Gulf Craft’s first Majesty 111 has enjoyed global exposure since its world premiere at the Dubai International Boat Show in March. The 34m six-cabin Sandbank The company made its debut in Europe at the Monaco Yacht Show, before exhibiting for the first-time at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
Joining the Majesty brand’s Superyacht range, the 111 sits between the best-selling 100 and the 120 tri-deck. However, the first yacht to feature full exterior and interior design by Phathom Studio has a cleaner, sportier, more muscular and modern exterior than her Majesty sisters, with the yacht’s long band of glazing along each side of the lower and main decks, with the yacht topped by a black skylounge.
Mohammed Alshaali has been accompanied by Mohammed Alshaali. He is the co-founder of Gulf Craft and its Chairman. Sandbank on all her major show appearances and been delighted by the response to the first Majesty 111, which is available for charter through Northrop & Johnson and was listed for sale in late October.
“Because of the images and photos, everybody loved the Majesty 111 even before they saw it at the shows. Everybody said it was futuristic,” Alshaali says.
“Phathom really know how to draw nice lines and how to match the interior with the exterior. They introduced new features like the jacuzzi on top of the master-suite skylight and the big upper-deck skylight, while they also brought in environmentally friendly materials.”
STYLING PHATHOM
Phathom was founded in the Netherlands in 2019 by three designers – Canadian Sean Bekeschus, Spaniard Raquel H Grijota and Dutchman Fabian Henke – and Jacob van de Haar, the company’s Commercial Director.
Henke worked at Guido de Groot for nearly a decade. Bekeschus was a Nuvolari Lenard intern who also worked for Cor D Rover for four years, where he designed the exterior of the Royal Huisman, which is 58m in length. Phi, while Grijota, an interior designer, spent two years with Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design.
Phathom recently completed several projects for Gulf Craft, including the interiors of Majesty 72 Review, Issue 71The exteriors of the two latter models were also upgraded by the collaboration. Phathom, however, started from scratch in designing the Majesty 111.
Bekeschus, 38, says: “We looked extensively at the marketplace. For the exterior, we wanted something athletic, a little bit brawny, but classic and timeless – we didn’t want anything superfluous.”
LIGHT, COLOURS AND CURVES
The semi-displacement motor yacht, with an overall length 110ft 10in is smaller than the four-level Majesty120 (123ft1in), but still larger than the Majesty100 (108ft4in). Majesty 111 is 15 percent larger than its little sister. Its 243GT space provides comfortable accommodations for 12 guests as well as up to five crew.
The 12ft wide bench seat is a clever design element that can be seen on the garage door at the rear. Sandbank’s toys include a 4m Agilis jet tender, wakeboard, waterskis, donuts, Seabobs, wing mat and paddleboards.
Unlike its two sister models, the Majesty 111 has a clear aft balustrade in the cockpit, reflective of its more modern design and Phathom’s desire to offer owners more sea views. The drop-down screen can hide the open-plan cockpit from passers-by. Originally, it was furnished with sofas and armchairs. Later, a large table for 10 people replaced them.
Two chairs face a long, cream-coloured L-shaped sofa to port. Custom furniture includes a large coffee table with rounded edges and recessed circular storage. This feature is also found throughout the yacht. Two chairs face a cream-coloured, L-shaped couch to port. Custom-made furniture includes an oversized coffee table that has a central lift-up circular locker.
The interior is filled with curves, rounded corners, and an array of colors, shades, and materials, including a lot of oak. The white high ceilings keep the mood light. They also include recessed lighting and a TV that can be lowered.
Grijota, 40, says: “When we designed the interior layout, we wanted to appeal to a wider range of markets, so we made it less formal and wanted to open the spaces while letting in lots of light, which you can see throughout the yacht. In the fittings and décor, we played with natural materials and contrasts. Our palettes have a lot of contrasts.”
The large dining area for 10 people is forward, and is literally reflected on the ceiling by a table-sized table mirror with a hanging lighting fixture. A door on the portside leads to the galley. Both sides of the dining area have rounded hip-height cabinetry, which matches the one on the starboard side.
A transparent, floating staircase leads up to upper deck. This is the centrepiece of the yacht, along with the lower-deck steps.
CABINS AVAILABLE IN PLENTY
The master-suite entry begins with a small hall that features a low storage cupboard beneath the starboard windows. The sliding door leading to the walk-in closet is on the left. Next, another sliding glass door opens to reveal a twin sink bathroom with a huge shower that includes a bench and a big picture window.
The full-beam bedroom features the bed facing aft to a huge, fixed TV, although it’s the view above that’s potentially most captivating – into the glass-bottomed jacuzzi! Fittings include ‘floating’ bedside tables topped by large shelving units, an elegant, multi-level vanity table cum storage unit, and a large sofa on the port side of the room.
The five cabins are accessible via an illuminated staircase that is topped by a large skylounge. Two cabins on the lower deck have double beds that face forward, and two cabins forward have twin beds with an aft facing bed.
The trump card, however, is the 15sqm VIP Suite, which starts with an entrance hall that features full-height cabinets on either side of the vanity desk.
Aft facing bed is flanked by bedside tables that are also long storage cabinets. Built-in shelves can be found on either side of a soft-panelled headboard. A full-height closet is located on the starboard wall of the bedroom, next to the door to the bathroom.
SKYLOUNGE & SKYLIGHTS
The central staircase, which leads to the upper deck, is topped with an enormous rectangular skylight. This skylight illuminates both the skylounge area and the stairs. The skylounge has a large, L-shaped couch to starboard facing a massive bar to port. It even includes a giant TV.
It’s no ordinary bar in terms of size or design and includes a wine fridge and even a dishwasher, so with a day head at the top of the stairs, the skylounge can become a self-contained party zone.
Meanwhile, there’s more fun to be had on the open aft deck, which is partially covered by a skylounge overhang fitted with louvres. The covered area has an outdoor galley on starboard, and cockpit steps to port. However, the deck is configured however an owner desires.
Around the skylounge, wheelhouse, and side decks, a symmetrical layout leads to the foredeck. It is a fun social space with c-shaped couch and two tables, all facing the large jacuzzi. Sunpads surround the entire area on three sides. It’s then four steps down to the working area, which surprisingly has a cosy aft-facing sofa in the forepeak.
The reverse-windscreen steering wheelhouse is situated at the bow. This has an L-shaped sofa, folding table and a port side door. The yacht has twin 1,900hp MAN V12 engines and a top speed 20 knots. It also has a cruising rate of 12 knots.
Overall, Phathom’s vision for the Majesty 111 has resulted in a notably forward-looking design shift for Gulf Craft.
“We collaborate well with Gulf Craft, maybe because we’re a young company and more flexible than longer-established design studios,” Grijota says. “We’ve studied the DNA of the shipyard and tried to keep it on the Majesty 111, but we believe this is a level up. We wanted to incorporate features that would be unique selling points and look good on a yacht this size – and we think it worked out well.”
www.gulfcraftinc.com
Images courtesy Gulf Craft
This article first appeared on Yachtstyle.co
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