NAVIS Oct/Nov'20

A Celebration of Everlasting Class

Long and taut like a supermodel, LANA is a pure example of how Benetti is forever able to make big look beautiful. This is a yacht of epic proportions, stretching out at an eye-watering 107 meters with ample room for 12 guests to socially distance in opulent style. It certainly takes an Italian craft master to make a Giga yacht look this sleek, but LANA, with her strong bow and sweeping decks, is just the right balance of business and play. The coming together of Benetti and Imperial was always going to deliver something of memorable proportions, and true to form, Lana did not disappoint.

SuperYacht design has long been at the forefront of innovation, with each new yacht launched outdoing previous versions that just a few months earlier had seemed to break all boundaries. The design changes were often in the realm of rig configuration, interior design, or a myriad of other creative ideas. Now along comes Canova, a new sloop from Baltic Yachts. Canova is a stunning yacht by all measures but what sets her apart is the addition of a DSS system. Let me explain. DSS, or Dynamic Stability System, is the brainchild of British naval architects Hugh Welbourn and Gordon Kay of Infiniti Yachts. It’s a system that has been around for more than a decade and has been added to smaller boats with great success. It’s essentially a board that extenders laterally out the side of the boat. The board, being a foil, provides lift when it’s in the water. The lift reduces displacement. It also reduces heeling. This makes for a much more comfortable ride. “I am very pleased to see that heel angle has already been reduced by 8 degrees in trials, and there is plenty more fine-tuning to come when we understand more about how to trim the yacht in conjunction with the foil,” said Canova’s owner. “The reduction in pitching motion is amazing. Expected performance increases in terms of speed will be a bonus,” he added.

With a profile that is characteristic of upscale Italian design and defined by a sleek architecture, Rossinavi 50m Superyacht LEL emphasizes the combined use of open-air, space, and water, which was the owner’s original specification, and features oversized gathering areas and salons. With interior and an exterior design by Luca Dini, M/Y LEL has been constructed as a vessel for all seasons. This is the first collaboration between Rossinavi and Luca Dini. Superyacht LEL took two years in design and construction before being delivered to the new owner.

Since 1993, the Suffolk-based Spirit Yachts has embarked on a journey of custom crafting exquisite wood yachts, both sail and power. “Modern Classic” is the brand’s tagline, and this seeming dichotomy is so often overused in so many industries today, it seems clichéd. The original inspiration behind Spirit’s founding was custom-crafted but sustainable alternatives to fiberglass production vessels. Perhaps nowhere but here does “modern classic” ring truer, with their latest delivery: the 33-meter S/Y Spirit 111. The superyacht was ordered by a young European who christened her Geist.

There are luxury cars, and there are impressive cars, but the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar takes the world of prestigious motoring to new heights.

The Mulliner Bacalar underlines the carmaker’s name as being synonymous with quality and luxury and now also rarity.

With just 12 models being produced, and with an extensive list of options to personalize this superb offering to the owner’s needs, means Bentley has had to craft and design an impressive car to the high standards.

The word perfection is often used to describe rare and luxurious automobiles, but here it is well-deserved praised. The car is a masterclass in luxury motoring.

Not many car racing drivers have competed against a train and won. However, that is exactly what Woolf Barnato accomplished in 1930, pitting his Bentley Limousine against a high-speed train traveling from Cannes to Calais.

Famous throughout the 20s and 30s as one of the ‘Bentley Boys’, Woolf’s achievement became known as the ‘Blue Train Race’. The 90th anniversary of this spectacular event inspired the design of the exclusive Limited Edition Barnato Fountain Pen from Graf von Faber-Castell in partnership with Bentley Motors.

The Bvlgari Resort Dubai, sheltered on its own private island, refreshes like a cooling breeze in the heated, bustling climate of this urban financial and leisure capital. Its low-profile beckons, an oasis of restrained elegance and sophistication, in the face of the home of superlatives that is Dubai, land of architectural triumphs like the world’s tallest building, largest shopping mall, and fastest (Lamborghini-equipped) police force. Dubai can be equally alluring and off-putting. Most of its population are expats, and both visitors and residents are subject to a never-ending melding of languages, cultures, cuisine, arts, and religions that almost daily welcome a different holiday, celebration, or trend.