Many megayachts are available for charter in the Med each summer. So how do you choose one from another? Better put, how does a charter broker match you to one versus another? If you have classic sensibilities, Edmiston believes one megayacht rises above the rest: Malahne.
Malahne doesn’t just look classic. She is a classic, built in 1937. If her walls could talk, they would regale you with wondrous tales. She was built for W.L. Stephenson, a founder of F.W. Woolworth & Co. in England. Stephenson was a passionate sailor, too. He financially backed Britain’s America’s Cup quests in 1932 and 1934, plus took delivery of the renowned J-Class yacht Velsheda in 1933. During World War II, Malahne served military service, seeing action in Dunkirk, France. Back in private hands post-war, Malahne was perhaps most famously owned by Sam Spiegel, the Hollywood producer, in the 1960s. Celebs galore were welcomed aboard, ranging from Elizabeth Taylor to Frank Sinatra and Jack Nicholson. When a Saudi sheik bought her in 1983, however, she changed dramatically, inside and out. In fact, she was unrecognizable in profile, having modifications applied over the original lines. (Google the name “Adel XII,” which is what she was rechristened as, and you may find one.) Reportedly, the goal was to make her more modern.
Further refits and changes of ownership occurred in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s. Thankfully, when Malahne’s current owner acquired her in 2013, he saw fit to bring back her original lines and Art Deco interior. “Our brief was to make Malahne look as if she had been in continuous ownership since she was built,” says Guy Oliver, who handled interior design. A painstaking 30-month restoration (at Pendennis) did just that. You’ll find original lighting onboard, even original equipment in the wheelhouse. Simultaneously, Malahne gained modern safety features.
Nicholas Edmiston of Edmiston, who played a key role in bringing Malahne to her owner’s attention, calls her “a truly remarkable yacht.” He adds, “With an exceptional crew, she’s the number-one choice for the true yachting connoisseur to charter in the Mediterranean this summer.”
Malahne takes parties of 10. Rates begin at €135,000 (about $154,000) per week.
BONUS: Visit our Facebook page to see additional pictures of Malahne.
Leave a Reply