For the past several years, most megayacht owners opt for one of two main décor approaches: minimalism, with simple lines and planes, or opulence, with rococo elements. So imagine my surprise when the captain of the new Hakvoort My Trust quipped during my tour that she was “Herreshoff on steroids.” Not only is the décor classically nautical, it essentially replicates that of a sailing yacht.
And that’s exactly what the owners had in mind when they commissioned this 45-meter (147’6″) megayacht and hired Felix Buytendijk to design the interior. Mahogany wood combines with whitewashed surfaces everywhere, and to underscore it, black-and-white photos of classic sailing yachts hang in some of the cabins. In a nod to seagoing vessels, cabinet fascia from the saloon down to the staterooms have subtle yet effective carved handrails incorporated.
Speaking of the staterooms, take a good look at the owner’s suite. Positioned forward on the main deck, My Trust’s master features a king-size bed surrounded by four posts encircled in rattan, to mimic traditional deck lines. Mahogany flows underfoot and up to raised platforms to each side, allowing the vanity to port and the writing desk to starboard to benefit more from the views out the windows.
The four guest staterooms, all on the lower deck, were all a bit larger than their compatriots aboard similar-size yachts. They can be doubles or twins, since the beds push together and the nightstands easily move outboard. One stateroom even had the Pullman deployed and the twins arranged as a double, to show the versatility of the arrangements. Since My Trust will charter, I imagine families employing full-time nannies will appreciate this setup. And since the number of toys kids like to take on trips can rival the amount of clothes adults pack, I was glad to learn that there’s dedicated space for suitcases to be stowed beneath the guest lobby sole, thereby freeing up closet space.
More smart thinking went into other areas onboard. The aft portion of the bridge deck had both warm- and cool-weather dining and relaxing in mind. During summertime, for example, an electrical awning can extend out from the sun-deck overhang. On chilly nights (or even days), infrared heaters installed overhead can warm things up an additional 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).
If that doesn’t heat things up enough, everyone can retreat to the saloon, where a faux fireplace warms up the ambiance. They can brush up on their flag etiquette, too, by studying the variety of flags in the artwork hanging just above the fireplace. For other nautical studies, guests can take a close look at the scale model of My Trust enclosed in glass fully aft.
Not everything about My Trust is purely sailing-oriented, however: I noticed two Vespas stowed aft on the bridge deck, tucked to starboard of the house structure. There’s a crane to launch and retrieve them on the opposite side of the deck as well.
It just goes to show: As brilliant as Herreshoff was as a designer, the Italian creators of the world-famous scooter earn admiration, too.
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