| Amels 171 |  |
If you feel apprehensive about your personal vision or need for
self-expression being cramped or constrained by the new breed of semi-custom
large yachts, it’s time to recalibrate your thinking. Deniki, the first
Limited Editions Amels 171 to reach her owner, is a striking example of what a
builder and a creative team of designers can do on a fixed platform. She is a
spacious, functional, attractive motor yacht with a whimsical interior that
belies most limitations the term "semi-custom" may imply.
With demand for large yachts surging worldwide, particularly in
the 50-meter range, and with custom builds taking three or more years to
deliver, an increasing number of builders are introducing semi-custom or
"series" lines. For clients willing to work within a fixed length and general
arrangement, series yachts offer proven engineering and greatly accelerated
delivery times. | Click on the Specs tab at top to see complete list of resources. |
The Dutch builder announced the development of the Limited
Editions Amels 171 at the 2005 Monaco Yacht Show. Deniki and her
sisterships are built on a five-stateroom platform engineered by Amels, with
exterior styling by Tim Heywood. Laura Sessa Romboli is the interior designer of
choice for the line, but Deniki’s owner chose to bring in his home
architect, Peter Heuvelmans, to design the common spaces and the master
suite.
Top: The relatively sedate main salon. Bottom: The riotous
bridge-deck lounge. (Click images to enlarge)
While Amels’ reputation lies more in the realm of custom
building, having delivered such notables as Solemar, Ilona and Lady
Anne, the company is no stranger to the world of semi-custom superyachts. It
built a pioneering series of 50- and 52-meter hulls based on the 1997 launch
Tigre d’Or, designed by Terence Disdale. The ambitious Limited Editions
Amels 171 takes spiritual inspiration from the custom 52-meter Lady in
Blue, launched in 2004. The two vessels share the same underbody and naval
architecture, but with Heywood’s styling, the Amels 171 is a different
animal.
Heywood describes the Limited Editions Amels 171 as having
"strong, feminine, flowing lines." Some might view her low profile and sharp
entry as more muscular and aggressive (although her bridge-wing pods evoke the
pronounced cheekbones of a willowy fashion model). In any case, Deniki’s
blue topsides add a whiff of classic styling and highlight her supple sheerline.
The all-white, second 171, launched recently, is a widebody version without the
side decks on the bridge deck.
Top: The office and sitting room in the owner’s suite. Bottom: The main dining room. (Click images to enlarge)
Amels and Heywood conspired to maximize comfort outdoors on the
Amels 171. Deniki’s outside deck spaces offer disciples of sun and salt
air generous options for indulging their passions. Her top deck is
exceptionally well outfitted with a bar, a grill, a Jacuzzi, sun pads and a
hydro-massage bed. Two large sofas flank a 12-seat dining table, and a large
flat-screen TV hinges down from the deckhead for after-dinner movies alfresco. A
fine stainless railing with mahogany cap rail encloses the space.
Her bridge deck offers covered, heated outdoor dining and a
view of the quay. Her fully covered main deck aft is optimized for lounging and
entertaining with port and starboard stairs to the swim platform.
Deniki’s tenders stow on the foredeck while cruising (and on the bridge
deck for passages). The crane that lifts them on and off pivots tothe vertical
to serve as a foremast with her steaming lights as required by IMO/MCA rules.
Sun pads on the bridge deck forward of the wheelhouse offer unobstructed views
of the horizon ahead and abeam.
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