Half monohull, half catamaran, Lady Fleur is one of a kind

The client in question was a Dutchman and a friend, and he asked Holterman to build him a yacht with offshore range that could welcome the whole family in comfort, provide a saltwater pool on the aft deck and also wet launch and recover a huge tender. It is not an equation that was easy to balance, but the answer lay in some really slick engineering. The whole central section of the long aft deck lowers into the water hydraulically so that the tender can be driven carefully in or out. With the tender bobbing safely astern, the deck is raised once more, revealing a five-metre by two-metre pool.

The transformation takes a matter of seconds. “How this came about is related to our desire to share more time on board with kids of all ages,” explains the owner, who has had a string of Pershings in the past. “We used to have a chase boat to complement our mothership but now wanted to carry an 11-metre RIB. There was again a dual purpose here – to take us to inshore destinations and shallow bays at speed while meeting our adult children’s love of waterskiing and wakeboarding.

“But – and we knew it was a big but – we also wanted the aft deck to contain a swimming pool for the grandchildren. The solution of lowering the middle part of the deck underwater so we can dock the tender and then fill that platform with seawater for a pool was an act of genius by everyone involved. They even managed to still find room for the jet skis and toys while offering two engine rooms that are incredibly easy to access when needed.”

Diana Yacht Design had to do some creative thinking to make this approach possible. Its solution was to split the aft part of the yacht into two hulls – effectively a catamaran welded onto the aft bulkhead of the more familiar monohull that forms the forward section of the boat. Each hull is autonomous, containing its own engine and steering system, as well as providing most of the technical space for other yacht systems. “This may sound simple but it took months of teamwork to develop,” says Hans-Maarten Bais, creative director and naval architect at Diana Yacht Design.

“Such an idea had never been attempted before, so we started talking with the class society and flag state to ensure the construction would pass their regulations. Finite Element Method (FEM) analyses were made of the entire hull construction to eliminate the risk of vibration and make sure the legs wouldn’t flex, never mind break.”

Safety was a key factor, so there are high bulwarks all the way around the deck. Every major system exists in duplicate, from air con and stabilisers to chargers and water pumps, so that a system failure doesn’t bring a cruise to a premature end. And the electric stabilisation system from Waveless Marine helps keep feet little and large firmly planted on the deck. It uses proprietary software to enhance stability, while consuming less energy and producing minimal noise. In fact, parent company CMC Marine dares to call it “silent”. This also bolsters the comfort element of the brief, which was also translated into interior styling by Trimm Design.

Leeuwarden-based Trimm sought to create a pared-back, warm and modern interior by using natural materials in neutral tones. Cabinetry and flooring is in dark, matt walnut, while the walls employ lighter upholstery, wallpaper and paint. The styling is laid back and informal; Trimm describes it as, “not a typical yacht interior, but more airy with the feeling of coming home”

True to that homely feel, the galley is positioned opposite a long bank of sofas in the saloon, and a six-person table in the corner. With its open plan living area, this is a boat where the owner and his family might just as soon cook dinner as one of the four crew. The floor is laid in a herringbone pattern, but though it looks like wood, it is an easy-to-clean vinyl. Meanwhile, the composite work surface looks like heavy slate.

Occupying the forward part of the main deck, the owner’s full-beam cabin with its his-and-her’s bathroom is exceedingly bright and comfortable. More parquet-effect floor combines with white furniture, pale upholstery and sharp back lighting to give a cosy feel, which is replicated in the four guest cabins on the deck below. They are not large, but they each have their own bathroom and offer flexible berths, with two slide-together twins and two doubles.

The amidships crew quarters are generous. “Because we are hands-on owners, Lady Fleur only needed room for a crew of four in a captain’s cabin and two bunks,” says the owner. “We did everything possible to make this accommodation have a high standard. This has ensured that the quality of the teamwork on board the yacht mirrors the exceptional teamwork involved by everyone concerned with the build.”

And we haven’t even reached the glorious sundeck yet, with its full duplicate helm station, spa pool, sofas, dining and bar areas. One of the more extraordinary aspects of this extraordinary project is that 33-metre Lady Fleur is by far the largest yacht ever built by Holterman, which is better known for its worthy Dutch motor launches from 15 to 18 metres.

“We had to adapt our facilities in order to build a boat of this size and sophistication. It was an ambitious rearrangement which – now that we see the result and the way people react to Lady Fleur – was well worth the effort,” says Holterman. In fact, the project has sparked a new X-treme range, with a similarly rugged-looking 16- and 23.6-metre available, although you shouldn’t expect to get an 11-metre tender onto either of those.

You might struggle to cross an ocean with the X-treme 105, but that’s not really the point. This double-act of a yacht can certainly go remote if you want it to, off the beaten track. What makes it extreme is really what it allows you to do once you reach your destination.

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