Neil Rabinowitz
04/01/2005
To her owner, a Texas businessman, Regency represents
the logical evolution of his fleet. His earliest boats were European café
cruisers – a Pershing 68, Leopard 70 and Mangusta 80. His last two yachts were
more spacious North Coast 115- and 118-foot raised pilothouse models. The next
one, he decided, would offer the additional volume and amenities of a classic
motor yacht.
His goals for the new project included multilevel living, an
on-deck
master suite, a sprawling skylounge and a large captain’s suite. "The
tri-deck was our answer," said Jim
Kenyon,
Regency’s
captain and on-site project manager. It was a style
that Palmer Johnson
excelled at creating, in a size range the
builder once
dominated.
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"What this Vripack design lacks in sleek, hot-blooded sheer it makes up in polish and refinement. Our workers took this project through a tough time of transition at the yard and put passion into it. The interior is one of our finest and their pride of workmanship is clear in all aspects of construction," noted Mike Kelsey Jr., Palmer Johnson president.
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The "tough time of transition" to which he refers was the bankruptcy, sale and resurrection of the famous Wisconsin shipyard, which caused a near one-year hiatus in Regency’s construction. PJ had begun the yacht on speculation, contracting with Fort Lauderdale designer Claudette Bonville for a glamorous interior scheme. The plans debuted at the 2002 Miami boat show and quickly attracted a buyer.
Built to Lloyd’s and MCA standards, the full-displacement aluminum hull was designed by Dick Boon’s Vripack Engineering. A true success story, the smooth, rounded hull form is a sweet collaboration of ideas resulting in a draft of less than seven feet at full load. Armed with a pair of 1,000-hp 3412 Caterpillars, Regency burns less than 60 gallons per hour at 14 knots, hits a top speed of 16.5 knots and has a 5,500-nm range at 11 knots.
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In addition to spaciousness and stability, silence was a high priority for Regency’s owner. After owning five composite boats, he had some concerns about aluminum hull harmonics – an issue that was addressed with the installation of a full Soundown acoustical package. As a result, Regency delivers a low 46 dB in the wheelhouse at cruising speed.
"My concept of the ideal boat has evolved through the years, as
have my desires for how I travel on the water," the owner said. "Regency
offers much more boat for her length than similar, semi-displacement designs
and, along with a more pleasant movement through the seas, provides a
substantial feel underfoot and an interior spaciousness that allows for a
creative layout to suit my needs."Regency’s layout facilitates entertainment. The upper deck
is not fitted with a steering station. Instead, the space is dedicated to
lounging and dining, and features a circular, Corian-topped bar, a barbecue and
a hot tub with a panoramic view. The tenders are carried here to give the
skylounge, one deck below, an unobstructed view astern.
The owner’s favorite space, the skylounge, spills onto a lovely
covered aft deck for seamless indoor/outdoor living. Forward is a penthouse-like
captain’s cabin and an enormous wheelhouse with a center command station and
separate navigation area. It is one of Regency’s most impressive areas.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Uncluttered and roomy, the engine room, is one of the finest
PJ has built. (Click image to enlarge)
Besides the spaciousness inherent in the yacht’s 28-foot beam,
the interior features eight-foot ceilings. The dimensions are well suited to the
rich, warm, men’s club feel imparted through the dark-stained African makoré
paneling and furniture accented by wengé moldings and inlays. Blending quartered
and block-figured cabinetry details with straight-grain wall veneers and feature
panels energized the joinery. JS Westhoff & Company created the millwork,
balancing interior production efficiency with the owner’s personal taste.
The dramatic master suite takes full advantage of pushing the
superstructure full beam forward on the main deck. The king-size bed is offset
to port, allowing a pleasant seating area to starboard. An adjoining foyer,
where the owner enjoys his morning coffee and TV, also doubles as a quiet
office. Two bathrooms swathed in marble complete the suite. Four similarly
finished guest suites are belowdecks, opening off a lower foyer. A hidden
housekeeping passageway makes it possible for the crew to discreetly enter the
guest areas without passing through the main deck.
The most striking architectural achievement on board Regency is the three-level spiral stairway that winds through the heart of the interior. Twenty-four feet high and eight feet in diameter, it was fabricated off-site in Milwaukee in the same hardwood recessed-panel design utilized throughout the interior. With its decorative wrought iron and gold leaf rails, the staircase weighs more than a ton. The yard lowered the entire unit into the nearly completed yacht by crane through an opening in the sun deck that is now capped by the hot tub.
"The staircase is grand at every view and I especially enjoy how it allows you to look down from the skylounge level all the way to the first deck below. It is wide enough so that people can travel up and down the stairs without having to shrug their shoulders," said the owner.
"I’ve had many yachts through the years, but Regency is
a step beyond what I have ever owned before," he said. "The interior tells me it
is something special and while the temptation is to sell this one and build
another, this project has features I will not let go."
Contact Palmer Johnson at 954-765-5555. www.palmerjohnson.com.
| Yacht Name: | Regency |
| Yacht Type: | Motor Yacht |
| Draft: | 7' (2.13m) |
| LOA (Actual length): | 142' (43.28m) |
| LWL (Length of water line): | 128' (39.01m) |
| Displacement: | 450 tons |
| Power: | 2x 1,000-hp Cat V12 |
| Range: | 2,900 nm @ 14.5 kts |
| Beam: | 28' (8.53m) |