Mr Doom is the second 100 Century from Astondoa. Kate Lardy steps on board the 30.5 metre superyacht to take a look at her Cristiano Gatto interiors.
Astondoa may be more than 100 years old but this centenarian is certainly not stuck in the past. One glance at Mr Doom and that much is clear. Part of the Century range the Spanish shipyard created in 2016 to commemorate its 100th year in business, the 100-footer is forward-thinking, featuring on-trend big interior volume coupled with aggressive styling, including reverse raked windows on the jet-black raised pilothouse and a high bow.
The latter accounts for the signature element of the Century yachts: an expansive single- level top deck that allows guests to move nearly the entire length of the yacht – from the spa pool aft to the sunpad forward – without having to negotiate any steps at all.
“The 100 Century conveys both our experience and modernity, our wisdom and our passion,” says Ione Astondoa González, the fourth-generation family member to run the shipyard begun by her great-grandfather in 1916. It draws on the past, exhibiting the wishes and feedback of the yard’s clients, while also reflecting the philosophy of her father, shipyard head and chief designer Jesús Astondoa Díaz de Otazu, that the future lies in design and innovation.
The crowning achievement of the design, that immense sundeck, was what won over the owner of Mr Doom, hull No 2. “He’s a very outdoors, sun-soaking kind of person,” says David Galante, COO of G Marine, which exclusively reps Astondoa in the Americas. The family, long-time clients of Galante, have been steadily moving up in boat size. When they built their last yacht with him, an 80ft Astondoa, they made the transition from day-boaters to cruisers, but they also then realized that they needed more room to really enjoy extended stays on board. Galante thought the 100 would be the perfect match for them with its ample space, both indoors and out in the sun.
They saw photos of hull No 1, liked what they saw and then placed their trust in Galante to take care of the rest. “[The owner] just says, ‘You know how I like them – build me a boat,’” Galante recounts. “I’m like, ‘I know you want a big sound system... but can you give me an idea of a color scheme?’”
“Every boat you have built for me is beautiful, so just do it,” was the owner’s response.
So the family laid eyes on their yacht for the first time the day before the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this past fall, where she was revealed to the US public. “My goal was to take their breath away the first time they opened the door,” Galante says. “It was mission accomplished. The salon door opened and all the family went, ‘Ahhhh, it’s so beautiful.’”
He had the assistance of the talented Cristiano Gatto, who has partnered with Astondoa for the interiors of the 100 Century. What greeted the owners was a contemporary scene of whitewashed oak joinery and oak floors framing a sweeping expanse of white leather overhead mirrored below by white carpet, both edged in chrome. Full-height windows that look through glass bulwarks outside brighten the space, fitted with custom-designed sofas and dining table.
This is no mass-produced production yacht. The level of customization possible is pretty high at Astondoa, something that suits Galante very well as he tends to make a lot of changes to both Americanize a yacht and to personalize a layout to fit a client’s lifestyle. The boutique builder delivers only around 12 yachts a year, while employing a very large workforce that handles the craftsmanship and engineering in-house.
When Gatto initially worked on the 100 Century’s layout with the yard, he drew many different versions, imagining how to fulfill the wishes of a broad clientele within the yacht’s overall structure. Regardless, Mr Doom’s owner was quite content with a similar layout and look as the first hull, Ninitas, which debuted in 2017. Still, though, this was no copy-and-paste job.“Ninety percent of the items are handmade, so there is no difference to make it equal [to the first hull] or make it different,” Gatto points out. “And it is obviously better for the client to have it different.”
So, with direction from Galante on color and finish, Gatto tweaked the details and furniture to reflect this owner’s taste, combining cold materials, like chrome, lacquer and glass, with warm woods and leathers. “The balance is very typical of the trend of the moment,” Gatto says. In all, 26 different materials are used in the decor, blending, as Gatto describes, like a symphony.
Forward of the salon and galley, the master suite is a continuation of the theme with the same leather overhead as a focal point, this time bordered by black lacquer. The custom-designed furniture by Gatto integrates with the structure – the walls and nightstands become a singular element, for example. The en suite, lavished in dark London gray marble, features dramatic backlit panels in the toilet and shower compartments that flank the vanity. This is repeated in the spa-like baths of the guest staterooms on the lower deck, here finished in Serpeggiante ivory marble. For the family’s children and supernumerary staff, there are four suites below: two sets of mirror twins and doubles.
The outside decks also provide vast amounts of space to host the family, starting with an exceptionally commodious aft deck. It feels much wider than the yacht’s 22ft 4in beam, thanks in part to the fact that there is no stairway to the flybridge impeding on the space. That access is via staircases forward to both port and starboard where the side- decks give way to full body.
Up top is everything you need for a day in the Bahamas. The hardtop shelters dual dinettes that can seat the entire brood plus some, an outdoor galley, a bar and the flybridge helm with pop-up nav equipment. Within the hardtop is a retractable sunroof with louvers to let in a bespoke amount of natural light. The superstructure, inset with dark glass, extends from the top of the raised bridge, descending aft along the sides of the deck. “From the outside, it looks like a cabin; from the inside, you have privacy. You can have lunch here without people looking at you,” Galante says.
Behind this is a spa pool surrounded by sunpads while in front of the bridge is a massive bunny pad. Only forward of this do you reach the deck’s first step. One footstep down is a settee fronted by cocktail tables, which can be shaded at the touch of a button by a bimini clothed in Sunbrella fabric. Unusually and quite creatively, the social space extends all the way to the bow, with teak grating safely covering the anchoring equipment and providing another perch for guests. At the opposite end of the yacht is a fold-down transom that creates a huge beach platform and opens up the garage, where a 14ft Williams tender and a jet ski are housed.
Like its progressive design, Astondoa has kept abreast of the latest construction technology under the direction of Jesús Astondoa Díaz de Otazu, utilizing vacuum infusion and incorporating carbon and Kevlar into its composite fiberglass hulls – all to the benefit of speed and fuel consumption. With the standard 2,186hp MTU 16V 2000 M86 engines, the 100 Century reaches 26 knots and cruises at 22.
The 100 is one of three models that make up the Century line, which also includes a 110 that debuted in time for the centennial in 2016 and a 125, which will launch in 2020. If they are – as the yard intended – any indication of the future, then this shipyard will surely be one to watch.
This feature is taken from the January 2020 issue of BOAT International US. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.
SHOP NOW