The 56 metre Benetti yacht Galaxy has been unveiled for the first time following a full-scale refit with a complete interior overhaul courtesy of Njord by Bergman. The refit was completed in just five months at Monaco Marine after Galaxy found a new owner in December 2021.
The design brief called for entertainment-led social areas with cosmic-inspired accents, personal touches and eye-catching details. In just a short amount of time, the yacht’s interior had been transformed into an “entertainment spaceship”, according to Sarah Colbon, co-founder of Njord by Bergman.
At the heart of the refit is Galaxy's main saloon which is conceptualised as the yacht’s ‘private member's club’. The wallpaper is designed by Dylan Cole, concept art director of the Academy Award-winning film Avatar, to resemble a futuristic forest, while a DJ booth can be set up against a backdrop of backlit agate.
Speakers are discreetly integrated into golden disc-shaped lights, with mirrored panels overhead and wave patterns on the floor to create a cool and multi-sensory space.
The skylounge has also seen a transformative change, but here the design brief was about creating a lighter, brighter space where the owner and their friends can relax and spend time together. "Down on the main deck [...] you've got a moody, cool space," said Colbon. "[But] they also need a home."
The lounge is illuminated by a chandelier made up of quartz crystals and the adjoining dining area boasts an integrated Lazy Susan for sharing meals.
Accommodation is offered for 12 guests in six cabins. The five guest suites are each named after a planet, with the owner's suite taking the cosmic theme one step further with personalised star signs etched into the headboard behind the bed. The refit extended to all areas of the yacht, with notable upgrades including the addition of a sound-proofed music booth with a faux-fur daybed.
Galaxy's exterior also underwent an overhaul, with a fresh paint job, new nameplate, blacked-out windows and a black mast to give the yacht “a new youthfulness”, according to Colbon.
The project management was handled by Njord by Bergman, who worked closely with Monaco Marine, the owner's representative Sara Vezensek and Galaxy's crew to get the refit completed within the time frame. Captains Ryan Gregory and Clive Harrison were also integral to the finished result.
Fast refits are going to be key for a new wave of owners, according to Colbon. “Some of these yacht buyers or owners are new to yachting. They’re not going to want to leave their boat for two years or give it to somebody for two years, they want to keep using it.”
The yacht was redelivered to her owner at a private party in March. "Working with Bergman and Njord has been an incredible journey,” said Galaxy’s owner. “They truly understood what we wanted and delivered it in record time and on a grander scale we could have ever imagined.
“The design exceeded our expectations and the day we got the 'keys' to Galaxy it became our home and not our yacht because of all the changes that made it ours.”
The yacht will be used privately by the owners who will spend most of the year on board.
The news of Galaxy’s refit comes shortly after the unveiling of 61 metre supply ship conversion project Cassius, which features design by Njord by Bergman.