Admiral 54, an artistic toy

NEWS	PHOTOGALLERY

How many ways are there to arrange and rearrange the 308 bones that make up the human skeleton? When the time came for Captain Magic, the mysterious owner of Sea Force One, to arrange Kiki Smith’s perfect replica of the male human skeleton – painted an irreverent gold, of course – he didn’t hesitate before making them into the shape of a Jolly Roger, the flag that has been the symbol of the pirate ship since the times of Edward England. And there is a strong whiff of the pirate ship about the 54-metre Admiral launched last year by the Amy yard, itself a joint venture between the Cantieri Navali Lavagna and Cantieri Mariotti. “I consider that work of art to be the heart of my boat,” explained Captain Magic. It’s not hard to believe.

Even the most cursory of glances reveals that this is no ordinary yacht. The lines are striking. Not only do they beautifully meld a sense of gentleness and aggressiveness, but the hull is black while the superstructure is a military grey. Two balconies are integrated into the sides and are the brainchild of Luca Dini who together with the owner is the real father of this yacht. The balconies slightly round the imposing lines bringing an unexpected gracefulness to such an aggressive-looking yacht. Some have even gone so far as to describe the result as “sexy”. However, Sea Force One is at her most impressive inside rather than out. Her interiors really do toss the whole yacht concept up in the air and reassemble it in quite a fantastic and post-modernist way. “This megayacht is the absolute crowning glory of my career,” admitted Dini himself. “We started with the idea of creating a boat that would be a major move away from the usual floating condominium idea. We came up with a design with Captain Magic about which he was clear from the start. But working side by side with the artists that work on her and exchanging ideas and opinions with them was really exciting. This is a yacht created around her works of art. In fact, the artists didn’t have to adapt to the layout,” explains Dini before Captain Magic adds: “Sea Force One wouldn’t be what she is today without Luca though.”

The official entrance is on the starboard side where a positively regal staircase leads to a foyer that leaves no doubt as to what the rest of the vessel holds. The first thing you meet is the transparent Plexiglas staircase with its waterfall-effect illuminated stairs which links all three of the yacht’s decks. However, the main deck is the owner’s private territory and, as a result, it’s better to make your entrance through the stern cockpit. You will be amazed. You walk into the saloon on the main deck where your eye will immediately be caught by an extraordinary work of art, the Virtual Sea, a video-sculpture by Venetian artist Fabrizio Plessi. Twelve overturned stainless steel cones representing champagne corks with monitors displaying video images of water. But Plessi’s is just one of the many works of art in the main saloon. Alongside the sober grey sofa that separates this area from the entrance corridor is Mai-Thu Perret’s Big Golden Rock, a plastic-look fabric meteorite containing a barely visible Buddha curled in the fetal position. One of the most attractive works is Sacha, a steel parrot that is actually an early 1970s sculpture by Paul Smith. Standing guard over this incredible world is a very severe-looking metal wiring post-modern lady pirate made by Roberto Vannucchi and Carlo Lombardi, two maestros of the Viareggio Carnival who also created the head-rest on the bed in the double cabin. Moving through the foyer, we find the owner’s office and then suite where the dominant colours are black and white. The bed and its marine-themed papier-mâché headrest are white while the stained walnut flooring (similar to the main deck) and velvet walls are black. The latter walls by the way have been treated with a blue fluorescent paint which creates a night-sky effect in the dark.

Back in the foyer, we move to the lower deck where there are four double guest staterooms, each one with its own name and décor. The upper deck is reserved for partying. Thanks to the wonderful natural light flooding it, the dark tones used on the lower deck vanish up here although the floors are black leather. The whole area is designed like a disco. The walls are white while the ceilings are partly barrisol and partly wovin wall, a fabric wall particularly suited to plays of light. There’s a big bar, a DJ booth and lots of low seating – perfect to stretch out on with drink in hand. These include Zanotta bean bags, a sofa/mattress upholstered in Missoni fabric and a white leather chaise longue on steel cables.

Moving aft, just in front of the glass door leading into the external cockpit, is a huge 20-seater table which can be lowered to floor level to create an authentic private space. On this deck, the art is all on the walls. There are pieces by Cordero, Lombardini and even Philip Guston which Captain Magic took down from the walls of his London apartment. But Captain Magic has his own idea of art and what it is. All of these pricey, prestigious works are nicely matched with other designer items, creating a highly unusual style. One good example is the E-Turn bench by Brodie Neill for Kundalini which sits right in the middle of the cockpit on the upper deck, lending it a palpably artistic dignity. Another is the Japanese animal toys that the owner collected on his travels in Japan and displays in a case in front of the Guston painting.

The sacred and the profane elevated to the same level. But, of course, Captain Magic was clear about his intentions from the very beginning: “This yacht is a gorgeous toy,” he confided as he welcomed us aboard. “It’s big like the island that never was, a phantom ship where I can take refuge after my pirate adventures and they include my work”. This coming from a man who claims never to have read either Salgari or Verne as a child.

Giuliana Fratnik

(Yacht Design, n. 4/2009)