Award-Winning Design Heightens “Elysian’s” Appeal

Every year there’s a high demand to charter the superyachts that win design awards. The demand is even higher for yachts that are strictly off-limits: their owners have decided that they will never be chartered. You might think that a yacht not available for charter would soon be forgotten. Yet in the case of M/Y “Elysian,” anticipation—those years off the market— has only added to the appeal.

In a former life, her name was “Elandess”: a 60m superyacht that swept the design awards in 2010, and the result of a stunning collaboration of some of the greatest names in yachting: Bannenberg & Rowell, Donald Starkey and Abeking & Rassmusen.

A triumph of German engineering and craftsmanship, this tri-deck megayacht impressed yachting audiences with its exquisite art-deco inspired interior, devilishly elegant exterior styling, and midnight-blue hull. This was not just a yacht: it was a work of art that you could cross oceans in.

Yet after all the hubbub of design award ceremonies and press pieces, “Elandess” quietly disappeared from view, embarking upon a leisurely circumnavigation of the globe— only to pop up now and then, cruising by the white sails of the Sydney Opera House, or dropping anchor off a coral atoll deep in the Pacific. Yet everywhere she went, the same question followed her:

When can we charter her?

And the same answer came in response:

Never.

After commissioning the best designers and builders on earth to create this floating masterpiece, the owner had little interest in sharing her delights.

But after the yacht sold in lightning-speed this summer, “Elandess” has become “Elysian,” an ancient Greek word meaning “characteristic of heaven, or paradise.” And “Elysian”—so long off-limits, perfectly preserved and lavishly updated—is finally on the charter market. And she is guaranteed to make a splash as she debuts for charter in the Caribbean winter 2016, followed by a 2017 Mediterranean summer season.

Art Deco meets superyacht glamour (with a space-age staircase thrown in for good measure)

When powerhouse yacht designers Bannenberg & Rowell were chosen to create Elysian’s interior, they were asked to create a sharply contemporary interior, but with the strict proviso that they steer clear of any “uncomfortable minimalism.” The resulting decor is a feast for the senses, with art deco-inspired geometric shapes and colours, a stunning collection of original furniture and artwork, and a silver metal spiral staircase that glows cool blue (and wouldn’t look out of place on the Starship Enterprise).

The cool blue theme continues in the sky lounge, where a spectacular ice-blue bar and frosted glass panels lend an ambience of high glamour. When the lights are set to segue slowly from blue to green, there’s an undeniable touch of disco to this room—a sense of fun and occasion, late nights and music.

Yet for all its awe-inspiring design, it’s also a deeply welcoming, comfortable space that brings family and friends together to enjoy some movie time snuggling on the sofa, watch the kids perform holiday concerts through fits of giggles, or sit quietly, book dropped into your lap, gazing out the huge windows on an endless sky and sea.

The entire interior of “Elysian” is like that: glorious to look at, even better to spend time in.

A convertible cabin layout to meet every charterer’s needs

Part of Elysian’s charter appeal is its extraordinary versatility in the cabin layout. The extremely stylish full-beam master suite covers a huge 90 square meters on the main deck, with four additional staterooms on the lower deck.

(guest cabin)

These cabins are traditionally arranged as two queen and two twin cabins, but the four cabins can easily be transformed into two palatial full-beam VIP suites with varying berth arrangements to suit different charter group configurations.

In addition, there is an extra cabin on the bridge deck with two Pullman bunks, which could be used for children, personal staff, or as a study with a spectacular view high above the water. This yacht is whatever you want it to be.

There are certain yachts that look like power … and feel like heaven

With her gleaming midnight-blue hull and tall, sleek superstructure, M/Y “Elysian” cuts a striking profile: one that looks as much at home cruising the world’s remote oceans as berthed in the shadow of Monaco’s glittering skyscrapers. Boasting an exterior design by 26-time award-winner Donald Starkey Designs, the exterior of “Elysian” has endlessly stylish outdoor spaces over her three decks.

The sundeck may well be where you spend much of your days—alternating between relaxing in the oversized Jacuzzi and exercising on the gym equipment while looking out for whales. Perhaps you might like to take a stool at the bar while the stewardess whips up a cocktail, or sink back on a cushioned deckchair, glass of champagne fizzing softly as your eyes start to close in the warm sunshine.

There can be few better places on earth to have sunset drinks and canapés than on the sundeck of “Elysian,” music playing as the sun sinks into the Caribbean Sea and the skies turn every shade of fire.

When the stars start to come out across the sky, it’s time for an alfresco dinner party on the upper deck at a beautifully dressed table lit by flickering candlelight, a succession of exquisite meals arriving in perfect symphony with the stunning setting.

After dinner you might adjourn to the bank of sofa seating that curves around the stern, playing cards and listening to the water lap on the hull, or hearing the breathy whistle and splash of a dolphin hunting fish in the moonlit sea.

Happy days of sunshine and laughter can be spent on “Elysian’s” unusually large swim platform, where you can launch off on a jetski or step off the tender after an exhilarating dive to be met with a fluffy white towel and a glass of icy-cold Turkish mint tea.

German engineering delivers extraordinary cruising

The engineering of “Elysian” by A&R is of such high quality that you’ll simply never notice it on charter, apart from the feel of raw power purring slightly under your feet as you walk barefoot across the sun-warmed decks, the salty wind blowing in your hair as the yacht gets underway to your next destination.

With a cruising speed of 13 knots and a very respectable top speed of 16 knots, this is not a ‘go-fast’ yacht that will streak across the water in a blaze of sound and fury, but who wants to go fast when the cruising is so splendid? “Elysian” is the type of yacht where the journey is to be savoured—where life on board is so obscenely pleasurable that coming into port to step ashore into the everyday world almost seems like a bit of a let-down.

Better than ever

It takes a lot for the yachting world to sit up and say: oh that’s special. Yet “Elysian” touches a chord: inhabiting that perfect nexus of superb design, clever innovation, superyacht glamour, and an infectious sense of fun. And the truth is that with no expense spared on updates since launch, “Elysian” is even better now than when she won the award for the best powerboat on the market.

The competition to charter M/Y “Elysian” will be fierce. She’s only just been released for charter for the Caribbean and Mediterranean seasons, so we suggest you get in quick and find your private heaven on “Elysian.”