It happens to every sailing yachtsman at some time in their boating career and now the highly experienced yachtsman Neville Crichton has moved further towards to the dark side with the launch of his 46.22-metre semi-displacement motoryacht Como.
Having previously built a large number of competitive sailing yachts in his native New Zealand and more recently owned a motoryacht from a leading New Zealand yard, Mr Crichton decided the time had come to commission an entirely custom superyacht from Feadship.
Hugely influenced by his ideas regarding design aesthetics and the lavish use of glass, Como has won the approval of her new owner.
“Having built many yachts in New Zealand, my choice of Feadship came after a careful and extensive examination of its expertise and facilities,” comments Neville Crichton, who was made Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for his services to yachting and business. “Once the decision to work with Feadship for the first time was made, I followed the construction process closely at all stages. I am pleased to be able to report that Feadship has exceeded my expectations (in particular the quality and finish of their workmanship) in all areas and working with them both professionally and personally has been an enjoyable experience, with a remarkable and unique superyacht as the end result.”
Featuring a modern bow and whaleback sheer, Como’sexterior design by Dubois Naval Architects reflects the owner’s very specific ideas. The yacht has unprecedentedly large windows in the hull and there is a great deal of glass in the superstructure: the latter is placed on top of the metal rather than being set into it, creating a continuous glass surface. These glazed side panels give spectacular uninterrupted views from the owner’s stateroom.
Being a car importer and racing car driver, Mr Crichton’s love of sporty designs manifests itself in features such as the tumblehome in the superstructure and the angle in the wall of the superstructure, generating a streamlined cockpit look reminiscent of a racing car.
Como comprises two and a half decks – an exception for Feadship in recent times when most projects have had four or five. The wheelhouse is slightly recessed into the main deck structure, re-emphasising the streamline of the design while creating a gigantic outside deck. This is a wonderful party area is also completely covered and surrounded by glass, which can be lowered to facilitate a nice breeze or raised to create a giant terrace protected from the elements.
Meanwhile, the back end of the wheelhouse slopes down from the front into a control station for outdoor helming. And the interior design from the boards of Redman Whiteley Dixon is finished to an exceptionally high level with lots of dark timbers and a wide range of fascinating fine details.
“We are delighted to make our mark once again in this size range,” commented Feadship director Henk de Vries at the launch of Como. “Feadship is not only about very large superyachts: we also pride ourselves on creating exceptionally well-honed objects on a more human scale. And, like all our yachts, everything has been totally customised to the client’s individual requirements. We have used the very latest technologies and developments to push the window – and the windows – on what is surely the most sophisticated forty-six metre superyacht in the world today.”
Specifications
Length overall: 46.22m 151’6”
Beam overall: 9.00m 29’6
Draught (loaded): 2.20m 17’3”
Fuel capacity: 51,000 litres 13,473 US Gallons
Fresh water capacity: 16,000 litres 4,227 US Gallons
Naval Architect: Dubois Naval Architects
Exterior styling: Dubois Naval Architects
Interior design: Redman Whiteley Dixon
Main engines: 2x Caterpillar C32 / 1417 kW @ 2300 rpm
Generators: 2x Caterpillar 6.6 – 2x 90.125 kW – 1500 rpm
Stabilizers: Quantum zero-speed stabilizers
Accommodation 8 Guests
Crew: 8