SUPERYACHT #8
Spring 2006
Article selected from our quarterly magazine dedicated to the largest
and most luxurious boats with information, interviews, technical
articles, images and yachting news
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Article by
Angelo Colombo
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FEADSHIP TWIZZLE
Twizzle, the unit n. 669 of the famous Dutch Feadship shipyard, is
the synthesis of classical Feadship features and formal innovation.
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TECHNICAL DATA
LOA: 55.50 m
Beam: 10.00 m
Draft: 3.10 m
Fuel capacity: 98,880 liters
Freshwater capacity: 24,160 m
Interior designer: Redman, Whiteley Dixon, Todhunter Earle
Interior; Naval Architect: De Voogt Naval Architects
Power: 2x1,521 hp 3512B-DITA Caterpillar
Maximum speed: 15.5 knots
Range: 4,500 miles
Classification: Lloyds 100°1 SSC, Yacht, Mono, G6, LMC, UMS in compliance with MCA rules for commercial ships.
For further information contact: Feadship Holland; Zijlweg
148C; P.O. Box 5238; 2000 GE Haarlem - The Netherlands; tel. +31
(0) 23 524 70 00; fax +31 (0) 23 524 86 39; website: www.feadship.nl; e-mail: info@feadship.nl.
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De Voogt Naval Architects and De Vries designed this motoryacht
hand in hand with her Owner. Twizzle is the nickname of the
Owner's son as a child; this denotes the vessel's strong link with
the personal experience of the Owner's family and it highlights
their intimate relationship. The interior layout was designed as a
real 'home by the sea' fraught with high-tech solutions yet
offering maximum comfort. Once inside, what we first notice, in
addition to the above-mentioned, is that she offers accommodation
for ten among guests and Owner and for fourteen crewmembers. This
points out to the fact that the yacht was conceived to offer
maximum comfort. Twizzle, as all other yachts built by the Dutch
yard, is a concentration of state-of-the-art technological
solutions applied to plants and to the construction systems of
hull and superstructures. Just to make an example, every smallest
technical detail was optimized to such an extent that Twizzle is
considered 'to have more technical systems than a military
frigate'. It seems hardly probable, even though if such
declaration was made it means that the yacht abounds with
technology. On the other hand it is in the yard's tradition to
invest in advanced technology to deploy high tech solutions in
order to turn every unit a modern yacht as for design and
contents. This may be easily confirmed by the wheelhouse - with
seven touch screens, two electronic chart tables and a very modern
console - that may be easily compared with that of a ship destined
to more complex operations than simple long-range cruises. The two
designers worked hard and hand in hand with the Owner to look for
the right balance between shape and contents, where shape is
represented by the interior and exterior layouts and contents by
functionality and safety. An example of this is the huge fold-in
plasma screen, operated by a simple push-button mechanism,
concealed when not in use by a large Mirò painting, inside
the main bridge deck lounge, whose different layout solutions
offer an original and cozy area. The interior was developed by the
Owner in association with the designer Redman Whitely Dixon while
the decoration was created by the London-based group Todhunter
Earle Group, among the world leaders in interior design of deluxe
hotels and residences. Sally Storey contributed to Twizzle's
lighting arrangements which requested special care for the Owner
had a clear idea of what he wanted: every line and every shape had
to appear as the client had imagined. Actually, the architects and
the designers dedicated themselves to translating into reality the
Owner's idea rather than looking for new solutions to create
something innovative. In practice, the ideas were clear in the
Owner's mind but technical solutions were to be looked for to
translate them into reality. Even though the resulting yacht
represent what the Owner had imagined beforehand, she faithfully
reflects the yard's philosophy, that is to say, everything is very
modern but at the same time very comfortable. For interior
decoration several antique pieces of furniture were used, in
particular wall-fixed lamps and fashionable American design
objects, yet most hardware was custom made for Twizzle so that
each space is unique and highly sophisticated. Much attention was
paid to the delicate color combinations of upholstery, which do
not shock the observer's eye rather they guide his sight to the
most important decorating elements, such as a masterpiece. The
main lounge ideally continues in the dining room: even if the two
spaces are actually separate they are connected by means of a wide
hallway from which one may enjoy the sumptuousness of this deck.
The designers worked hard to obtain a snug dining room which could
offer privacy without being isolated. Another special feature of
the main deck is the presence of an area dedicated to the
interaction with the chef. Near the galley there is a space where
the Owner and his guests may enjoy culinary demonstrations and
taste gourmet delicacies which so much attract the Owner. The
master suite is reached from the main lobby through the study,
which serves as entrance and features a desk, a sofa and
surrounding bookcases. The Owner's bedroom was made according to
precise indications that turn it particularly cozy and elegant,
with coffee-colored silk upholstery and soft colors that combine
with decorating elements so as to render the environment snug and
high-class. In the aft area of the main deck there are: a table
that seats eleven, several settees and numerous armchairs for
relaxed lounging combined and plenty of elements that make this
area a real terrace on the sea and directly connected with the aft
platform. The lower deck is accessible through the stairway
existing in the main lounge, decorated with strikingly beautiful
opaque glass. Each guest cabin is unique but all have in common
the elegance and extreme sophistication of color combinations and
elements. They are called according to the color that
distinguishes them, such as guest yellow, guest blue, guest aqua
and guest green. Each one has en suite bathroom and a flatscreen
TV, which doubles as a mirror when not in use. Commercially not
available, such mirrors were expressly created for Twizzle like
many other accessories. Useless to say that so much sophistication
cannot disappoint as for playthings to carry along. Inside the
lazarette there are two Laser sailboats and two kayaks in their
appropriate seats, a diving compressor for diving tanks and a wide
range of sport equipment. The crew quarters, as we mentioned
above, are ideally conceived for fourteen crewmembers. There are
six comfortable cabins that are independent from the rest of the
yacht for guests' privacy. The bridge deck, is accessed from the
main deck via the central stairway. This deck is perfectly in
style and is decorated with painstaking care. It includes a dual
entertainment area, an informal saloon for relaxed lunching and
lounging and two seating areas with comfortable and ample settees
and coffee tables. These spaces are inside an ample structure that
with its streamlined shape does not weigh down on the exterior
profile. The sundeck is the ideal place for sunbathing in utmost
privacy. Here again several aesthetic and functional elements turn
this area pleasant and cozy.
Undoubtedly, it is not easy to describe a yacht like Twizzle, for
there are several features that are worth describing. For obvious
reasons of space we limit ourselves to this brief description, but
in future issues we shall try to explain more in detail the
numerous technical solutions.
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