New Zealand's Yachting Developments has completed a yearlong refit on a 27.5m Swan 90 Spirit, turning her into a modern, family-friendly performance cruiser.
The refit and new build yard, based in Auckland, was chosen, 'because of their reputation and their record with recent projects,' the owner said. One of those recent projects is the elegant and iconic J-Class yacht Endeavour, which picked up a World Superyacht Award for Best Refitted Yacht.
'The key concepts for the refit were to gain a more modern look, while retaining her strong sea-going capability, reputation for build quality and safety, and good cruising performance,' said the owner. 'The modern look was about modifying the rig to be manageable by a family, to provide large open and al fresco living in the cockpit area and to upgrade all the cabins and living spaces with today’s finishes. We wanted large windows in the main cabin, a lighter and brighter feel throughout and a cleaner finish. All this was achieved.'
Significant structural improvements were made, including the removal of the aft deck and cockpit and the installation of a new cockpit seating arrangement under a semi-fixed bimini top. A new, larger owners' cabin was installed aft and room was found for a new guest cabin in the forward sail stow area. The palette throughout the interior was lightened and furnishings were replaced.
Yachting Developments also completely rewired the yacht and installed a twin generator. The use of composite, meanwhile, slashed the overall weight of the yacht by five tonnes, giving her a better sailing performance. On her relaunch, the owner said, 'I was particularly impressed with the way the hull and structural modifications were formed and the quality of finish, through all key trades. The design team solved some key problems up front and have implemented clever solutions. Above all, attention to detail has been a key feature.'