At Perini Navi’s 20th Anniversary gala in Sardinia last spring, journalists were given time to inspect three new Perini launches. All were beautiful and all had features that aroused excitement, but the yacht no one wanted to leave was 184-foot Santa Maria, the latest in Perini’s aluminum 56-meter series. The difference was in her interior design. Santa Maria has a light, matte-finished cherry interior with the sort of unassuming millwork package that suits a sailing yacht, and a residential charm to her furnishings. The joinery imparts tradition while large, framed silk wall panels above the dado rail in a bright robin’s-egg blue add physical and visual lightness. The overall result imparts a feeling of restfulness. A series of paintings by Portuguese naturalist José Souza-Pinto displayed in the salon enhances the theme. Santa Maria makes good use of naval architect Ron Holland’s ample beam dimension with a dining room located to starboard and a kids’ TV room to port, forward of the salon. A staircase of generous proportions descends to five staterooms amidships for owner and guests, including a full-beam master suite with twin dressing areas, plus a nanny’s cabin.