When a New York developer decided to build a megayacht with a Louisiana-based shipyard not versed in yacht construction, some people raised eyebrows. Following the delivery of that yacht, the 97-foot (29.6-meter) Leda, those same people started paying closer attention. Leda helped put Trinity Yachts on the pleasureboating map.
With roots firmly in military and commercial construction, Trinity’s craftspeople were well versed in sturdy construction. Leda’s naval architect and exterior designer, the late Gerhard Gilgenast, attested to her build quality. As for her owner, he never had a moment of doubt. The all-aluminum Leda had transatlantic range and a reported 21-knot top speed.
Highlights of the layout included a forward dining area benefitting from 180-degree views, a hallmark of Gilgenast’s general arrangements. Interior designer Paola Smith selected light, warm-tone woods and soft shades of gray and other colors for the five staterooms and relaxation areas.
Under subsequent ownership in 2002, Leda was refitted and extended to 115 feet (35 meters). The image at the top of the page shows off her then-new lines, a strong contrast from her original look just above. Three years later, while having more refit work done at the yard, she served a most unusual, but necessary, purpose. With Hurricane Katrina having just struck, Leda was pressed into service as a towboat, moving in-build yachts from Trinity’s New Orleans facility to one it had just acquired in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Today, Leda is known as Watercolours and is available for charter, something she’s done under that name for about eight years.
Leave a Reply