You know you’re in for something different the moment you see the exterior of Lady Christine. Whether it’s the elliptical side windows or the infinity pool effect aft, visible when her transom beach club is in place, this superyacht is unlike any other Feadship.
A Royal Van Lent build, Lady Christine belongs to Irvine and Christine Laidlaw, a.k.a. Lord and Lady Laidlaw. The serial entrepreneur Lord Laidlaw is also a philanthropist, and the couple is further experienced as yacht owners. Indeed, the Laidlaws previously built two megayachts, one with Heesen in 1994 and the other with Oceanco in 2001. Both bore the name Lady Christine, in honor of Lady Laidlaw. They followed these up with the refit of the Royal Van Lent-built Seaflower, originally from 2002. In fact, it was their experience refitting Seaflower that convinced them to sign their next new build with Feadship.
Based on their yachting experience, plus enjoying the design process, the Laidlaws were intimately hands on during construction. “I think Feadship would confirm that we were among the most involved and detailed owners with whom they have partnered,” Lord Laidlaw says. The couple visited the yard “on countless occasions” and spent significant time working with interior designer Rodney Black and the shipyard on even the smallest details. “I must have signed off hundreds of drawings,” he adds.
He’s not exaggerating, judging from the abundance of intricate inlays and layer after layer of details throughout this new 68-meter (223-footer). From doors to cabinets, soles, and bulkheads, there are countless examples throughout Lady Christine. Some use wood, while others, like the master bath sole at left, employ multiple stones. These, plus panels of etched glass, all take cues from the 1925 Art Deco exhibition in Paris. To a lesser degree, inspiration came from the ocean liner Normandie, launched in 1935. The Laidlaws and Black poured over racks of fabric and abundant images to get the look they wanted.
Some design highlights aboard are highly personal, particularly as the handful of marquetry murals reveal. There’s a fabulous Old Hollywood mural in the private cinema, for example. It features images of stars like Sophia Loren, Grace Kelly, Humphrey Bogart, even Mickey and Minnie Mouse. A sophisticated, even playful, mural of gentlemen in tuxes and tails and ladies in flapper dresses accompanying a grand piano elsewhere. Three floor-to-ceiling panels at the spiral staircase connecting the main deck and owner’s deck showcase yet another mural. This one depicts famous architectural landmarks around the world, including the Taj Mahal and the Empire State Building. There’s even Lady Christine herself, cruising beneath the Taj Mahal.
All the intricate details meet their match by some that Royal Van Lent took upon itself to add. The staircase connecting the sundeck with the owner’s deck is one example. “Any other yard would have simply brought these stairs straight down,” Lord Laidlaw explains. Instead, Feadship recommended curving them. Not a simple, or quick, task, since “the central spine also had to be formed into a curved shape along with the stairs and the banisters themselves,” he continues. The result is a staircase that the couple believes is truly beautiful.
Royal Van Lent also suggested a smart alternative to the original infinity pool that the Laidlaws requested. The pool on the aft deck initially would spill water over the transom nameboard. However, the yard realized water would probably slosh to each side as well, given natural motion at anchor or underway. Another troubling fact: Chlorinated water is detrimental to yacht surfaces. Feadship therefore devised a different system. The pool water washes into a drain, while jet-spray nozzles spread across the stern create the infinity pool effect. “This ingenious solution must have cost more, but we were not charged a penny extra,” Lord Laidlaw says. “Feadship simply did what they knew would be best to meet our briefing. This is what I mean by exceeding expectations.”
Leave a Reply