Designer insight: Tommaso Spadolini on the refit of the 37.6m sport yacht A2
by Alice Paniccia 23 Oct 2019 16:34 AEDT
With a top speed of over 30 knots, A2 (ex-Madhuri) is a sleek, 37.6m open-style sports boat built in aluminium by Eurocraft Cantieri Navali in 2008. Ten years after her launch, in 2018 A2 underwent a major refit headed up by Tommaso Spadolini, who introduced significant changes to the exterior and interior layout. He also worked closely with the New York-based designer Peter Marino to update the décor.
The completely renovated luxury yacht is the result of a synergetic collaboration between the owner, the designers and the shipyard - all within a time frame of just six months.
"I want a lot of light, big windows, three comfortable bedrooms and one big open space on the main deck," was the owner's brief that centred on light and space.
"When the owner was still considering buying the boat, we discussed a prospective refit to free up its massive potential," recalls Spadolini. "The owner went ahead and bought her in early 2018 and work started immediately. It was a challenging project as he wanted to make significant changes and gave the refit team just half a year to complete the job, which required a high level of cooperation and synergy between the owner, the designers and the C.A.R.M. shipyard in Lavagna."
But the original boat had no hull windows and was built on a very traditional layout. Taking care to retain the yacht's original personality, portlights were opened up in the hull, requiring new certification, and the general arrangement was completely revised. A full-width entrance leads into a bright, welcoming main deck salon furnished with large sofas, a bar and wide-screen TV. The wheelhouse is located forward on the same level.
On the lower deck, the old twin cabins were replaced with two new ensuite cabins: the owner's suite, which has four hull windows for extra light, a separate dressing room and marble-lined bathroom, and a double cabin for his daughter with two new windows.
"One of the most challenging parts of the project are the large windows and portholes that had to be cut into the hull, requiring Class to survey the yacht again," says the shipyard. "We also had to install two Seakeeper gyro stabilisers, one of which is under the owner's suite, which meant careful monitoring of the sound levels."
A very comfortable and bright VIP cabin with ensuite bathroom is located on the lower deck forward and has its own dedicated staircase.
A modern galley was fitted with an external gull-wing door so the crew has access to the side decks, and a new dayhead has replaced the old fireplace area.
The galley, captain's cabin, crew mess and laundry are served by a dedicated service staircase. The two crew cabins aft with two bathrooms have direct access to the engine room.
For the interior design and decor, Spadolini worked closely with Peter Marino Architects (PDA), "Peter had designed homes for the owner in the past," says Spadolini. "PDA selected all the colour palettes, textiles, marbles, fixtures and fittings, but we made sure his proposals could be integrated into the interior design."
After taking delivery, the owner and his family were able to spend their August vacation on board cruising the waters of Corsica and Sardinia.
"They said it was the best family holiday they had ever had," says Spadolini. "Which is music to a designer's ears!"