For reasons of discretion, it is rare for owners to appear in the numerous large formats that are presented in BOOTE EXCLUSIV every year. Fortunately, the case of "Kasper 7" is different, and for good reason. The owner couple Nisrine and Karim Karagulla welcome you aboard the 67-metre Benetti. The former Miss Lebanon not only provided input to one of the industry's renowned specialists, she was also responsible for the interior with her Beirut design studio Askdeco.
Many colours and asymmetry
"We previously owned a smaller Benetti Classic, which we used for many years. But then the opportunity arose for a larger boat that suited us even better," recalls the owner of the 1,250 gross tonne format. Based on the proven technical platform with Cassetta exterior, the on-spec project promised significantly more space in a comparatively short construction time.
It also offered the interior designer a tantalising prospect to live out her creativity: "After more than 25 years of mainly designing high-quality flats and restaurants, this is my first yacht design after a refit project. I didn't want to create something boring, but something colourful and asymmetrical." Nisrine Karagulla also further developed the original exterior design with Giorgio Cassetta, who praised the collaboration to the skies. The oversized portholes with a diameter of almost two metres make "Kasper 7" recognisable from a distance. Her decision to use round glass fronts is intended to emphasise the retro character, as are the specially manufactured awnings, which are reminiscent of the French and Italian Riviera with their white and yellow stripes.
Tour on board "Kasper 7"
The tour with the owner and designer begins in the light-flooded main saloon, which is over ten metres wide. Its concept characterises the style of the entire interior and will amaze even the most experienced superyacht routiners. The light oak flooring, white ceilings and light-coloured perpero wood with a pink shimmer form the backdrop.
Instead of a traditional bar, Karagulla opted for the Bibliothèque Anémone design furniture made from the trunks of green cypress trees by Carlès & Demarquet from Marseille on the port side. Guests can take a seat on stools by Bryan O'Sullivan or make themselves comfortable on sofas and armchairs by Olga Engel to enjoy the side sea view. Flat sideboards and tables by Martino Gamper, Pierre Yovanovitch and Hermès exude the flair of the late 1960s and 70s. Dimore created a candy bar made of lacquered wood and perforated metal. Family and friends should feel like they are at home or - even better - like they are on holiday and can help themselves. Numerous drinks fridges and coffee machines serve this purpose and, like most of the technology, are kept in the background.
Four XXL portholes flood a princely dining area
The owner's love of creative details is evident in the atrium's glass lift: instead of numbers, the lift features playful symbols for the four decks it connects. The crew area with pantry and galley begins on the port side in front of the main deck lobby, while the corridor to the separate dining room is lined with various wine cabinets and a day bath with a small porthole. Four large round windows flood the long table. Striking even from the outside, they lend the hull-wide area, which is mostly used for VIP cabins on sister ships, a great deal of radiance. It is easy to believe that, unlike on its derivatives on most yachts, all meals are actually taken here.
The design is no less eye-catching: Korean designer Wonmin Park moulded the pink, 800-kilogram table top with resin. Indirect LED lighting is reminiscent of the louvres on the windows of traditional summer houses. The 14 Élysée chairs by Pierre Paulin are originals from the seventies. The vases by Tamara Barrage from Dubai seem to grow organically out of the wall. The inviting bar on the starboard side seems predestined as a buffet and was designed by the Lebanese designer duo Sayar & Garibeh. Glasses and crockery are stored in mirrored wall cupboards.
Playful ambience with practical benefits
As unconventional and playful as many things may seem, the interior is not overloaded, but rather airy, inviting and practical. This also applies to the four guest cabins one deck below. They are named after friends of the eponymous ghost from the comic series "Casper". The "Casper 7" owner also paid attention to continuity on the lower deck. The pastel-coloured shimmering Perpero wood is complemented by travertine stone, which extends as flooring into the wall cupboards.
There are no TVs in the guest cabins or in the owner's suite, which is two decks higher and has an enormous dressing area with a 180-degree view. In keeping with the philosophy of Nisrine Karagulla and her husband, the ambience and panorama should be enjoyed, preferably in good company. The only large screen hangs in the upper deck saloon in front of a sumptuous sofa area from B&B Italia. The view can be enjoyed from the outside deck, where up to 14 chairs by Paola Lenti and outdoor furniture by Exteta are placed under the buttercup bimini around a customised dining table from the same company. The fact that the owner has no penchant for shiny or mirrored surfaces and has largely dispensed with stainless steel benefits the crew, as do the numerous stowage options, such as for cushions.
Several awards for "Kasper 7"
The consistency in design that is essential for Karagulla is continued in other open-air areas with a high-quality mix of brands, complemented by bar stools from Summit. FSC-certified teak is used diagonally on the deck and on the walls, bar and pantry modules as well as in the fitness area of the bridge deck. Karagulla has dispensed with a jacuzzi or pool, saying that the sea is there for that.
The over-complete beach club with bar, diving room, surfboards and separable massage area behind the port hatch matches this. From the sun loungers on the bathing platform, fold-down steps lead down into the refreshing water when the two jet skis or the limousine tender from Yachtwerft Meyer are not moored there. The dinghy fleet parks conventionally in the foredeck under the touch & go helipad.
Nisrine Karagulla says of the "Kasper 7" journey: "When you design something, it has to be consistent and you can't be afraid if it becomes plain." The pop-like and practical 67 metres have already earned the owner several awards.
Technical data
- Length over everything: 67,16 m
- Waterline length: 66,34 m
- Width: 11,20 m
- Depth: 3,10 m
- Gross tonnage: 1,250 Gross Tons
- Material: Steel, aluminium
- Motors: 2 x CAT 3512E
- Engine power: 2 x 1,350 kW
- Speed (max.): 16 kn
- Speed (travelling): 12 kn
- Range @ 10 kn: 5,000 sm
- Generators: 2 x 150 ekW, 1 x 86 ekW
- Fuel: 127.000 l
- Water: 24.000 l
- Guests: 10
- Crew: 19
- Construction: Benetti
- Exterior design: Cassetta Yacht Designers
- Interior design: Nisrine Karagulla
- Class: Lloyd's
- Shipyard: Benetti, 2023
