| Perini Navi 177 |  |
In his opera Parsifal, Richard Wagner creates drama by putting
a Schopenhauer spin on the thirteenth-century Arthurian legend of Sir Percival’s
quest for the Holy Grail. Mysticism, Christian allegory and Buddhism tumble
together in Wagner’s ponderous quest classic, leading to the triumph of the pure
hero-soul, Parsifal. Danish industrialist Kim Vibe-Petersen, owner of recently
delivered 177-foot Parsifal
III, had his own five-year quest, this one for the
perfect sailing yacht. His first two boats, both named Parsifal, were
Valdetaros built in Italy. In the end, he returned to Italy to build with Perini
Navi.
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Parsifal III is something of a divine
paradox: The apparent simplicity of her lines and living spaces is accomplished
by intense design and engineering. Her Scandinavian-inspired interior was designed by Frenchman Rémi Tessier, who began his
career building Danish modern furniture. She is lighter than other Perinis, but stiffer due to a
reallocation of weight. And her restful presence at anchor belies the fact that
coffee—or rather the world’s demand for a quick cup of it—made her possible.
 Although custom, Parsifal III clearly has Perini Navi lines and a shared affinity for outdoor
living. (Click image to enlarge)
Twenty-three years ago Vibe-Petersen invented the express
espresso machine for instant fresh-brewed coffee. Now his Scanomat machines
dispense java and hot chocolate around the world. "Scandinavian countries are
the top coffee consumers, per capita. Danes drink six times as much as
Americans," Vibe-Petersen notes. Parsifal III has equipment that would make a
coffeehouse jealous.
"We have 2,800 square meters of sail area with carbon-fiber
masts and in-boom furling for her Spectra sails," Vibe-Petersen says proudly. "I
wanted the fastest Perini ever. I’m going to do some racing." In a quest for speed, Perini collaborated with designer Ron
Holland, who brewed up a finer entry and shallower aft sections. The big
departure was the fixed keel, which contains all of the yacht’s displacement.
With Viareggio’s inner harbor depths limiting her draft to about 15 feet,
Holland drew a sophisticated fin ending in a sleek bulb that tapers back to
significant wings.
"When the boat is motoring and upright, the wings present very
little drag, but when the boat is heeling under sail, instead of experiencing
leeway, the wings increase draft significantly," says Holland.
Parsifal III is the first Perini with
carbon-fiber masts, which, along with the furling booms, were made by Marten
Spars. These features, combined with Spectra sails, reduce the weight aloft by
25 percent. A single engine, located amidships, concentrates weight under the
center of effort.
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