How a first-time owner entered yachting at 75 metres

The team at De Voogt Naval Architects developed a concept based on a sharply raked bow and a low profile encompassing tender garages forward. The wish list included a 10-metre tender and a spacious beach club – but he didn’t want the boat to be “too big” or to appear as a series of tiered layers. While he selected the option for a helipad forward, a swimming pool on the main deck aft was vetoed. Noting that the client was happy with the idea of a main deck owner’s suite meant that they could dispense with a separate owner’s deck. The room that he wanted to have spectacular views from was the gym. With De Voogt creating the hull, technical and storage spaces – and Arrow has a near-perfect layout for stores, workspaces and crew circulation – the owner sought H2 Yacht Design to help create his aesthetic.

“He asked for clean lines and an interior that was contemporary but with a degree of richness. Rather than a spare, Italian style, he wanted a cosy feeling and intimate spaces,” says H2 principal Jonny Horsfield. Translating that to the exterior and focusing on proportion – while maintaining generous overhead height on the main and upper decks – has resulted in a profile instantly identifiable as Arrow.

“He didn’t want any fixed or folding balconies, or a plumb bow. He was clear he wanted the S-shaped hull line. Though familiar, we gave it a really sharp look and modelled it with much more 3D definition and shape, giving the yacht a strong shoulder line,” Horsfield adds. It is worth noting that Arrow is H2’s first Feadship.

“In my opinion, many boats look far too much like a ship, and my goal was to create something beautiful to behold,” says the owner. “This philosophy pervaded all aspects of the design and the many iterations with Jonny Horsfield and his team at H2. The lines had to blend the elegant, feminine and sporty with a low profile: we chose not to add an extra deck in order to retain those looks and the 2.45-metre ceilings inside. The metallic silver trim adds to the sleek and sexy feel as well as suiting the name, Arrow, which speaks to the way the boat flies towards you at a sharp angle.”

“Avoiding square corners has given Arrow a feminine appeal,” says the owner. “We set out to create a piece of maritime art, and the combination of exterior lines, interior finishes, curves and use of materials has fulfilled that ambition.”

“Guests love the bar, toys, easy swimming access and lounging options during the day. It is superb at night, too” 

The owner’s suite forward consists of a large starboard-side office, a full-beam sleeping area and a full-beam bath, both echoing the oval theme. The cabin’s architectural detail lies with its curved ebony-framed walls behind and opposite the bed and a recessed tray ceiling overhead surrounding a Preciosa light fixture. It gives the sensation that the space is a cocoon. Forward still is a full-beam bath with split dressing rooms, separate shower and toilet rooms and perhaps the largest bath tub ever made for a yacht. An aggressive soundabatement programme has resulted in a cabin that measures 34dB.

Most guests are accommodated below. The layouts of the guest cabins are nearly identical, but each has defining colours, lamps and wall treatments. The two aft cabins, a double and a twin, have hidden Pullman berths. A pocket door in the hallway allows these cabins to be combined into a parent- or nanny-and-children suite or the entire area can become a sort of bunkhouse for kids. Behind the bridge is a VIP cabin, bringing the total number of cabins to six.

Originally the owner had discussed a traditional look, but after spending time with early renderings, he decided it was too conservative

Perhaps the most important space to the owner is the spacious enclosed gym on the sundeck. Attractively clad in teak with sophisticated lighting and 2.4-metre overhead height, it has the appearance of a workout space in an exclusive residence. Exercise machines and a tower of free weights line the walls while the centre of the room is dominated by a large, cushioned oval yoga mat. With a warm ambience and soft lighting, it is a meditative space.

The gym lies between an outdoor living area with a large bar aft, and a sundeck with a mosaic tiled spa pool forward. This is also a casual dining space with an outdoor kitchen sporting two pizza ovens, a two-burner hob and a barbecue grill. With awnings providing gentle shade, this deck is a destination of its own.

“In my opinion, many boats look far too much like a ship; my goal was to create something beautiful to behold”

Arrow was ahead of her time with advanced waste heat recovery. All of the hot water required for all systems – from climate control to heating domestic water and the spa pool and even heating deck wash water – comes from waste heat recovery. Feadship installed a few water heating elements as a backup during Arrow’s construction, but they remain unused.

Since delivery, Arrow has travelled 51,000 nautical miles from Northern Europe to Turkey, the Caribbean and Florida as a private as well as charter yacht, where she has had several highly successful seasons under the direction of co-captains Dougie Sandeman and Dan Smith. The aforementioned layout of the lower decks makes the boat easy to service and largely self-sufficient. A portside door allows for delivering provisions, supplies and parts by tender. This door opens onto its lobby to prevent splashing water or inclement weather from intruding onto the crew corridor or the crew mess on starboard. Such niceties as a second crew lounge, a crew workout area, loads of cold storage and even a separate area where costumes and accessories for theme-night dinner parties are stored make her a dream to run for her 19 crew.

“Incidentally,” adds the owner, “what the photos cannot show is how it feels to be on the quietest Feadship launched to date. I woke up one morning and genuinely had no idea that we were moving; to open up the curtains and find that we were indeed cruising at 15 knots was amazing.” All in all, that’s quite a triumph for a first yacht. Who says you need to fail before you can succeed?

Arrow is now under new ownership.

First published in the July 2023 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.