming alfresco lounge, with enough seating for the full family to gather together. It s also in perfect proximity to the bar, just to port inside the sliding doors to the salon. Should the grown-ups want to have a little time away from the youngsters, they can walk up to the foredeck, where a seating area is complemented by two tables. It s tucked in at the foot of the sunpad. Another creative change comes on the flybridge. The base of the hardtop support contains a handy day head. Yacht-watchers are accustomed to seeing this aboard far larger superyachts. Yet another practical idea up here is how meals are prepared. Many a flying bridge contains a grill, and

5 92 Andrea VI s deck is no exception. The difference is in how the grill is installed or, rather, not installed. Usually, grills are positioned outboard, close to the dining table. Aboard Andrea VI, it s a roll-out piece of equipment, contained when not in use in a custom cabinet aft by the tender. The owner and chef like the idea of it being movable, because it prevents cooking smoke from blowing over the family when seated. There are several other practical aspects to Andrea VI, like the EZ2CY enclosure for the flybridge. You ll find ipads throughout the yacht to control AV and display navigation information. The owner was heavily involved in the selection of helm electronics, ensuring that large display screens were included. VIPs get a stateroom with private access from the country kitchen. The owner s stateroom full beam, below decks has so many drawers, even beneath the bed, that a single hanging locker suits them better than a walk-in wardrobe. Besides, a walk-in wardrobe would have meant eschewing the his n hers head, and that was a trade they just weren t willing to make. Neither was trading good-size crew s quarters for a tender garage. The Williams DieselJet tender sits aft on the flybridge, which enables a captain s cabin and two singles plus a crew mess to go aft of the engineroom. Andrea VI was a 16-month build, and Horizon spent three years designing the RP110 series. From sea trials, which were said to be rough, the double-chine hull, created jointly by Horizon and Donald L. Blount & Associates, has performed well. So, what s next for Horizon? Following the delivery of six yachts over the summer, it has been focused on nine in build. No doubt there s a good deal of customisation going on across them all. Number three of the RP110 series is being delivered to Australia this autumn. And for Andrea VI? We spend summers in New England and winters in Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean. With the new boat we will explore more of the islands of the Caribbean, the owner says. The intimately customised yacht makes for an intimately customised life on the water. SyW The yacht makes for an INTIMATELY customised cruising life Above: The owners opted for abundant drawer storage versus a walk-in wardrobe, to preserve the his n hers head they so wanted. Above left and far left: The beachscape mural isn t just for looks, it hides a washer and dryer. Left: The high-quality finish extends to the ensuite heads. Right: The two queen guest staterooms are differentiated by their colour schemes.

6 The specs Andrea VI Length overall 33.53m (110ft 0in) Beam 7.62m (25ft 0in) Draught 1.83m (6ft 0in) Displacement 120 tons Engines Twin 1,416kW (1,925hp) Caterpillar C32As Generators Twin Onan 50kW Berths Owners: 2. Guests: 8. Crew: 4 Fuel capacity 21,000 litres (5,500 US gal) Fresh water capacity 3,100 litres (800 US gall) Hull/superstructure Composite Exterior Espinosa Inc. Interior Marty Lowe Interior Design PERFORMANCE Top speed 23 knots 10 knots 2,000 nautical miles EQUIPMENT Tenders 5.2-metre Williams DieselJet Other equipment Dive gear and bicycles Contact Horizon Yachts No. 8, Kuang Yang Street, Hsiao Kang, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Tel: info@horizonyacht.com. Website HARDTOP: Even the styling of the hardtop aboard Andrea VI is fully customised. BRIDGE: The owner helped select the navigation and communication equipment. TENDER: The owners choose to keep the RIB on the flying bridge instead of the garage. SPLIT LEVEL: The seating area is one step up from the tender and crane. GRILL: A custom cabinet contains the roll-out grill when not in use. SALON BAR: The grown-ups have their own corner away from the grandchildren. GALLEY: Huge, and able to accommodate a large party. ENGINEROOM: Contains the two easy-to-access 1,416kW Caterpillar diesels. VIP: Private stairway access via the galley to the main salon. FOREDECK: The seating area with two tables and sunpads is very family orientated. MASTER CABIN: The owners wanted a big galley so placed the full-beam master below. AFT DECK: An alfresco lounge replaces the more common aft dining table. 94