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A project that nearly foundered as her owners pursued quality and technical perfection, the aprtly named Phoneix is a soaring achievement.
by Marilyn Mower
photography by Stephane Bravin
03/01/2005
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| Lürssen 200 |  |
The most visible part of the package is Phoenix’s beam – a
whopping 40 feet, six inches. The most telling part is her displacement – 1,600
tons at half load. Beam, weight, hull shape, an aluminum superstructure and the
placement of equipment and stores within the vessel allowed Lürssen to deliver
Phoenix within the specified GM range of 1.1 – 1.25 meters. A single pair of
oversized stabilizer fins protruding beyond the beam increase stability at
anchor.
The bid contract also specified a number of other parameters: a
maximum sound reading in the owners’ suite of 45 dB, 16-knot top speed, 7,000-nm
range and a specific delivery date. Not meeting any of the criteria would have
exposed the builder to stiff penalties.
While solving unprecedented
technical issues got the Phoenix project off the ground, it is the yacht’s
unparalleled décor that sets it soaring. The product of an industry guilty of
misappropriating words like “unique” and “spectacular,” Phoenix nevertheless
delivers both.
Designer Andrew Winch began by exploring Art Deco,
particularly the more masculine look of French Deco. Once the couple mentioned
French designer Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, the concept clicked, coalescing into
arrestingly chic yet comfortable French Deco with an American twist. Winch
invoked Art Deco’s essence without rote copying, pulling back from total
immersion in the style so that design themes appear as part of an ensemble
cast.
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