Feadship Letani, One Custom Concept For Asia

The first four, Avatar, Moon Sand Too, Kamino and Letani represent the custom-created 34-35m smaller superyachts. Then the 73m Hasna was handed over to an eminent Australian businessman, followed late last year by the 69m Samaya for a client of Lee Marine in Phuket.

Letani made her debut during the 2017 Med summer season. She differed somewhat from the others in that their interiors were styled by Bannenberg and Rowell, whereas Letani’s owners and rep James Hutchinson opted for interior design by Sinot and Liaigre, and chose signature Liaigre furniture.

Hutchinson is a former Princess and Sunseeker project manager who formed Hutchinson Yacht Consulting (HYC) five years ago, and worked with Feadship on the earlier 44m superyacht Moon Sand.

The latter was cruising India’s West Coast when this was written in February, Kamino and Letani were both in the Med, and Moon Sand Too and Avatar were in Hong Kong, underscoring the well-known China Coast origins of this group of owners, and equally their strategy in achieving Feadship quality in vessels able to access shallower waters and smaller marinas.

When Letani was launched “for a client primarily resident in Asia”, the yard said that the vessel, built in a record two years, was meant to ply the waters of Europe, Scandinavia, the Indian Ocean and Asia, with the ability to visit many places where larger superyachts could not go.

The launch itself was a truly family affair as one of the youngest Feadship owners to date celebrated the culmination of a long-held ambition.

“I’ve been privileged to be on various different superyachts over the last ten years”, he told the assembled workforce at Feadship’s Aalsmeer yard during the christening ceremony.

“Every time I saw a Feadship come by I had two feelings: one, ‘that’s a very special yacht’ and two, ‘I want to get off my boat and step on the Feadship’. It is very exciting that I now get to board my very own Feadship for the first time.

“The only bad news about this launch is that we’ll miss our visits to the shipyard… we’ve felt part of the family from the keel laying ceremony onwards, and building a Feadship has been a wonderful experience.”

Feadship director Bas Nederpelt thanked the owners for their contribution to the record-breaking achievement of completing a Feadship in just a couple of days over two years.

“Your guidance and input has played a large part in this, along with the many creative minds involved and the excellent overall management by Pieter de Vries from the yard and owner’s representative James Hutchinson.

Upper aft deck offers a more al fresco approach and below, the bridge with guest seating

“Everyone at Feadship has thoroughly enjoyed having such an open relationship with the clients, and the result is a masterpiece of design and construction which offers an unrivalled degree of sophistication for a 35m superyacht.”

At this point the champagne bottle was broken on Letani’s straight bow, one of the features which give this Feadship an impressive top speed of over 20 knots. Her performance is further facilitated by an aluminium hull, while the cutting-edge shape of the bow also provides an additional degree of comfort, as does the installation of zero speed stabilisers.

Letani has a contemporary exterior profile with elegant lines and large – often full-length – windows which ensure that the vistas of the outdoor world will be tremendous wherever she may travel.

The length and shallow draught of the vessel are very much linked to the intended use of exploring various parts of the world that are often out of reach to larger superyachts while retaining Feadship standards of quality.

Letani’s open decks provide maximum entertainment and flexibility for the family and their guests. Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design and Studio Liaigre worked in close collaboration to create a warm, comfortable and liveable apartment-like interior with clean and minimal detailing.

A calm atmosphere prevails with smoked eucalyptus combining very well with deeply smoked and washed oak flooring and randomly veneered wall panels. Letani’s layout is also designed around the owners and their family.

A fine example is the special TV nook which divides the lounge and dining room. As the television is on a swivelling bracket it can also be viewed from a salon area geared to gathering people together in a restful manner. The dining area has an informal French bistro ambience, with a tapered table and long banquette.

Elsewhere, the various accommodations for eight in the owner’s stateroom, full-beam VIP and two convertible guest suites exude relaxation on a Feadship with a unique style all of her own.

Open decks provide maximum entertainment and flexibility for all who step on board. The sundeck fly bridge is especially spacious, spanning almost the complete length of the yacht. It is divided into different areas for a variety of uses and times, while always making it easy for people to find shade.

The foredeck and bridge are popular places to oversee Letani’s progress while cruising or chatting to the captain at the helm. An S-shaped banquette offers various alternatives during the day, including a drinks area with a round table which looks like a bistro terrace, and a small rectangular table where a group of four people can enjoy breakfast.

A central dining table is a good spot for an outdoor family breakfast, lunch or dinner. Two large sofas aft provide a comfortable lounging and sunbathing haunt with great views of the sea. Letani’s swimming platform is the ideal base for watersports and a great place to sit and watch those who are at play. The yacht carries a 6.2m tender.

Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design and Studio Liaigre have created a warm and comfortable apartment-like interior featuring clean and minimal detailing. Making the most of the high ceilings – which are some 2.45m in the main lounge area – the interior is luxurious without ever becoming pretentious, allowing people to appreciate the views through the giant windows and stay connected to the sea and its surroundings.

On the principal deck, the key factor for the owners was to optimise the usability of the space. The saloon is therefore divided into distinctive zones, including an informal bistro-style dining room with a tapered table and long banquette to facilitate circulation. This serves as more than just a place to eat. It is a very welcoming place where people enjoy hanging out and playing games.

A central ‘nook’ containing a TV and a library was the next idea. This room can be closed with two large sliding doors to make a space for the kids during the day to watch a movie, and has also proven popular among adult guests in the evenings. The finishes are darker here to provide contrast and a stronger identity.

The TV in the nook, as mentioned, is on a swivelling bracket so it can also be viewed from the saloon area when the doors are open. This lounge section is set up to enable people to relax.

The owner’s stateroom is furthest forward on the principal deck, with a bathroom that includes double vanities and showers. On the lower deck, an L-shaped bed layout in the aft guest suites frees up the central part of the room, making them more like children’s lounges with coffee tables rather than kid’s rooms.

Maximum flexibility is assured as the suites can be configured with twin beds side-by-side while a central sliding door creates a full-beam stateroom with sleeping area, lounge and two bathrooms. When the children are not on board Letani comfortably carries three couples in addition to the owners.

The forepeak accommodates six crew members in three cabins with bathrooms. The crew mess is next to the galley on the main deck.

Words by Ross Wolfe | Images courtesy of Feadship

***This article is republished from Issue 42 of Yacht Style.