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Sycara III’s owners were uncertain about building a yacht more than 60 feet larger than their last – until the comforts and accommodations of their elegant new 185-foot Oceanfast swept them away.
by Kate Simpson
photography by H. Shaw McCutcheon
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11/01/2004
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| Oceanfast 185 |  |
The owners originally thought the ideal yacht would be 49 meters and
under 500 gross tons, slipping beneath the IMO and MCA radar for the more
stringent regulations, but they could not make it work. Finally, they decided to
suspend their concern about size and go for the yacht that they really
wanted.
They began the design process with Jon Bannenberg. Much to their
sadness, Sycara III turned out to be the renowned designer’s last project as he
passed away during the build. He left his mark, however, with his signature
exterior styling and some innovative space planning.
Sycara III’s exterior
is, not-so-coincidentally, reminiscent of Mystique. The husband even asked
Mystique’s owner’s permission to borrow his yacht’s styling. Her look is
seamless, with upper deck lockers and engine room grills camouflaged to resemble
Bannenberg’s classic large oval windows from afar. Instead of the typical teak
furnishings and cap rails, Sycara III features rich, red-toned mahogany rails
and tables that beautifully complement her extensive stainless work.
Designer Craig Beale, a subcontractor with Oceanfast, finished the project,
working closely with the owners. Beale had worked alongside Bannenberg on all of
his previous projects at Oceanfast and was well versed in his style. The wife
says the chemistry he shared with her husband was uncanny. “I would listen to my
husband on the phone to Craig, explaining how he wanted something to look and I
would think, ‘What is he talking about?’ Then ten minutes later a fax would come
through showing exactly what he described.”
The effect Beale and the owners
created is that of a penthouse, airy and open, with no maze of corridors and few
small spaces. From the aft main deck, one can see more than 130 feet forward
through the aft dining and bar, formal salon and atrium foyer to the media room.
Despite the use of honey onyx on tabletops embedded with sparkling quartz and
trimmed with sycamore, despite the stunning burled oak joinery accented with
walnut molding, and despite the richly textured marbles distinguishing each
jewel-themed guest room, Sycara III is a yacht where you can literally put your
feet up. The owners’ priority was to create an environment where their guests
will be equally comfortable dressed in a tuxedo or bathing suit.
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