If someone tells you there’s monkey business going on at Christensen Shipyards, don’t be alarmed. That’s the code name for the next 160-footer expected to hit the water this summer.
Project Monkey Business, also known as Odessa, bears many of the same features as the previous launches in the yard’s Custom Series, but because Christensen wishes to appeal to more international clients, there are some decided differences. The first: the black hull and silver superstructure. If you think about megayacht launches in recent years, a number of colored hulls and superstructures have garnered more attention from European owners than Americans.
Another difference is the collaboration with Armani Casa, the furnishings and accessories division of the famed Armani Group. Armani Casa’s offerings are contemporary in nature, even minimalist to some degree. This, in combination with the finishes on the wood paneling and even extending to the lighting, makes the overall interior design unlike that of any other Christensen. Of course, Odessa’s owner had a say in the matter, conveying his wishes through his captain and representative, Robert Lowden.
While it may not be immediately apparent, there’s yet another difference, requested by the owner, in the way the flying bridge is laid out. Since he wanted large, open-area gathering spaces suitable for cocktail parties with his own guests or even hosted by charter guests, Christensen expanded the beam of the flying bridge to be nearly the same as the hull’s beam, which is 29’5” (9 meters). The deck includes a panoramic lounge and sunbathing/lounging areas, plus a touch-and-go area for emergency helicopter operations.
From the underwater lights lining her hull to her variety of watertoys, including two Sea-Doo PWCs, a 23-foot Chris-Craft, and a 15-foot Nautica RIB, Odessa is poised to make her mark. There’s a possibility of the yacht being displayed at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. More to come here on Megayacht News once she’s launched.
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