COVETED MAGAZINE PAGE 77.
DUBAI DESIGNED BY ANDREW WINCH
The ship of many names, Dubai was previously known as Platinum,
Panhandle and Golden Star, before settling for Dubai. Worth 350 million
dollars, the yacht is currently owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and Vice President and Prime Minister of the
United Arab Emirates, so her final name could not be more fitting. It’s
531 ft (162m) length, making Dubai the third largest yacht in the world,
holding more than 115 guests.
But its story was not this platinum clear. Besides its renaming, the
tumultuous past of the yacht was an originally a joint project by
Blohm + Voss and Lurssen, but it was Platinum Yacht that finished
the project. Massive but elegant, the superstructure is painted in
snow white, with a few enhancements in stainless steel around her
portholes and large windows.
The vessel was designed to perfectly symbolize the city and, like
an Emirate itself, the yacht was an enormous project reflecting the
grandiose of her owner’s bold ambitious. Refined lines and her elegant
bow, work of the British designer Andrew Winch, are truly amazing
by their simplicity, making a spectacular sight of a ship without being
ostentatious. A huge skylight area incorporates a staircase with views
of the waterfall that cascades from the yacht’s pool, located aft of the
main deck. The striking pool features handmade mosaics reminiscent of
the marine life of the Persian Gulf. The artwork also serves as a reminder
that the Emirate of Dubai has had a long relationship with the sea. Some
of the amenities of the enormous yacht count with a 50-suite guest area,
a VIP area, home theater, and a helicopter pad.
Dubai conforms without a doubt to the highest standards of American
and European shipyards. Regardless of one’s personal taste in terms of
interior decor, the level of finishes onboard Dubai is simply sublime.
A+ / TOPAZ DESIGNED BY TIM HEYWOOD
The 482 ft (147m) long vessel, costing an estimated 400 million dollars,
was built by the renowned German shipbuilding company Lürssen and
was designed by the multi-award-winning yacht designer Tim Heywood.
His portfolio counts with some of the biggest ships currently in the seas.
Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United
Arab Emirates, member of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family and owner of the
Manchester City football club is currently the owner of this superyacht.
This water superstructure is designed to accommodate up to 62 guests,
featuring a steel displacement hull, an aluminum superstructure and
eight decks. Launched in 2012, its interior design was created by Terence
Disdale Design, a studio based in the UK and renowned for producing
refreshingly casual yet chic designs. The details of its interior have not
been disclosed, but it is known that Disdale’s inspiration was a “beach
house” style decor.
The magnificent ship has the eight decks connected by a lift that provides
access to the helicopter and swimming platforms, a gym, swimming
pool, two jacuzzis, a conference room, movie theatre and two helipads.
PROJECTS //
