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words: Roger Lean-Vercoephotography: Marchant & Gonta, Richard Seaton, Marc Paris, Leonardo Andreoni

WHEN THE OWNERS OF A 50 METRE AMELS DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO UPGRADE, IT SEEMED AN OBVIOUS CHOICE TO USE THE SAME TEAM – RIGHT DOWN TO THE INTERIOR DESIGNERS. THE RESULT IS NOT JUST A SUCCESS, BUT A RESOUNDING TRIUMPH

MY SHANTI

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Building a custom superyacht is perhaps the most complex and challenging task for a shipbuilder, with a difficulty rating exceeding that of just about any other earthbound structure. The team requires an abundance of

knowledge, skills and design disciplines, while the final and perhaps most important

input comes from the client, without whose contribution the vessel is not a ‘customised’

yacht but merely the designer’s idea of what a superyacht should represent. The

success of a yacht can be judged by its functionality, practicality and quality of

construction, but perhaps the ultimate judgement comes from the client, as the yacht

must blend to an owner’s lifestyle and fulfil all their wishes. By all of these standards,

the 64.5 metre Amels-built My Shanti is not just a success, but a resounding triumph.

The path to this success started in 1997 with the launch of the 49.9 metre Tigre d’Or.

Built by Amels for a discerning yachtsman, she featured both exquisite construction

and fashionable exterior and interior design from the studio of Terence Disdale

Design. Indeed, so successful was the project that it evolved into a semi-production

series. Tigre d’Or was eventually purchased by the future owners of My Shanti and

the yacht was an immediate success, used extensively by her new owners. But latterly

they felt the need for more space for their family together with a larger, more

comprehensive sun deck with all-encompassing features. However, their attachment

to the yacht’s style, performance and guest areas led them back to her original builders

and designer, and this same team conceived a yacht that affords much the same style,

facilities and appearance but which offers an amazing 55 per cent more volume

thanks to her extra 14.5 metres of length.

Much of this additional volume has been invested in guest cabins. In addition to

the master suite, positioned conventionally at the forward end of the main deck and

incorporating a twin cabin with two additional Pullman berths, there are six further

spacious double- and twin-bedded guest cabins on the lower deck that, between

them, carry a further 10 Pullman berths. This means the yacht can sleep a total of 29

guests and carry 34 guests at sea, a fact that does not compute with the combination

of her private yacht status and MCA compliance. This point was, however, resolved

with the Cayman Island Flag Authority which will issue a dispensation to award the

yacht an MCA status on the strict understanding that sufficient life saving gear is

carried on board for these guest numbers at all times.

Naturally, the owners’ wish for additional accommodation has impacted on the

options for the layout of the lower deck but they were as clear in their determination

The vast, 27.5-metre sun deck has a dual function, offering not only superb relaxation spaces with a bar, spa pool

and a plunge pool with counter current, but also a guest arrival point – the aft

part doubles as a touch-and-go helipad

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to provide well-proportioned crew quarters as they were in the decision not to

incorporate a garage for the tenders or a beach club in the yacht’s stern – current

fashions which did not suit the way they would use the yacht. As a result, the sizeable

tenders – both measuring 8.2 metres – are stored on the foredeck and launched with

a substantial 3.2 tonne centrally mounted crane. Naturally, such stowage is not ideal

for passages in rough weather, so on those occasions they join the IMO rescue tender

on the aft portion of the sun deck, which also doubles as a touch-and-go helipad. The

yacht’s personal watercraft, however, are stored in the lazarette which also houses the

fishing and scuba gear, lifejackets and sundry water toys, and which is transformed

into a water sports centre when the PWCs are launched. Unusually, it also stores a

game-fishing fighting chair that can either be mounted on the adjacent bathing

platform or on the bridge deck aft.

Whatever one’s viewpoint, My Shanti is an enviably handsome yacht – well

proportioned, with a sleek profile, a high bow rising to bridge deck level and a

superstructure that is neither too burdensome nor too slight that is set well aft, and

ringed by side decks at both levels. But the plaudits for this yacht run deeper than her

good looks. Custom designed by the in-house naval architects of the Damen Shipyards

Group (the shipbuilder that owns Amels) this is a true ‘little ship’ whose ocean-going

hull was not conceived simply to accommodate the highest possible interior volume,

but which was designed to be eminently seaworthy and fuel efficient.

Since her launch two years ago, My Shanti has voyaged some 36,000 nautical miles

in all weathers, and her captain, Kenan Seginer, is unstinting in his praise. ‘I’ve been

on a number of yachts in my career,’ he says, ‘and this is the one I would choose to

be on in bad weather – she’s seriously comfortable in a gale, takes little water over

the bows even in Force 12, and has no trouble in keeping up her 14 knot cruising

speed.’ Tank-tested at MARIN in The Netherlands, it was found that the hull had such

design stability that only one pair of stabilisers were required, and the Quantum units

that were installed have proved extremely effective both at sea and at anchor. Another

excellent feature is her independently controllable articulating rudders that can direct

the thrust of her inward-turning propellers 90 degrees to either side, making a stern

thruster unnecessary. Such manoeuvrability pleases the captain, who delights in

satisfying the owners’ love of anchoring in small secluded coves, occasions when the

yacht’s stern anchor also comes in handy.

Such excellence in concept and design extends to her deck spaces that, like her

exterior styling, were designed by Terence Disdale to bear a strong family resemblance

with those of the original yacht. Relaxation, entertaining, outdoor living and water

sports are the raisons d’être of this yacht and these are brilliantly reflected in the three

deck areas reserved for the owners and their guests. Uppermost, bridged by its arch

mast, the vast sun deck – 27.5 metres in length with an average width of more than six

metres – contains everything required for a day in the sun. Forward is a raised spa

pool that is joined by a bridge to a larger four metre long swimming pool fitted with a

counter current. A full-service bar sits beneath the shade of the mast whose underside

conceals a large, fold-down television, while casual dining or games tables, sofas and

chaises longues nestle aft. Admittedly, the crane that lifts the tenders into their heavy-

weather stowage positions on this deck does impact on the ambience of the area, but

its low profile and clean, attractive design serve to minimise such intrusion.

The spacious upper saloon offers plenty of informal seating, while an 18-seater dining table on the upper aft deck can be combined with other exterior tables and the interior 10-seater table to create a truly prodigious formal dining area

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One of the pillars of the Disdale Design team’s reputation is that they understand

the way owners use their yachts and because of this they are able to ensure that all

the guest areas can be efficiently serviced by the crew. My Shanti is no exception to

this. A stairwell dedicated to the use of staff descends from the sun deck, passing

through large, well-equipped service pantries and the main deck crew entrance

lobby, on its way down to the galley and crew area on the lower deck – a route

paralleled by the shaft for a huge, 250kg capacity dumb waiter.

If the sun deck is the yacht’s casual daytime living area, the bridge deck aft takes

over for large-scale entertaining, particularly in the evenings when a barbecue makes

a popular feast. This area, which can be sheltered from the wind by extending glass

sides, is dominated by a vast Corian-topped dining table that can seat up to 18 in

comfort, with the option to increase this number by making use of the two semi-

circular alcove tables and the pair of tables fronting the corner seats. In fact, the

number of diners once reached a massive 52 by extending into the adjacent bridge

deck saloon where a 10-seater table sits at the centre of a semicircle of floor-to-

deckhead windows. Impressive that may be, but ask one of the children what they

feel is the best thing about this deck and they will unhesitatingly tell you that it is the

waterslide – a vast inflatable structure fixed to a ‘pirate’s plank’ that extends

athwartships, lubricated by a constant flow of water.

A further dining area is found one deck below on the aft portion of the main deck,

but this area is more commonly used as a place to receive guests before guiding them

forward into a small lobby that gives entrance to the yacht’s interior.

It is a tribute to Disdale’s original interior design for Tigre d’Or that the owners of

My Shanti requested a repeat of the same calm, cool and understated comfort. The

only change is the scale – with the new yacht’s saloon stretching forward through a

seating and dining area for a full 13 metres; four metres more than on the original

yacht. The interior woodwork, constructed by specialist yacht furniture makers

Metrica, is very similar in style to the earlier yacht – the walls are clad in the

recognisably Disdale themes of gently scalloped staves of honeyed oak, interspersed

with more intricate areas of delicate vertical reeding. Raised deckhead panels make

use of the same warm material, this time crisscrossed with banding and their edges,

which also serve as high surface area (and hence, quiet) exit ports for the ducted air

Delicate vertical reeding lining the main staircase offers a subtle contrast to the scalloped honey-coloured oak prevalent throughout the interior, while the bridge itself continues the warm, minimalist feel making for a clean and functional space

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MY SHANTI

ENGINES2x CAT 3516B DITA SCAS

SPEED (MAX/CRUISE) 16.6/14.8knots

RANGE AT 14.8 KNOTS 5,250nm

FUEL CAPACITY 161,300 litres

THRUSTERS HRP

STABILISERS Quantum Marine

GENERATORS3 x MAN, 244 kW, 1 x Cummins 95kW

FRESHWATER CAPACITY 50,700 litres

GREY/BLACK WATER CAPACITY33,500 litres

OWNER AND GUESTS29

CREW 17

TENDERS 8.2m Aquamajestic 27, 8.2m Novurania

CONSTRUCTION Steel hull, aluminium superstructure

CLASSIFICATION Lloyd’s +100A1 SSC Yacht(P) Mono G6

+LMC, UMS, SC

NAVAL ARCHITECT Amels BV

EXTERIOR STYLING/ INTERIOR DESIGN

Terence Disdale Design

SALES BROKER Merle Wood & Associates

Merle A. Wood III and Peter Croke Tel: +954 525 5111

Email: mail@merlewood.com Web: www.merlewood.com

BUILDER/YEAR Amels BV / 2007

Koningsweg 2, 4381 NA Vlissingen, P.O. Box 84, 4380 AB Vlissingen,

The Netherlands Tel.: +31 (0)118 48 50 02

Web: www.amels-holland.co

LOA 64.5m

LWL 58m

BEAM 11.39m

DRAUGHT 3.75m

DISPLACEMENT 1,260 tonnes

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conditioning, lit with the suffused glow of rope lights. The instant impression of the

room blends this warm background with the bright but gentle light diffusing through

the oak-slatted venetian blinds that shade the abundance of windows. It is the softness

and evenness of this light and the off-white finish to just about every other element

of the room, from carpets to the deckhead and the upholstery fabrics, that imparts an

overwhelming sense of calm. Indeed, this warm tone extends throughout the yacht

to create a supreme sense of relaxation – thus fulfilling another of the owners’ aims.

The forward part of the saloon contains an interesting dining table, its scalloped

form overlaid with squares of silver-leaf and its centre conveniently filled with a

rotating lazy-susan. If the occasion demands, its 12 seats can be expanded to 20 by

attaching extensions at either end. The aft portion of the room, furnished with

delicately curved, deep-seated sofas and chaise longues, is a thoroughly relaxed

conversation area that can equally be focused on the huge 62-inch flatscreen television

that rises to fill the divide between saloon and aft entrance lobby. This is one of many

screens aboard the yacht which, combined with extensive surround systems, offers

comprehensive entertainment options for the guests. Perhaps most importantly, the

central operating system is easy to understand. The ‘kiss’ principle – ‘keep it simple’

– was applied here by the system’s installers, Intelect, as it was equally applied by

Amels to more complex issues in the engine room. Music is stored on a hard-drive-

based Kaleidescape system, but the yacht’s collection of some 3,000 films are on

DVDs stored in custom racks in the upper lobby – a simpler option, as inserting a disk

into a DVD player and pressing ‘play’ is more readily understood by everyone.

The upper saloon is another wonderful space, similar to that on the main deck but

with the relative size of its sitting and dining areas reversed. Lowering a shoji screen

set in the forward bulkhead unites the saloon with the adjacent gymnasium, so fitness

enthusiasts can communicate easily with guests in the saloon.

The same oak-based decorative scheme continues forward from the main deck

saloon through the entrance lobby, where doors connect to the side deck and the side

boarding ladder, and onwards in the winding passageway leading to the master suite.

Past a sliding door that gives access to a private hallway is a twin bed cabin which,

with a second door further along the passage, can either be part of the master suite

or separated from it. The second door brings one to a smaller lobby, from which a

massage room opens, before a third set of doors open to the inner sanctum. Even

then one’s entry is discreet, with an art-topped cabinet and screen wall offering a

The dining table, at the forward end of the open plan main saloon, is overlaid with squares of silver leaf. At the aft end of the saloon, a 62-inch flatscreen television rises to fill the divide between the saloon and the aft entrance lobby

The aft portion of the room, furnished with delicately curved, deep-seated

sofas and chaises longues, is a thoroughly relaxed conversation area

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choice of turning right past the owners’ study or left past the suite’s second bathroom,

before entering the bedroom itself. This is an impressive room, not in a sense of

splendour or richness of decoration but in its magnificent size that fills the yacht’s 11

metre beam and stretches a full five metres fore and aft, and also in its elegant, pale

furnishings that are brought to life by the light and views that flood in through the six

barrel-shaped windows. Beside the massive bed, a door opens forward to a wardrobe-

fitted dressing room that adjoins the main bathroom where the simple, understated

elegance of fossil-rich, beige marble wraps the room in warm-toned luxury.

The yacht’s remaining six guest cabins – four with double beds and two with twin

beds – are entered from a lower deck lobby found at the foot of the stairway that

descends from the main saloon’s aft entrance lobby. All well sized and brightly lit

through large ports, they follow the familiar decorative theme found throughout the

yacht, with the only individual touches being the differing colour of the bedspreads.

The four double cabins are of equal size and adjoined by a bathroom entered through

My Shanti’s interior styling draws close parallels to the owners’ previous yacht, also a Disdale design. The main bedroom in the owner’s suite spans the whole 11 metres of the hull, while running five metres fore and aft

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This is an impressive room, not in a sense of splendour or richness of decoration, but in its magnificent size and also in its elegant, pale furnishings that are brought to life by the light that floods in through the six windows

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a dressing room, while the two slightly smaller twin cabins are provided with a

shower room and a wardrobe. Very practically, there is a refrigerator in the lobby

where guests are able to find a store of drinks and nibbles should they need them.

Of course, no yacht will function smoothly without machinery spaces that are

properly equipped and well laid out, nor without well-conceived crew quarters and

service areas. The crew mess can seat all 17 crew at meal times; their cabins are

spacious, and working areas such as the laundry are also properly sized and equipped.

It is in these areas, as in the yacht’s more technical areas, that the expertise and

quality workmanship of the Amels workforce shines through. Notably, there is no

experimental element – every piece of equipment offers solidly reliable, proven

technology, immaculately laid out to provide accessibility and ease of maintenance.

While this is certainly seen in the equipment and professional layout of the bridge,

it is in the complexity of the engine room where the builder’s ability is beyond doubt.

Entered from the crew mess through a control room so well organised that its function

appears deceptively simple, the engine room is perfection in its layout. A circular

walkway around the room’s periphery creates an upper floor that skirts various neatly

installed ancillary systems, a compact workshop and the three 244kW generators.

Their output was selected so that just one unit is required to run the yacht without

guests aboard, while with guests embarked two will run every function including the

bow thruster. The lower area carries a pair of 2,200hp air-start Caterpillar diesels that,

coupled to conventional shafts and fixed pitch propellers, give the yacht her 17-knot

top speed and 14.8 knot continuous cruising speed. Impressive pipe runs and cable

trays intertwine the area with the accuracy of a printed circuit board, but simplicity is

at the heart of all this and it takes little explanation to understand the maze – it seems

that a great deal of notice has been taken of the large sign that spells out the letters

‘KISS’ on the office wall of Amels chief designer Wouter Kleijpoel.

My Shanti is a gorgeous yacht, but she is also a beautifully finished ship, in which the

professionalism of Amels and their parent company Damen shine through alongside the

calm, restful and understated interior from Terence Disdale Design that exactly meets

the owners’ specifications. This is professional yacht building at its best.

While this is certainly seen in the professional layout of the bridge, it is in the engine room where the builder’s ability is beyond doubt

With the guest cabins – both doubles and twins – offering extensive additional Pullman berths, My Shanti can sleep 29 guests. In view of this, the Cayman Island Flag Authority will issue a dispensation to award the yacht MCA status