SUPERYACHT #501
January 2004
Article selected from our quarterly magazine dedicated to the largest
and most luxurious boats with information, interviews, technical
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Article by
Angelo Colombo
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LÜRSSEN "CAPRI"
At the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2003 the historic
German shipyard Lürssen presented its new 192' motor yacht
"Capri", launched last August. Lürssen, named after its
founder Friedrich Lürssen, started building ships and boats
way back in 1875 with a very precise aim: to make its mark in the
nautical world with vessels that offered the very best in terms of
quality and performance.
This philosophy led to numerous designs
for which the yard gained international recognition and picked up
a great number of firsts: the first motor yacht, built in 1886;
the first diesel engine vessel; the first remote controlled craft
and the first minesweeper for the German Navy. These are just a
few of the many collected by the Bremen yard over more than a
century of history in which it has built both military vessels for
sea rescue operations and ships for the transport of goods and
passengers. Lürssen's long and valuable experience in
building special-use vessels led to the development of techniques
that are always in the avant-garde. A current example is the
highly sophisticated machinery used for working each component of
the hull and superstructure. The resulting precision of each
individual piece means structures that are not subject to
anomalous torsion even under very intense mechanical stress.
The design and development department works constantly to produce each
single component of the ships built by the yard, always seeking
new technological achievements. Lürssen has developed a very
sophisticated integrated production and fitting out system, used
both for military vessels and for superyachts like the "Capri".
The high production standards developed over a long history
(during which Lürssen has built no less than 13.000 vessels)
led in 1994 to the granting of ISO 9001:2000 quality
certification.
Having talked about the shipyard, albeit briefly, let's go aboard
the "Capri" whose external layout and interior were designed by
Glade Johnson. Johnson is an American designer with over 30 years'
experience and numerous important designs to his credit, all in
the world of both sail and motor superyachts. Together the yard
and Glade Johnson have created a highly personal yacht, developed
on five decks and with numerous avant-garde technical solutions.
The works were supervised by the owner's skipper and by broker
Robert Moran of Moran Yacht & Ship.
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TECHNICAL DATA
Overall length: 58.55m
Length on waterline: 49.73m
Beam 11.43m
Draft: 3.50m
Materials: steel hull and aluminium superstructure
Displacement: 1.226.000 Kg
Maximum speed: 16.1 knots - Range at 12 knots: 8.500 miles
Engines: 2 x 1.957 HP Caterpillars
Fuel tank: 150.000 litres
Water tank: 28.000 litres.
For futher information contact Fr. Lürssen Werft GmbH & Co.KG; Zum Alten Speicher 11;
28759 Bremen-Vegesack, Germany; phone +494216604166; fax +494216604170; e-mail
yachts@luerssen.de; sito www.lurssen.com
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The "Capri" is a yacht with
particularly large volumes in which all the owner's requirements
could be fulfilled while maintaining elegant, streamlined forms.
In order to obtain warm, welcoming interiors the designer followed
classic taste with modern additions. The owner's cabin on the main
deck runs the whole width of the boat and has a large space for
the bathroom and toilet. On the same deck there is the owner's
office, with a room set aside as a library, and the VIP cabin with
two double beds. Farther aft is the main saloon with a dining area
for formal meals. On the same level there is also a service area
that includes the galley. The deck below houses four cabins of
similar size, all with double beds and plenty of room for
relaxation as expressly requested by the owner. Forward on the
same deck, the crew's quarters can accommodate the skipper and up
to 14 hands. The garage for the tenders is at the stern, with two
hydraulic hatches so the boats can be launched and hauled aboard
with extreme ease. There is also plenty of space for jet skis,
kayaks, bicycles and other leisure equipment for time ashore and
water sports. The upper deck is mainly for relaxation and for the
pleasure of sailing in a privileged position: the whole area
forward is surrounded by enormous windows so the spectacle offered
by the sea can be experienced under conditions of absolute
comfort. On this deck there is a saloon running the whole width of
the boat with numerous accessories such as 62" plasma screen,
computer, entertainment room, stereo system and a special room for
listening to music or for use as a private office. On the same
deck there is an open air saloon aft with sofas, independent
stereo system and tables that can be joined together to create a
single table seating up to 16. This area is completely protected
by the extension of the sundeck and can therefore be used in all
weather conditions. The first upper deck also houses the bridge, a
true example of modern architecture, with its array of electronic
apparatus for management and control of all the on-board systems.
Here we see proof of the yard's experience in the creation of
integrated systems for on-board plant management, experience
gained through numerous vessels created for the military sector
(the many firsts mentioned above). All this makes the "Capri" a
particularly modern yacht on which no corner or system is not
monitored while under way, so the crew, with the skipper's
supervision, can always intervene promptly. The list of on-board
systems and accessories is a long one, but we shall look at just a
few of those that are connected with safety. For example, many
provisions have been made to protect children: there are special
areas on board structured in such a way as to ensure that they
come to no harm. Then there are audio/video systems in every
cabin, linked to a centralised unit that permits their use as
satellite TV or DVD, as control panels for listening to music or
for viewing information transmitted online by the main computer.
There are also another 10 plasma screens at various points on
board with professional sound systems that can be used in the same
way as those in the cabins. The topmost deck is the sundeck where
the lifesaving gear is stored, completely integrated into the
structure so as not to spoil the overall look of the yacht in any
way. There is also a large Jacuzzi that can be filled with heated
water from a special tank. On board the "Capri" there is an entire
deck, the Tank Deck, where all the services are situated: laundry,
refrigerated pantry rooms, garage for an extra tender, a 1.750
bottle capacity wine cellar with controlled temperature and
humidity, plus various systems and service rooms that provide
absolutely safe access to the engine room and to the systems even
in adverse weather conditions. The owner of the "Capri" signed a
contract with the boatyard in 2000, specifying among other things
that he wanted a yacht that was completely custom built and big
enough to offer him all the space he needed. Lürssen met
these requirements by building a pleasure craft that is without
doubt original and can accommodate the owner and his guests in
maximum comfort, offering standards of safety and reliability
appropriate to a vessel of this kind, designed to sail everywhere
and under all conditions.
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