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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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PHILOSOPHY
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Interior
The main saloon has a spacious relaxation area, an elegant environment
and the perfect place to be prior to moving on to the dining area
which, furnished with an oval table and comfortable upholstered
chairs, is used for more formal meals. The atmosphere is soft and the
interior is rendered welcoming by the use of tropical woods,
pleasantly designed furniture and soft fitted carpeting in beige. An
alternative to the saloon is the sky lounge, more informal and
equipped with a plasma TV screen.
In the night zone there is continuity of the colours, materials and
relaxing atmosphere of the daytime zone. In fact the colours selected
are once again various shades of beige and white. Even the bathrooms
are tiled with a fine mosaic whose tesserae are in various shades of
beige. The yacht sleeps 10, and the accommodation is as follows: two
spacious VIP cabins with queen-size bed, roomy wardrobe, sofa and
dressing table; two cabins with twin beds and private bathroom; and of
course the owner's cabin with large double bed, a sofa on the port
side and a writing desk-cum-dressing table on the starboard. The His
and Hers bathrooms are completely separate, one with a shower and the
other with a tub. The owner's cabin is completed by a study with desk
and sofa. For water sports there are two 5.5 metre semi-rigid Stinger
tenders with 90 HP Honda outboards, Seadoo GSI Jet Skis and complete
scuba diving equipment.
The chef's performance
My visit ends in the galley where the captain leaves me in the hands
of chef Stephen Wigley, a New Zealander. He promises to prepare no
less than a three course meal, with his fusion cuisine recipes, for 10
guests due to arrive in just over an hour. First course: "Seaside
scallops placed on a carrot terrine and served with avocado and lime
oil"; second course: "Tempura quail with a grapefruit, ginger and
peanut salad and sweet soy"; lastly the dessert: "Vanilla bean and
panna cotta with a summerberry soup". The galley is long and narrow
with a work surface that runs beneath the long window with a view of
the Lanterna. The chef is also an expert surfer and his speed in the
kitchen is amazing, almost as if he were racing against time or
involved in a competitive sport. When the dishes are ready two very
pretty and able stewardesses will take them up the steep stairway to
the upper deck where the table is laid. So I'll see platefuls of food,
set out in very complicated forms, go up the stairs, and then see the
almost empty plates coming down, when almost nothing remains of that
culinary art. Miracles really do take place in the galley: the space
is very limited and the stairway is very steep. In my view it wouldn't
take much to cause an irreparable disaster. But everything was to run
smoothly. While he works the chef puts on a CD of New Zealand music,
he dances, answers my questions and poses for photo shots, gleefully
showing me his secret ingredient: a bottle of super-pure New Zealand
avocado oil! Perplexed I ask him if he likes olive oil and, merrier
than ever, he says "Yes, I love Italian food!" I feel reassured, and
even more so when he lets me taste the various dishes, absolutely
unusual but very, very interesting. Somewhat preoccupied I ask him if
he isn't a bit behind schedule, seeing that 10 guests are about to
arrive, but he calmly replies, "I have a clock in my mind". The fryer
smokes, the quails are roasting and in a serial sequence, with perfect
synchronism, the chef completes his 30 individual dishes, complex and
perfectly decorated. A really brilliant and nice guy this Stephen Wigley!
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