Here’s an awesome vessel for you this week – the super sailing yacht Vertigo, which has left the Alloy workshop during 2011 and has been sailing ever since. In fact, the developing process and manufacture of Vertigo had started back in 2004, while during 2007 and 2008 it had hit a crisis in financial terms. Nevertheless, what came out is a magnificently beautiful cruiser, with a gorgeous rig design and sleek hull, at the same time being able to provide huge levels of comfort.
The exterior of the Vertigo is not as elegant as it is sporty, thanks to the acclaimed French designer Philippe Briand. The bloke is particularly experienced in terms of racing yachts and designing extremely fast cruising hulls, but the vessel wasn’t actually conceived as a high performance cruiser.
In fact, much more attention and care were given to the comfort and spaces inside. The aft sports two lavish sunbeds and curved L-shaped seating areas on both sides. In addition, in order to protect those onboard from rough weather and wind, a glass windshield rises from the seating area to provide some much wanted protection. The glass is further accompanied by a large dodger erectable over the helm stations alongside fold-away biminis.
Leading down, towards the cockpit, is an elegant staircase found between the pair of sunbeds. The cockpit itself is quite chic, best for dinners and intimate gatherings. It boasts two informal dining lounges, starboard and port side, while the table has been placed aft of the mast. Moving towards the bow, the yacht can be admired with some curved side windows designed by Mr. Briand himself. The largest of the Tilse-manufactured German windows measures 3.6 meters and 14 mm in thickness.
Serving as beach club and gym are two hull openings located at the middle of the Vertigo. This principle, known as “miderette” by the specialists at Alloy, is in fact a premier for Philippe Briand. In addition, the port side hosts an entire array of watersports machinery within custom storage compartments. Onboard the Vertigo there’s also an 8-meter long Lloyd Stevenson limousine tender, found near the two staircases that make up a link between the swim platform and the aft deck, while under the extensive foredeck we also come across two RIBs measuring 6 meters each.
The accommodation venues, however, are found below decks and boast with modern minimalistic designs, white lacquered surfaces and elegant dark woods. The interior designs were penned down by the design team of Christian Liaigre, who were bestowed with completely free allowance to mess with the job.
Well, they were told to consider two aspects: the interiors need to be comfortable and spacious, as well as suitable for children. The notes written by Andrew Senn himself, the owner, sound like this: “It needs to be a place where you can put your feet up and feel comfortable in a T-shirt and shorts, where you can fall asleep on a sofa. You certainly don’t want to feel intimidated, or that you can’t touch anything. If it felt like a museum, that would be horrible.”
The main living area measures 30 meters in length, stretching all the way from the wheelhouse to the cockpit entrance, and was separated in sections according to the intended use. The open-plan saloon further welcomes guests, boasting with matte surfaces, practicality and above-decent coziness. The dining area can accommodate up to 12 members and was placed adjacently to the open day galley – here we can find a TV room, starboard, nicely set for the offspring.
There are also five cabins aft and lavish crew’s quarters fore, the arrangement being separated by the engine room and miderette. The guest area is further comprised of three double cabins, a twin and the full beam master suite. To say the least, Portuguese Valverde marble makes the guest bathroom look absolutely perfect, alongside fittings crafted from stainless steel.
As for some technological detailing, the Vertigo encompasses AMX controllers within each cabin, providing facile access to a custom navigation interface. One is able to check on the location of the Vertigo on Google Earth via GPS feeds from the bridge.
In the end, this magnificently superb super sailing yacht is a true marvel above water, having been presented with the 2012 Sailing Yacht of the Year Award.
[Photos: Brendon O’Hagan via SuperYachtTimes]
