In business, the owner of Janice of Wyoming operates at technology’s leading edge, often backing highly speculative ventures into tomorrow’s world. Yet, as a yardstick for business decisions he stands by an old-fashioned formula. Before closing any deal, he insists on eye-to-eye contact with his potential partners.

Sifting through the hundreds of proposals that cross his desk, most are filtered out at the first pass. Those that are worth further scrutiny, have to pass the eyeball test. That does not mean he has to be in the same room with them. He is quite happy to make the assessment via video conference, which is why his boat – 130-foot (40-meter) Janice of Wyoming – bristles with electronics and communications gear.

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"It is very important that I can still keep in touch and maintain some semblance of business activity while I am on board," he said in an interview in Auckland, New Zealand. "For me, that means an ability to video conference.

Photograph by Ivor Wilkins. (Click image to enlarge)

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The cockpit is well recessed into the deck, and the fixed windscreen ties into the permanent soft top. Side curtains make alfresco dining an all-weather option. Photograph by Martin Fine. (Click image to enlarge)

Although the owner was interested in certain motor-yacht attributes, he was clear on the aesthetics. He did not want a motor yacht with a mast. He wanted a very low-profile, high-performance, sailing yacht.

"While we were adding more volume, we did not want to compromise the sailing ability at all. She carries a tremendous amount of sail for a yacht of her size. It was also very important for the yacht to look good, and we wanted her to be very low and sleek on the water. It was quite a design effort to achieve that."
The outcome is a lower profile than any of the other Dubois yachts of similar length and type – lower even than Imagine, which only had a vestigial above-deck structure. "In this particular instance, we believe that Janice of Wyoming has reached new levels of development and has gone more than just one click along the evolution process," commented Dubois.

The hull lines feature a subtle sheerline and beautifully balanced integration between the hull and the swept-back, aerodynamic rise of the coach roof. The absence of mullions on the side windows and the uninterrupted line of the cockpit coamings further enhance the clean, modern appearance.

Intended primarily for private family cruising, the project has benefited from a very clear vision of what the owners required. Avoiding the common temptation to go for as many cabins as possible, the owners opted for just three aft staterooms. Accordingly, they are all generously proportioned and allow a balanced distribution of space throughout the hull. The crew also benefits from this; their accommodation and facilities forward are excellent for a yacht of this size. (Click image to enlarge)

Fielded walnut joinery throughout is finished to an extremely high standard. Cream carpets and deckheads with neutral fabrics give the yacht an understated elegance, complemented by original seascape and landscape paintings from the owner’s collection.

The owner’s stateroom occupies the full beam of the yacht aft and features its own companionway to the cockpit. The stateroom incorporates a study area, a settee, an ensuite bathroom and a separate walk-in dressing room.

The entertainment areas are on two levels, with the upper salon opening straight out to the cockpit through pneumatic steel and glass doors, encouraging easy indoor-outdoor flow. A distinctive feature of the upper salon is the bar’s countertop, which is made from fossilized stone estimated at 50 to 60 million years old. Embedded in the surface is a fish skeleton, evidence that the owner’s home state Wyoming, where the rock was found, wasn’t always 5,000 feet above sea level.

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The atrium effect of the deck salon brings a sense of openness to the library-like lower salon. Sliding walnut shutters cover the portlights. Photograph by Martin Fine. (Click image to enlarge)