The 55m superyacht Engelberg was christened today at the Amels yard in Vlissingen, Holland. We're live on the scene to bring you the scoop.
The 15th of the yard’s Limited Editions motor yachts, Engelberg features a striking dark grey hull with orange flourishes. The christening event was attended by the owner, an industrialist based in Switzerland (Engelberg is the name of a Swiss town), the interior designer Enzo Enea and staff from Amels and Ocean Management (the management division of Ocean Independence), which managed the project on the owner’s behalf. The owner's party was preceded by a troop of majorettes with a brass band and as the bottle hit the hull, a cloud of orange and white balloons were released into the build shed and Engelberg bellowed the traditional horn honk. A member of the family described the yacht as beautiful and said, 'Amels superyachts are the best in the world. Long live Amels!'
The Limited Editions concept was launched in 2005 with the intention to draw up a common hull, superstructure and engineering platform, with a flowing exterior design by Tim Heywood, but allow a high degree of customisation.
‘It saves a lot of time and there’s a big quality benefit because if you do so something over and over you get better at it,’ says Victor Caminada, Amels marketing manager. ‘These boats are at the top in terms of materials and finish, but also in terms of building it’s very predictable. We have never delivered a late Limited Edition. Engelberg’s owner will have their summer holiday. End of story.’
Engelberg is the most customised of the Limited Editions yet. Individual touches include sliding doors port and starboard in of the wide-body upper saloon, fold-down balconies in the main saloon and owner’s suite, and an extended beach club. She also features easy-access stairs that fold out off the swim platform and a large sun deck.
Engelberg also has extensive security systems and Cisco communication equipment – there is 80km of wiring on board. But perhaps her most unique feature is the ‘command seat’ on the main aft deck, an integrated seat and wooden desk. The desk extends in a sweep down and aft, becoming a coffee table at its extremity. ‘From here the owner has contact with the bridge and his offices around the world,’ says Jeroen Minnema, a broker for Ocean Independence and the owner’s rep for this project, ‘and he can receive guests and colleagues.’
Drawing on his background as a landscape architect and the owner’s desire for a connection with the sea, Enea has blurred the line between exterior and interior spaces and used natural colours and materials in the decor. ‘The interiors reflect the true beauty of nature’s coastal landscapes,’ says of the yacht’s interior decor, ‘in shades of rich green, warm sand, earth tones and hues of blue.’
Engelberg’s launch follows that of 199 Event in February. Another 12 Limited Editions are currently in build and Engelberg is due for delivery at the end of the month.
Look out for the full exclusive feature on Engelberg in a forthcoming issue of Boat International magazine.