Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli wanted a yacht that Batman would use. Yacht designer Tommaso Spadolini delivered a spectacular private cruising vessel
The first yacht designed by Tommaso Spadolini for Roberto Cavalli was used as a corporate vessel to promote his business and it was always full of the fashion designer’s VIP guests. Twenty years later when Cavalli approached Spadolini to design a yacht for him, the brief was different. This time he wanted a yacht for strictly private cruising with his partner, three crew members and up to four guests. Not forgetting his two dogs, Lupo and Lapo!
As he has a nautical licence, Roberto also wanted a smaller boat to be closer to the water and so he could go back to driving it himself, which meant a waterline length of 24m or less. The yacht also had to be capable of 40 knots, which led to specifying three MAN engines coupled to three KaMeWa water jets and lightweight construction using aluminium and carbon fibre.
Cavalli further specified that his own suite should be on a raised level behind the pilothouse – a first on a yacht of this size – with all-round sea views and natural ventilation. This meant devising a split-level layout whereby the main salon is on the main deck aft with the owner’s suite just four steps up on the same level as the pilothouse.
A VIP suite and a guest cabin (with bunk beds and a bathroom that also serve as a day-head) are on the lower deck, along with the galley/dinette and crew accommodation. There is also a cosy sundeck lounge with private access from the owner’s suite. The 3.8m tender is housed under a carbon fibre hood on the foredeck.
To ensure privacy, Cavalli’s suite is accessed by a staircase from the main salon that also serves as a private lounge when there are no guests on board. And to provide close contact with the sea the aft deck cockpit is much lower than normal, functioning as a continuous outside space with sliding glass doors on three sides. Lowering the deck height was quite an engineering challenge as the engine room three is directly underneath.
In terms of exterior design, Roberto Cavalli wanted something sporty and aggressive that would reflect his personal approach to life at sea and his strong personality. In his own words, he wanted “a boat that Batman would drive!”
The yacht designer and his team developed several different profiles before finalising the exterior styling with two sweeping arches framing the aft cockpit, which also helps shield the space from the wind. To emphasise and convey the yacht’s sporty nature, it was decided to paint the hull metallic black and the superstructure metallic dark grey. The yacht was built by Cerri Cantieri Navali (CCN), an acclaimed shipyard in Carrara, Tuscany.
As a creative person, Cavalli wanted to do the interior design myself, which meant selecting all the materials, finishes and accessories. Together with Spadolini, he even chose the furniture for the yacht.
Cavalli’s signature style is eclectic and not surprisingly, he chose a lot of African animal-skin prints for the upholstery, cushion covers and bedspreads, which is a theme in some of his fashion collections. A keen photographer, the bulkheads are decorated with panoramic photos taken by him during travels.
Known for his penchant for sailing, Cavalli is all geared up to spend the summer on the seas with his family on the new yacht.
