The guests gathering at the jetty to view the yacht had prepared themselves well for "This is it". They looked at photos, plans and renderings and, above all, wondered. What could that be? A glass egg, a spaceship that has lost its way? And where is the front, where is the back?
As we set off on the tour, the last question is answered as soon as we enter the almost 44 metre long catamaran. The sweeping stern section is open aft, the high bulwarks, which are pulled far back, shield it from the wind and view. Two staircases lead to the cockpit with XL bar, a glazed, tapered pool floats between the hulls, and a sloping balcony with transparent balustrade curves out at upper deck level. And then there is this round greenhouse, which extends over two storeys on the port side, next to the staircase to the upper deck. This is a successful start.
Largest motorised catamaran according to charter company IYC
According to the charter company IYC, "This is it" is currently the largest motor cat on the market, with an interior volume of 750 gross tonnes that speaks for itself. From 350,000 euros per week, twelve guests can be pampered on the Tecnomar vessel delivered this year. There was much internal discussion about pricing in the peak season. "I guessed 450,000," reveals Michel Chryssicopoulos, Head of Marketing at IYC, and he was right. "After all, it depends on the level of service offered by the crew." And the armada of toys, he adds, but refrains from enumerating the long list - headed by a Technohull Alpha 50 chase boat - in full detail.
The usual luxury is guaranteed, including a generous master suite with an initially discovered terrace. However, paying guests are likely to be impressed first and foremost by the design and associated ambience. Gian Marco Campanino - Art Director at the Italian Sea Group (TISG), to which Tecnomar also belongs - is happy to provide information about the spectacular design and, above all, the interior. "This is the first design," he says and can hardly believe it himself. "The perfect situation for engineers and designers. The client gave us the greatest freedom imaginable."
No detailed briefing, no rebriefing. The owner, who previously owned "Geco" (55 metres, Admiral) and thus a rather traditional charter ship, wanted to throw the familiar overboard and was ready to experiment. He simply said: "I want something different, something special. And a catamaran, please, not a mono." Otherwise, he granted carte blanche - a blank sheet on which the creative minds could let off steam. "That doesn't happen very often," says Campanino. Despite, or perhaps because of all the freedom, the team had a mountain of research and hard work ahead of them. "It wasn't easy," emphasises the designer, "but I'm happy because it's the way it should be.
Symmetry on board "This is it" is a foreign concept
"This is it" - in this respect, the name hits the mark. The motto could perhaps be "everything slanted, everything round", as symmetry, straight lines or right angles are almost foreign words on board, at least on the two guest floors. Not only are the outer decks "slanted", but the master suite also has almost no 90-degree angles and even the galley breaks with the usual rectangular shape. The furniture skilfully picks up on this theme: the L-shaped bar on the main deck was placed in the saloon seemingly by chance, the master bed sits enthroned in the middle of the room and the double beds in the two adjoining VIP suites are also not positioned exactly lengthways in the direction of travel.
When asked about his favourite room on board, the answer comes like a shot: "the dining area". This asymmetrical, cornerless room is also located away from the saloon, forward of the galley. A clever decision that the crew will certainly appreciate. In the centre is a round table for twelve people, a shimmering panel with a large funnel above the tabletop hangs from the ceiling, concealing the lighting. This is what a meeting room on a luxurious spaceship could look like. "You could also imagine G7, a political meeting with all the political heavyweights," Campanino suggests with a laugh.
Materials and light for the perfect ambience
Almost as enthusiastically, he later stands next to the saloon bar, a special request from the owner - and a place that should play an enormous part in entertaining the guests. The eye-catcher here is a chandelier of a somewhat different kind: a long, intertwined band of golden metal rods with crystals placed in between - a customised design from the Czech Republic. The wall panelling in the lounge, opposite the semi-circular sofa, is also very special. "Elephant leather", comments Campanino, "real".
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Shimmering surfaces run through all guest floors, especially gold and bronze for walls, ceilings and table frames. As a classic colour or liquid metal. Another focus for the design team was the light in the rooms. The minds were almost immersed in creating the perfect ambience. And so Campanino makes it convincingly clear: "Everything is created by the light."
The biggest challenge in the artistic process of "This is it"
After just six months, the plans for "This is it" were finalised. "Then we set about fine-tuning the details," reports Campanino. The 3D printers kept spitting out models of the cat "to check the shape and volume". There is no substitute for holding the miniature yacht in your hand, "You simply have to see it in real life," swears the designer. When asked what was most difficult in the artistic process, he answers without thinking twice: "the lines".
And explains why. The mere fact that around 600 square metres of glass were used for the conservatory look presented the designers and craftsmen with enormous technical challenges. Fortunately, Sunglass, the company engaged for the project, was able to draw on a wealth of experience. It had already supplied gigantic, curved surfaces to the construction site of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg. "Exteriors are more difficult than interiors, but also more interesting," Campanino continues. "They're more technical, so there's a lot to consider. But interiors are more delicate". He should know, after all, the designer is actually a constructor and changed his career for a very simple reason: Passion. Twelve years ago, he changed sides and joined the Italian Sea Group, where many years of "very hard work" followed. But he still considers himself lucky to be able to immerse himself in this world.
The owner wanted to break with convention in many respects with "This is it". Many people normally associate catamarans with sporty sailing yachts, Tecnomar's "Spacecat" was intended to take up this principle, but also be a "villa by the sea" with the standard of a seven-star hotel. Nevertheless, performance and handling characteristics had to be right. "I always had to keep that in mind and use the lightest possible materials," admits Campanino. "I had various limits."
Top speed exceeded
If you ask another expert about the performance, captain Nikolaos Kechagias has nothing to criticise. "I think we will exceed the stated top speed of 19 knots," he says confidently. He should be right, as the current data sheet states 21.5 knots. He also thinks the stability is good. "Pretty good," he says modestly, "when the tanks are all full, it will be even better." He was actively involved in the planning and construction phase and had plenty of opportunity to test the catamaran and settle in on the bridge and in his neighbouring cabin before it was delivered. He may well have to get used to the steering position on the forward upper deck. Even the command centre equipped by Team Italia is reminiscent of stories from outer space: the screens and controls rest on delicate supports and almost seem to float above the floor.
"It feels like being on a sailing yacht," says the captain about his first travelling experiences. "When the weather is good and there's hardly any wind, you hear nothing. Absolutely nothing. Maybe a little lapping of the water." At first, this seemed strange to him, and he had to keep stepping forward to the panoramic windows to make sure that everything was right in the floating spaceship. But it does.
Technical data
- Length over everything: 43,50 m
- Width: 14,50 m
- Depth: 1,90 m
- Gross tonnage: 750 Gross Tons
- Material: Aluminium
- Motors: 2 x MTU 16 V
- Engine power: 2 x 1939 kW
- Speed (max.): 21.5 kn
- Speed (travelling): 20 kn
- Range @ 10 kn: 3500 nm
- Generators: Caterpillar
- Bow thruster: 2 x 50 kW
- Fuel: 53 000 l
- Guests: 12 Crew: 10 + 1
- Navigation: Team Italia
- Construction: TISG
- Exterior design: Tecnomar / TISG
- Interior design: Tecnomar / TISG
- Class: RINA C
- Shipyard: Tecnomar, 2023
