Quinta Essentia

The sea trial was pubblished on Superyacht 31 – Winter 2012

In ancient times the world was thought to be made up of four elements: fire, water, earth, and air. Aristotle introduced the fifth element, ether, to explain the existence of an immutable, transparent, ether like, and eternal celestial world. In medieval Latin terminology the term ether evolves into Quinta Essentia.

In fact this yacht is the most important the Dutch yard has ever built and it couldn’t have been named any differently. It boasts a concentration of things modern, state of the art technology, aesthetics, and design that makes it simply astonishing for its features and appeal, which is soft ,and sinuous but at the same time aggressive as if it were a wild feline creature of the sea.

This aluminium yacht is 55 metres long with a beam of 10. Frank Laupman from Omega Architects Studio is responsible for the modern, and articulate exterior design where nothing looks obvious. A sort of lateral rounded eye protrudes out of one of the sides which is nothing less than a curved terrace which looks out onto the sea view from the owner’s stateroom above of which a curved eyelid juts out from the upper deck to protect it. Just the sight of this is enough to make one imagine what the décor inside might be like.

The bulkheads are curved in glazed panelling and steel from the ceiling to the floor while the terrace “balustrade” is in dark tinted cut glass. An ultra modern style reigns throughout the interiors of this superyacht which is reminiscent of Kubrick’s “2001 Space Odyssey” for the intense shades of polished lacquered whites for bulkheads, ceilings and flooring, interrupted only by the black of the stone moulding of some of the elements making up the furniture and by leather upholstery. The apparent monotony caused by never ending white is interrupted by bright, almost boldly coloured material chosen for the sofas in one of the saloon/living rooms.

This effect promptly changes in other areas where the upholstery’s colour is of a very discreet pearl. In other words nothing on board this yacht is plain or easily foreseeable, even the interior décor forms articulate patterns which have been chosen to contrast and are intentionally so visible like the particular colour schemes, moulds, layouts, as well as the use of lighting (natural and artificial) which is deployed to highlight an infinite range of complex volumes and spaces requested by Ken Freivokh and Michele Reverberi Design Studios. Designer Sergei Dobroserdov’s colour scheme has been applied to all the exteriors as agreed with the owner ( the wine red which hallmarks some of the external sections and the tender, recalls the colour of red Merlot Montemaggio wine one of the owner’s favourite).

Project manager Nakhimov oversaw the whole construction of the yacht at the boat yard, but this yacht is not only astonishing for its design but also for some interesting novelties never seen before: the “port” term used for the tender garage albeit with a difference, on board this yacht the tender is recovered while underway through a section of one of the top sides which opens and recovers hydraulically.

The owner’s stateroom is of approximately 100 square metres, the swimming pool measures more than 4 metres by 3 with a patented system that cascades water through 3000 one millimetre holes creating a hydro-massage for up to ten people. A special tank and ballast system situated in the garage which automatically monitors the correct quantity of water according to the number of people in the pool.

There are other gems too, an “Ad Notam” entertainment system coupled to several High tech flat TV screens from Germany and a 1,400 litre Jacuzzi installed on the sun deck with water heated to 39 ° Celsius. Walking inside one cannot avoid noticing the height of the ceilings in truly spacious bright surroundings due to the quantity of natural light pouring in through ample rounded window panelling or due to lack of it by latest generation lighting systems.

The combination of all this gives the impression of being aboard of a much larger yacht even in excess of 70 metres as in fact was specifically requested by the owner, who actively took part in the creation of “his” ship. Now let’s quickly take a look at this “fifth element” starting from the lowest deck closest to the water, the night one where we find three of the guest cabins. Each one is different from the other and is situated around a winding staircase in steel and cut glass. The three cabins share the same level of luxury.

The four elements evoke the leitmotiv of the five guest cabins’ décor as well as the baby sitter’s with their purple, reds, blues and browns. The beds and furniture are placed on plinths and footstalls to portray a feeling of extreme lightness where gloss white lacquer, takes the lion’s share followed by silver grey or black with leather inlays. The bathrooms’ wood is dominated by white gloss lacquered finishes as well as by pearl grey, but with agate or white onyx inlays instead. The flooring is in black Belgian marble while decorated silver frames embellish ground mirrors.

The Crew quarters and galley are situated towards the bow beyond the centre while the colossal engine room, followed by the garage hosting the tenders set across and the hangar for jet skis and other toys are situated aft towards the stern. The cockpit on the main deck boasts the pool with cascading waters and corner lounge with a bar cabinet. The shape of the ensuing saloon area is in part rounded in part square and houses low tables around which there are sofas and comfortable armchairs all tailor made for the premises.

The bright drawing room sports more than ample window panels and at centre a purposely designed black cut glass receptacle conceals an AD Notam flat TV set. Amidships a winding cut glass and steel stair-well hosts in its middle a surprising and completely transparent lift which links one deck to the other. The staircase’s and stair-well walls’ in ground cut glass carry Bernard Pictet’s engraved artistic patterns while the flooring is in parts transparent and where not is in black Belgian marble.

The fourth guest cabin is situated forwards towards the bow area on one side with the nanny’s cabin and bathroom opposite before arriving to the owner’s princely stateroom which is set full beam in conjunction with the curved eye looking terrace.

Pearl grey interiors in a variety of shades dominate while the bed in itself is enviable for the view it offers of the sea from its location which is next to amply curved glass panelling. A large AD Notam Black Glass TV set is situated opposite the bed along a macassar wood bulkhead and desk in the same material. The owners’ bathroom is in line with the styling of the yacht’s interiors but instead of a shower stall there’s a large rounded tub in black stone.

The next deck’s layout has been designed to host a large convivial area aft in the stern area, furnished with sofas and corner bar. The two circular saloons next to this area boast a dining room in the first one which is equipped with a large round table seating 12 ( made in grey briar wood and cut glass). Large tinted circular glass panelling with dark curtains protect the area from the exterior for enhanced privacy.

The second saloon which is perhaps the most classic on Quinta Essentia, shows off several pearl grey sofas and armchairs that blend well with a low wooden table with black stone embellishments while a baby grand piano stands next to the large curved glass panelling opposite. The large bulkhead facing the sofas sports one of the Ad Notam Black Glass mega cinema screens.

Moving on beyond the stairway there’s a convenient day head before accessing the captain’s office and then the bridge with its command /controls station which looks almost futuristic at first glance. Window panelling abounds, a diamond shaped dashboard at centre houses latest generation gauges and display screens, to monitor the installed plants as well as navigation aids, communication and security control gear. Aft of this a curved sofa copies the shape of a table it surrounds. Two armchairs are situated on both sides of the bridge but the officer on duty has a separate structure to stand on as he views the dials and displays when underway. Access to the captain’s cabin and bathroom en suite is via the bridge alone.

On deck and forward beyond the bridge there’s a lounge with a curved divan and a semi-circled table while the remaining surface area of the deck hosts a number of chaises longue. We continue to go up the steps leading from the captain’s office to the fly bridge which is radically very different to what we’ve become accustomed to see. The ‘fly’ is not made up of just one area but is separated in accordance with the different purpose it has to serve.

For example aft towards the stern an “al fresco” dining area fills that space with a bar cabinet while inside a glass panelling structure there’s a fully equipped gym followed by a sauna, a white stone and synthetic green stone Turkish bath, a bathroom with shower stall and a wellness room with pads for massage and more wellness treatments.

Towards the bow again situated in an unusual place there’s another lounge but facing forward which is protected by a circular shaped panelling which opens and closes at the push of a button. In the lounge there’s a TV set at centre in the only “opaque” area of the lounge with green algae and acrylic transparent material lining the bulkheads. Out on deck we come across a large sun deck offering both privacy and a circular Jacuzzi pool.

Last but certainly not in order of importance, the jet ski and other toys garage which is accessed from the stern transom and the special garage for the “limousine” sized tender which was tailor made for Quinta Essentia. This garage’s main feature lies in the fact that the tender can be recovered while underway for the guests’ added comfort in all safety.

For furter information: Hessen-Yachts

Text by Martino Motti – Photos by T. Corallo e C. Borlenghi

The sea trial was pubblished on Superyacht 31 – Winter 2012