Shipshape

A number of luxury yachts will leave shipyards around the world this year, but it’s always a special moment to see one set sail from the Southern Wind yard in Cape Town. Admittedly, the Gelliceaux was delivered to its owner at the end of last year, but all the details of this beautiful vessel have only emerged now.

The Gelliceaux is the latest in the yacht builder’s GT series of sailing yachts after the Taniwha and Nyumba and the first of its SW108 Smart Custom line. Naval architecture is by US firm Farr Yacht Design with the exterior and interior created by Nauta Yachts of Italy.

Nauta has worked on a number of projects with Southern Wind in the past, including the 23.99m Allsmoke of 2004, which was sold at the beginning of the year for €1.8m, and the 2006 Illusion of the Isles, which also recently found a new home.

Southern Wind describes the Gelliceaux as a new generation of custom yacht that combines performance and luxury. Performance is not unusual for yachts from the company: the Allsmoke won the 2011 Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship Cup as well as other silverware.

Using a hybrid propulsion system, the Gelliceaux can travel up to 3,000 nautical miles on diesel fuel or silently explore harbours and lagoons using only electric power. Of course it also has its vast sails, which are probably the most environmentally friendly solution of all and have been designed to provide optimum performance during regattas and other races.

“This yacht is a genuine marvel of sustainable sailing, capable of generating an impressive 35kW while sailing at 16 knots and 25kW while gliding at 14 knots,” says Yann Dabbadie, technical manager at Southern Wind. “When sailing at a speed of 10 knots or higher, Gelliceaux could virtually extend her range indefinitely while retaining all the luxurious amenities on board.”

When it comes to luxury, Gelliceaux has it all, with four cabins including an impressive owner’s cabin with en suite bathroom and accommodation for two crew. There’s a split-level main saloon with a dining area and TV lounge that have been designed to replicate the space you would find in a modern apartment. The same is true of the furniture, all of which is bespoke except for the dining chairs. An L-shaped social area provides plenty of additional seating and the yacht boasts the latest in entertainment and lighting technology.

“The owners were closely involved in the whole design process: he mostly for the technical specifications and deck layout, and she more for the interior design,” says Massimo Gino, co-founder of Nauta Design. “What really won them over was when they saw our section render of the split-level saloon. We were on the same page in terms of taste, but we were given free rein to come up with styling proposals and that made the creative process all the more rewarding,” Dabbadie said

“The words ‘calming’ and ‘Mediterranean fresh’ cropped up a lot in our discussions and you can see that in the natural colour palette, fabric-lined walls, and contrasting light and dark veneers in Alpi wood composite,” he says. “Everything is very easy on the eye and the overall ambience is classy but cool, understated but sophisticated, stylish but warm.”

Enjoying the warm air outside is all part of yachting life and for that the Gelliceaux has a beautifully crafted entertaining area with sofas and tables, as well as a beach club for swimming and watersports. Clad mostly in teak, the deck also features a coachroof that allows light into the interior below. It perfectly blends the need to for space and practicality when running under sails with all the luxury the owners and their guests could need.

“This boat is just one of the most beautiful boats, probably not only that has been built in South Africa, but I think also worldwide,” said building captain Mariano Sotelo during the yacht’s sea trials. “I think we achieved exactly what the owner wanted, which is a beautiful boat that is safe to sail with his family, friends, and with all the crew if we do a regatta somewhere in the middle, in the Caribbean.”

The Caribbean is exactly where the Gelliceaux is now, enabling the owners to escape the northern hemisphere winter. It is an impressive yacht both from a design and technology point of view. As with other vessels from Southern Wind, it showcases the skill and craftsmanship of South Africa to not just the yachting community, but the world.