Under the bright blue skies of a glorious Danish spring day in Skagen on the very northern tip of the European mainland, Danish Yachts today launched its magnificent 116, now officially christened Shooting Star, and Boat International was on hand to cover the ceremony.
‘This is an important and significant event in Danish Yachts’ ten-year history,’ Jens Stadum, chairman of the board of Danish Yachts, told the gathered crowd of proud yard workers and VIPs. Added Christina Lötter, Danish Yachts’ director, ‘This is a truly wonderful occasion – we finally celebrate the completion of project 116 after many years of work. Project 116 has achieved firsts in many areas of design, speed, pioneering construction, distinctive interiors and even attention to sustainability. She is world class.’
It was the first chance for many of those involved in the design and construction of this carbon flyer to see her in all her glory, including designer Espen Øino. ‘It’s very nice to see her today and feel that she has come totally alive – you could hear the engines running a little earlier and it’s a great feeling,’ Øino told Boat International. ‘One of the concepts of the boat was light, and the light here in Skagen is particularly stunning – I think the boat really came into play today at its best.’
Shooting Star marries blistering performance – she is projected to hit 50 knots when the throttles are fully open – with a contemporary, Scandinavian influenced interior design developed from an original concept by Art-Line which features maple, leather and cream fabrics in a style that is full of unusual curves and shapes. Light plays a key role, from the huge windscreen panels to skylights and a giant opening hardtop above the main saloon which make this yacht something quite special.
Look out for the world exclusive full review in the June edition of Boat International. In addition, we will be adding extensive and exclusive video interviews with the design team and the yacht’s crew to the iPad App for the June issue.