Jill Bobrow
08/01/2007
"UNIQUE AU MONDE," unique to the world: It is a phrase I associate with the fabulous French
classic Le Petit Prince, a parable written in 1943 by Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry. In describing the new catamaran, Allures, Captain Richard
Goché, who hails from Tahiti in French Polynesia, kept repeating the word
"unique." Indeed this 100-foot (30.5-meter) sailing catamaran is a one-off.
Completed from a custom mold at Compositeworks in La Ciotat, France, near
Marseilles, she was started by another company that since has ceased production.
She is not exactly an orphan—her owners take great pride in her—but to date she
is an only child and indeed unique.
Top: The main salon is contemporary and light, accented by satin mahogany and matte-finished sycamore built-in furniture.
Bottom: The yacht has accommodations for eight in four cabins, plus
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This stunning cat is a head-turner. She is the product of a
consortium including Rivoyre Ingenierie, Michael Schutte, J. Henry Martinak and
Alexandre Fortabat, with exterior styling by associated designers. However, the owner and his wife were both very involved in the build project right from its conception. Four years in gestation, all details aboard Allures
were finely honed with great care and attention. While she is a fast cat
(26-knot top end), she certainly wasn’t built in a hurry.
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The owner’s wife is responsible for the clean, uncluttered interior design. The main salon is contemporary and light, accented by satin mahogany and matte-finished sycamore built-in furniture. The overall color palette is a delicious mousse au chocolat and crème brûlée. Entering from the aft main deck, the main salon offers an open plan, making for clear visibility from the stern to the bow. There is a wine and espresso bar to port and two leather sofas configured in an L-shape to starboard. The formal dining area with a round table and transparent chairs designed by Philippe Starck enjoys large windows and provides another bright and comfortable sitting area. Nonetheless, in fine weather, dining will most often take place on the shaded aft main deck.
There are accommodations for eight guests in four staterooms. The on-deck master suite is arranged like a duplex apartment with its head down a flight of stairs. The three guest cabins are located belowdecks in the pontoons; the aft cabins having the flexibility of converting twin beds into one large bed. The atmosphere throughout is serene and peaceful. The crew of four is accommodated forward.
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As her name suggests, Allures embodies a tempting magnetism. She is both stunning to look at and sweet to sail. The owners have a penchant for catamarans—they like the speed and the space. They previously chartered a 65-foot Privilege with their current captain. When they decided they wanted something bigger and more adapted to the needs of their family, they anticipated building an 85-footer. Soon the design grew to 100 feet.
The yacht’s exterior styling was of paramount importance to the owners. They insisted on fine, sleek lines, so that she would appear low and lean on the water. Captain Richard, who is a personal friend of the owners, says the sloop is similar to a racing catamaran: sharp in the front, a little rounded in the belly, flat in the back and with a long waterline. Draft is seven feet. With the hydraulically operated daggerboards down, her draft extends to nearly 13 feet.
I sailed on Allures in Antigua when there was a good, stiff breeze. Our cruising speed was a remarkable 14 to 17 knots. She is rigid, accelerates fast and feels like she is flying above the water. It’s easy to balance her helm, so she does not suffer from the hobbyhorse motion so typical of many catamarans. Allures was conceived to be a high-performance sailing yacht with the comfort of a motor yacht. In fact, when used under motor alone, she can cruise at approximately 12 knots, consuming 40 liters of fuel per hour with her twin 355-hp Cummins engines. With carbon-Nomex construction and a high degree of sound insulation, she is also very quiet. Fitted with 60-hp bow thrusters, she can turn in her own length. With her shallow draft she can get very close to shore. Built for charter as well as private use, she keeps her tender stowed in the stern suspended on davits and has two garages behind the engine compartments that store water toys including a Jet Ski.
In addition to her superb sailing capabilities, one of Allures’ attributes that will appeal to charter guests is that there are numerous places to relax while on board: under cover on the aft main deck, on the flybridge in comfortable settees or aft on the expansive sun pads. For those who dare, the nets between the pontoons up forward can lull you to sleep or get you as close to the water as possible without being immersed. For charter: The yacht is managed by Camper & Nicholsons International Monaco.
Contact a CNI charter broker at +377 97 977700. www.cnconnect.com
| Yacht Name: | Allures |
| Yacht Type: | Sail Yacht |
| Draft Up: | 7' (2.13m) |
| Draft Down: | 13' (3.96m) |
| LOA (Actual length): | 100' (30.48m) |
| LWL (Length of water line): | 97' (29.57m) |
| Displacement: | 55 tons |
| Beam: | 43' (13.11m) |
| Sail Area: | 6,469 sq ft (600.99 sq m) |
| Rigging: | Sloop |