Awandra has the spirit of an explorer

The Baglietto T52 may be a semi-custom yacht in one of the industry’s most sought-after size brackets, but she is also something of an outlier: an awardwinning displacement yacht that combines the elegance of a white yacht with the spirit of an explorer.

The 52-metre Awandra – hull No 7 of Baglietto’s T52 series, a successful pre-engineered platform distinguished by the mature, unmistakable design of Francesco Paszkowski – became the first yacht in the line to win a World Superyacht Award. The distinction was earned through a highly customised layout and extensive bespoke furnishings that transformed an already proven platform into something distinctly personal.

When I joined the yacht and her crew in Fort Lauderdale in the spring of 2026, shortly before her World Superyacht Awards win, Awandra had already logged 10,200 nautical miles since her delivery in July 2025.

Her maiden season began with a voyage to Montenegro the following month, before one family member and friends embarked on a more ambitious undertaking: crossing the Atlantic aboard their new yacht. “We picked them up in Gibraltar and dropped them off three weeks later in Antigua,” recalls Awandra’s captain, Nicolas Powell. “We had a relief chef for the crossing, who was excellent, and we brought extra delivery crew. It was a full boat.”

In nearly three decades at sea, the experience was unique. “Twenty-seven years as a captain, and it’s the first time that’s happened,” Powell says with a smile. “I think they enjoyed it, but I’m not sure they’ll do it again.”

Close to one-metre following seas were prevalent during the transatlantic voyage, and of course, the yacht had to be in crossing mode – the two pools drained, and furniture and accessories battened down. There was a stop in Tenerife to replenish the yacht’s tanks, and then it was a multi-day passage across, kept comfortable by the yacht’s electric Naiad stabilisers.

The crossing says something important about the owners. This was never intended to be simply another luxury yacht. Purchased while still under construction, Awandra became a collaborative family project, bringing together the owners, Captain Powell, Y.CO’s technical team, the Baglietto shipyard and Francesco Paszkowski’s studio, working alongside Margherita Casprini.

“They started this project with a clear idea to have this as an opportunity for the family to do something together; not only to spend time on board together, but also to work on the design as a creative project for the entire family,” Baglietto’s chief commercial officer, Fabio Ermetto, says.

“Also, they approached the project with the very clear idea to explore the world. So probably in the first and second year, they will visit what we call ‘the usual places’, but after that they have a plan to explore outside of the Med and the Caribbean.”

The yacht’s moniker provides another clue. Awandra is a compilation of the family initials and the name Avandra, a character from the game Dungeons & Dragons who represents the deity of freedom, travel, adventure and good fortune. Her likeness greets guests as they enter the lobby from the main deck port-side entrance. Given all this, it is hardly surprising that these owners would want to experience the first transatlantic trip.

In keeping with the theme, a space designated as the “adventure room” is on the lower deck. Filled to the brim with dive equipment, bicycles and toys, it occupies the space where a beach club and spa might be found on T52 sisterships. Not only is it convenient for storage, it has also proven handy for guests too. “They like the independence, to be able to get in there and grab whatever they need,” the captain says. Here too is secure storage for lithium-ion batteries.

To be sure, most engineered platforms for yachts of this size offer a level of customisation if the builder obliges, but these owners pushed it a bit further. Yes, they looked at colours, textures, patterns and even the foam density on cushions, but they also asked the builder and designer to create additional spaces from the very generous platform that this sub-500GT yacht already offers.

“The owners’ priority was to maximise openair living with large social areas. Trusting our studio fully, he encouraged us to push the boundaries of the already generous exterior spaces,” designer Francesco Paszkowski explains. “As a result, the upper deck and sundeck together feature three dining areas and six conversation areas. Subtle adjustments and careful research into specific furniture geometries allowed us to achieve this while maintaining harmony between interior and exterior design.”

Although they pushed to create more open-air deck areas, and while the watersports centre is central to the family’s enjoyment of the yacht, Awandra was never intended to be solely a warmweather playground. There is an ethanol-burning firepit and a customised version of what Francesco Paszkowski describes as a verandah on the upper deck, a feature of the T52.

To incorporate a lounge and a dining area with a view inside the famous verandah – a transitional space between inside and out with retractable glass under a fixed roof – they had to reconsider the existing general arrangement. “We relocated the staircase connecting the main to the upper deck from starboard to port. Designed with two 90-degree flights, the stair layout creates more usable deck area,” says Paszkowski.

Working with a group of people and considering the needs of the entire family, rather than a singular interlocutor, proved interesting for the design team. “By giving attention to more people and understanding different needs, you must look for and find the best solution to make everybody happy,” says Paszkowski.

“It means you must explore a new design path. This is exciting for us. It can be very inspirational.” Looking at the layout and going through the interior, it is hard to imagine the creative process involved a committee. It is cohesive visually, effortlessly comfortable and well considered.

Operationally, Captain Powell confirms, the layout works quite well. He has his cabin, a goodsized one, next to the pilothouse, and the rest of the crew accommodation is forward on the lower deck, along with plentiful storage and refrigeration.

Pantries are on both the main and upper deck, and the large galley with a view also accommodates space for the crew’s meals. The lazarette contains a second laundry area for towels, which seems like a detail but is a bonus for an active watersports programme.

“The brief called for a welcoming ambience that blended refinded contemporary elements with a fresh, airy vibe”

“Special attention was given to improving crew workflow, centralising activities amidship,” Paszkowski confirms. Easy stairs link the wellappointed service areas, which are also connected to the side decks.

This certainly caught the attention of the World Superyacht Awards judging panel who bestowed the yacht her Neptune trophy this year, as did the amenities and decor. Awandra has five guest cabins in addition to the full-beam owner’s suite on the main deck.

The bonus cabin on the upper deck converts into a seating area, or potentially a massage room, playroom or workspace. Great for a multigenerational family, it also should prove attractive on the charter market.

Breezy curtains frame large windows on the main deck, but the feel is not strictly residential, and the layout presents an interesting lack of strict symmetry that is appealing to the senses. In the main deck saloon, a semi-circular sofa faces the entertainment centre, a refreshing change from the often-used twin sofas framing a central passageway. The asymmetric dining table with chairs and a banquette allows for more space to move around.

The pattern is similar on the upper deck, where the table in the saloon is adjustable in height. Outdoors on this deck is another dining area for 12, as well as a lounge. Finally, on the 135-square-metre sundeck (one of the T52’s highlights) is a round table near a multifunctional bar with grill and hot plate between two additional free-flowing seating areas.

This is also the deck where the larger of two spa pools is located – the other is on the main deck aft, where it is covered with a sliding section of flooring when not needed.

The owners opted here for the optional staircase that connects the sundeck to the forward section of the main deck, where another set of generously sized sunpads are located. This unusual feature means unfettered flow between the sundeck and foredeck lounge. The stairs recede in the superstructure and are invisible until they are used. So far, the captain says, mostly the crew has used them, but the idea to connect these two spaces is quite interesting.

In terms of the interior design by Francesco Paszkowski in collaboration with Margherita Casprini, the owners also had a clear idea of what they were looking to achieve. “The brief called for a unique, welcoming ambience that blended refined contemporary elements with a fresh, airy vibe,” says Paszkowski. “Our objective was to design a seamless environment characterised by unconventional geometries, understated elegance and a colour palette evocative of the sea and summertime.”

He continues, “We combined teak and oak in furniture, upholstery and vertical cladding – such as the wooden battens in the main-deck living area and owner’s suite – pairing them with lacquered panels. In the en suites, teak and oak are matched with honed and polished Emperador or Botticino marble. The custom-made furniture also combines oak, teak and lacquered finishes, with materials enhancing the geometric language and infusing the overall design with originality.”

Most of the furniture is custom designed, inside and out, accounting for a consistent feel. Beyond the threshold to the main saloon – which requires no step up – oak flooring with occasional Botticino marble accents succeeds teak decks. Accenting the light-colour furniture and colourful art pieces selected by the owners are soft furnishings and decor in pleasant gradations of greys, blues and greens

The one area on board where decidedly more bold patterns and colours reside is the high-tech wheelhouse, inspired by the automotive world. Paszkowski says, “It strikes a balance between aesthetics and functionality, pairing elegance with technical precision and creating a masculine yet understated atmosphere distinct from the light tones used elsewhere on board.”

Like all yachts of her calibre, Awandra balances elegance and technical precision. But beyond that, she stems from a human story of a family looking to do more together. Their vision has produced another compelling example of Baglietto’s displacement yacht expertise.

With additional sisterships under construction and an evolved version planned with a modest stern extension, the line continues to respond to owners’ growing desire for a closer connection to the water and bringing families together.

First published in the October 2026 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.