Offering the best views on board, not to mention plenty of space for fitting a spa pool, the sundeck is often the centrepiece of a superyacht’s design. BOAT takes a look at a selection of very best superyacht sundecks in the world, starting with Lana...
Lana's large sundeck certainly provides the social hub for Benetti's 107 metre colossus. The 100sqm alfresco dining area on this level is found alongside an eight-metre pool, vast sunbathing areas and a shaded dining table with a backlit honey onyx base. When night falls it's decked out for partying, featuring a California Audio Technology system and a space for two club-standard speakers with two built-in K-array subwoofers.
Cantiere delle Marche’s first Flexplorer, 39 metre Aurelia, has less of a sundeck and more of a "private Jacuzzi deck" at its top. The owner requested an intimate, exclusive space, with a fridge, some storage and a large spa pool. "They created an alcove," said Vasco Buonpensiere, sales director and co-founder of Cantiere delle Marche. "A cosy place up there for the two of them, so the crew can’t go there.”
The compact 28 metre Custom Line Navetta 30 has a glass breakfast bar perched on the sundeck, giving its owners spectacular morning views. Its resort-like, barefoot informality complements the conviviality of the upper deck with Ferretti's chief executive officer Alberto Galassi referring to the area as his favourite on the yacht. "The sundeck is huge," he said. "You could have a game of football there."
One of 39.75 metre Club M's defining features is the sundeck which at night, like the rest of the ship, is illuminated by a kilometre of rope lighting. With ample space for lounging and open plan, the spectacular top deck offers an uninterrupted flow from the bow lounge to the aft deck bar.
Rossinavi's automative-inspired 50 metre EIV has plenty of wellness amenities, with a five metre contra-flow swimming pool on its sundeck. Enrico Gobbi of Venice-based Team for Design oversaw the exterior and chose a dark grey colour-scheme for the superyacht's sundeck. In this way, the large 10 metre beam's scale is minimised and doesn't impinge on the boat's elegant silhouette.
A custom walkaround swimming pool resides forward on the sundeck and is lined with iridescent glass tiles that reflect the sun during the day and the pool's underwater lights at night. Offering excellent options for entertaining and dining al fresco, there's a table seating up to 12 guests and a bar fronting an outdoor galley complete with a teppanyaki grill.
Credit: Quin Bisset
Sliding doors create a protected outdoor dining space on Illusion V that divides the sundeck on this 58 metre Benetti into a solarium aft and a bar area with divine superyacht spa pool.
The top deck of 69.55 metre Elysian is party central, with a kitchen, grill and bar, a drop-down cinema screen and a sound system and DJ set-up for a disco. Delivered by Lürssen in 2014, Elysian features exterior styling by the world-renowned Espen Øino and a sumptuous Reymond Langton Design interior that provides accommodation for up to 12 guests.
The sprawling sundeck on this 85.1 metre superyacht runs from a horseshoe bar with gold mosaic to a beach-chic lounge platform with a twinkly star overhead and dance floor — it has hosted 60 guests for a New Year’s Eve celebration. Designed for pure enjoyment, Solandge was launched by German yard Lürssen in 2013.