| Holland Jachtbouw 105 |  |
The jaunty 105-foot Cassiopeia is the very model of a
modern classic motor yacht – reminiscent of the best post-war American designs,
but with a freshly interpreted posture. From any vantage, she seems the
quintessential "sailor’s motor yacht," built to the exacting blueprint of a
mature sailing couple who still love going to sea but have lost their enthusiasm
for extreme angles of heel. It’s surprising, therefore, to discover that
Cassiopeia’s owners are neither
close to their dotage, nor are they ex-sailors resignedly settling into the
power mode. They are an American couple who, after years of chartering and
running their own motor yachts (including the first Little Harbor Whisperjet
46), instinctively evolved a practical accounting of their ideal cruiser, which
happily coincides with the archetypal sailor’s yacht.
Fine varnished teak woodwork crafted in-house by Holland Jachtbouw
sets a nautical tone in the master stateroom (top) and the two guest cabins (bottom). Photography by Jainie Cowham. (Click images to enlarge)
Well, perhaps it’s not quite a coincidence when you consider
two added elements. First, the couple found the right naval architect, Bill
Langan, who has stood comfortably astride the sail/power divide all his
professional life, and who knows how to draw a yacht to satisfy either camp.
Second, they chose the right builder, Holland Jachtbouw, which before Cassiopeia had built only sailing
yachts whose timeless quality dovetailed with their own sensibilities. The Dutch
yard was eager to embrace the build. To prove its flexibility (and to reassure
the clients), the company brought in a project manager with motor yacht
experience and had Vripack International review the aluminum scantlings and
engineering.
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The owners had met Langan when he was with Sparkman &
Stephens in New York, but they renewed their acquaintance after he established
Langan Design Associates in Newport, Rhode Island. The husband – who had
been designing "the yacht" in his imagination since his childhood on Brazil’s shores – proposed a vessel of around 80 or 90 feet. His vision was inspired by
Hargrave designs whose style, he says, "was stuck in my subconscious." Of
course, he wanted it updated, technologically advanced and with a better turn of
speed.
Custom brass fixtures and marine artwork also add
to the overall ambiance. The joinery work is offset by comfortable,
blue-and-white upholstered furniture here and in the dining area (top) and the
large main salon (bottom). Decorated in fresh floral patterns and stripes, these
fabrics give the rooms an airy, summertime feel perfect for cruising the Mediterranean. Photography by Jainie Cowham. (Click images to enlarge)
Langan understood exactly what he wanted. They established
a three-stateroom layout with crew quarters, but as systems were added, space
became scarce and the hull progressively grew. Finally, because the boat will be
chartered and thus built under MCA rules, an engineer was required and
Cassiopeia topped off at 105 feet.
Langan’s semi-displacement design has a chined, modified-deep-V hullform with variable deadrise and small fin stabilizers.
The propellers run in tunnels, and a short keel aids directional stability.
Above the waterline, the bow and stern are beautifully complementary; the
superstructure, long but trim, embodies a spacious, sunny interior. The
layout makes intelligent use of space through reversed engines and V-drives,
which shortens the engine room and leaves more volume for accommodations and
an ample lazarette for two personal watercraft and other toys. Setting the
engine room aft also optimizes weight distribution.
Personal watercraft storage is cleverly designed into
Cassiopeia’s stern quarters (bottom). Her
foredeck includes a varnished teak caprail and an ample sun lounge (top). Photography by Chris Moorhouse. (Click images to enlarge)
The usable flying bridge area is quite long, as the tender
is stowed on the overhang. Below, Cassiopeia is gracious and serene, with
an inviting compactness and intimacy. On the main deck, in a pleasingly unconventional arrangement, the galley and dining room are well forward,
separated by the half-deck pilothouse from the full-beam salon aft, which opens
onto a deck lounge. On the lower deck, the full-beam master suite and two double
guest staterooms, set amidships where motion is minimal, are quite commodious
for a yacht with a waterline of less than 90 feet. The guest cabins are served
by a single stairway; a separate one serves the crew quarters forward.
Holland Jachtbouw built and outfitted Cassiopeia to the
highest standard, proving that sailboat expertise is no deterrent to handling a
motor yacht. As Langan says, "The shipyard was ready to find American solutions
to an American yacht." The yard also dutifully followed a strict noise- and vibration-reduction program, which included extra insulation. At the owners’
specification, everything in the engine room, including the 1,850-hp 16V
MTUs, is painted glossy white and trimmed in stainless and chrome. By contrast,
the hull is dark blue, which required a beefing up of the air-conditioning
system.
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