Less than a year after Feadship signed the contract, its first in China, and just in time for the Chinese New Year, the latest Royal Van Lent-built megayacht, Blue Sky, has been delivered.
Feadship sold the 146’6” (44.65-meter) megayacht to the client after he toured Helix (pictured), part of the F45 Vantage series, during that yacht’s promotional tour in Asian waters last spring. He wanted to take delivery before the Chinese New Year began this year, on February 10, so construction began soon after. According to Chinese culture, the year in which the yacht was commissioned and which ends this week, the Year of the Dragon, is quite lucky.
At the christening ceremony, both Western and Eastern cultural norms were represented. The owner’s representative, who is a man, and the wife of Feadship’s operational director both released the champagne bottle, because in China, it’s customary for men to perform the task.
Blue Sky is largely based on Feadship’s F45 Vantage semi-custom platform, bearing a 30’2” (9.2-meter) beam, though she does have some tailored features. The biggest change is the addition of a helipad. She also has an interior by two design firms, Sinot Yacht Design and Banneberg & Rowell Design. Sinot Yacht Design created different decor packages for a few F45 Vantage megayachts. Blue Sky employs the company’s Miami decor theme, highlighted by contrasting dark and light paneling and some Art Deco accents. Bannenberg & Rowell were brought in on Blue Sky once the contract was signed, to add additional Art Deco touches as well as other elements that the owner wanted.
In keeping with what you might expect of a Chinese-owned yacht, Blue Sky has a karaoke room, complete with an 85-inch TV. It takes the place of the skylounge. There’s further a mah-jongg room just aft of the wheelhouse. If it’s not being used for games, it can convert into an extra stateroom. But it likely will get plenty of use as its main function, given a table that automatically shuffles the mah-jongg tiles and deals the dice.
Blue Sky accommodates 12 in the owner’s party. One guest accommodation is within the main-deck owner’s lounge, while four additional guest staterooms are also on the main deck. Eight crewmembers and the captain are additionally housed aboard.
The official hand-over of Blue Sky took place last week in Rotterdam, with a nice nod to the owner’s heritage. Feadship arranged for colorful Chinese lion dancers to perform.
Blue Sky will be based in Asian waters. She has a reported top top speed of 14½ knots, powered by twin 1,055-hp MTUs, like the other megayachts in the series.
For more photos of the hand-over ceremony, visit the Megayacht News Facebook page.
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