ALL PHOTOS: Quin Bisset and Suki Finnerty
Since being established in the late 1990s, Hargrave Custom Yachts has delivered 100 custom yachts. All are in the 70- to 135-foot (21.3- to 41.1-meter) size range, which is dominated by semi-custom and fully production yachts. That alone makes Hargrave Custom Yachts noteworthy. However, the company doesn’t want to be known simply as a custom builder. It wants the new generation of yacht buyers to sit up and take notice. That’s among the reasons why Sassy, a 101-foot (30.8-meter) raised-pilothouse megayacht, was commissioned. She mixes sportier styling with more contemporary, higher-end decor touches. She also has a better-performing hull than some previous Hargrave designs. Furthermore, Sassy is the third Hargrave for the same fun-loving family who embody the same spirit as today’s upcoming owners.
Sassy is the same LOA and configuration as Bops (now called Carbon Copy), which premiered last fall. However, Sassy has a different profile and transom, reflecting the custom nature of Hargrave. The bank of windows to each side are continuous aboard Sassy, where as a large mullion split them into two sections on Bops. Sassy’s transom is further curved, more fashionable. Sassy wisely does not, however, mess with the new hull design from Jack Sarin. That hull makes Hargrave more competitive against domestic and foreign challengers. Sassy reportedly sees a 21-knot top end and 18-knot cruise. Hargrave’s competitor fall into that speed zone, too, give or take a few knots. Previously, Hargraves were a few knots slower. Also significant, those competitors all use MTU power, where as Sarin designed the Hargrave hull around the new 1,675-hp Caterpillar C32s, which have a smaller footprint. Hargrave’s CEO, Michael Joyce, is more impressed with the powerplants’ overall engineering as well.
Shelley DiCondina of Yacht Interiors by Shelley says she wanted to take the overall interior design of Hargraves up a notch. She got her wish with Sassy. DiCondina describes the decor as being “upbeat urban” and metropolitan. She selected European cherry for its lighter, less-ruddy appearance. The owners of Sassy like how the wood complements the icy tones of blue and green throughout the megayacht.
More inlays, and striking ones at that, are found throughout Sassy. The pattern here is repeated on the fronts of the crystal cabinets in the dining area. It’s further found in stone inlays in the foyer outside the staterooms below decks, and mirrored overhead there, too. Megayacht buyers accustomed to seeing simple, straightforward interiors on vessels in this size range will be pleased.
Silver tones add sophisticated sparkle to Sassy’s master without being too flashy. The full fabric headboard is in keeping with contemporary decor motifs. The master stateroom further has a double-door entry, something you simply don’t find aboard 101-footers.
Even with the changes initiated by Hargrave, Sassy still follows familiar patterns for her size. The teak-soled, dine-in galley (let’s not call it a country kitchen anymore, shall we?) invites more interaction with the crew, something many Americans, especially “small” megayacht owners, enjoy. The VIP stateroom has private access down a set of forward steps. The other two guest staterooms are off the same foyer as the master suite.
The raised-pilothouse configuration of Sassy also invites more interaction with the crew. The observation settee is large enough for a few folks but not so big as to crowd out navigation duties. The large, raked ports spill light down into the main-deck foyer, too.
Welcome shade comes courtesy of the hardtop aboard Sassy. It casts a shadow starting just forward of the hot tub, which is paired with a good-size sunpad and a wood-topped bar with barstools. Another bar, big seating and dining areas, and a second helm keep the emphasis on socialization.
The owners of Sassy wanted an internal stairway for the crew’s quarters access. There’s also the customary transom entry. The latter leads to a lazarette with good counterspace and cabinets to keep plenty of items handy, whether for watersports activities or otherwise.
More curved joinery details, more inlays, and a more sophisticated overall decor will make buyers considering Hargrave Custom Yachts more interested. So, too, should the near-future plans of the owners of Sassy. Because they enjoy the boating lifestyle, and because they enjoy working with the Hargrave team, they have a fourth megayacht in the works. She may debut in time for the fall’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Most details are being kept quiet, though Mike Joyce does say she’ll have a five-stateroom layout due to the owners being “very creative.” Come to think of it, isn’t that what custom-yacht construction is all about?
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