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The Far East gave the world gunpowder and pasta. Now it presents another innovation.
by Jonathan Webster
photography by Kevin Miller
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04/01/2005
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| YANTAI RAFFLES 289 |  |
With a continually expanding fleet of custom superyachts
dotting the globe, it has become a bit cliché to say that each is a unique
creation. It’s true, of course, but even so, there are still certain
similarities in design, a sameness that stems from functionality. And so, most
yachts are born. But most yachts Asean Lady is not.
Some would dismiss a 289-foot superyacht with an outrigger as
folly, lumping it with true curiosities such as Cosmic Muffin, a "yacht"
crafted from the fuselage of Howard Hughes’ one-time personal Boeing B-307
Stratoliner. Asean Lady, however, is anything but a one-off maritime
oddity. Her exotic design was not just a whimsical ploy for attention, but a
strategic choice based on sound principles of naval architecture by her
iconoclastic builder-owner Brian Chang. (Click images to enlarge)
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"The idea of using an outrigger comes from our many yachting
experiences around Indonesia over
the past few decades," explains Chang on board the roomy 88-meter yacht. "I
noticed that the local proas worked very well, even in relatively heavy
swells.
"We’d be at anchor on our old boat [a traditional 154-foot
monohull] in a secluded cove and the locals would approach us in small dugouts
with bamboo outriggers, selling live seafood and fresh produce. While we’d be
rocking significantly, the men on board the dugouts would be standing, going
about their trade with total ease. Their platforms were remarkably stable – and
I was envious."
 As time went on, Chang’s thoughts returned more and more
often to those stable canoes. Still, years passed before a set of sketches and
plans for an outrigger yacht were created and detailed with the team from
Ian Mitchell Design in New Zealand. (Click image to enlarge)
Chang, who owns Yantai Raffles Shipyard in Shandong, China,
says his yard provided him a deep insight into design and construction
possibilities. "Further," he adds, "I had the luxury of a sophisticated yard in
a relatively secluded environment – according to the world of super-yachts,
at least – so I could afford the time and privacy to create whatever I wanted."
But there were still doubters and detractors. "Trust me, it was
debated then and it will continue to be debated forever. But I was convinced, so
in 1999, I decided to go ahead. We were going to build the first outrigger
superyacht and turn convention on its head," says Chang.
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