You’d expect a superyacht to make strong use of glass, especially to bring more light inside. But how about a tender? The long glass strip running the length of the roof is among a few things setting this custom craft apart. They’re all from Anna Borla of Anna Borla Design & Yachts and Falcon Tenders.
Falcon Tenders, which specializes in highly detailed, high-performance tenders, purposely seeks different designers with fresh ideas to entice clients. For a twist on a 34-foot (10.5-meter) limo tender, the UK-based builder approached the Italian-born Borla. She got her start working for a Milan-based yacht-design studio before establishing her eponymous company there in 2019.
Her ideas for the Falcon Tender were pretty straightforward. “I wanted to bring a new level of interior comfort to the guest experience when travelling by limousine tender,” Borla says. Enhancing natural light was one way. The already-mentioned overhead strip of glass is actually a two-piece opening skylight. The skylight opens at either end, too, therefore introducing fresh air along with sunlight. In combination with wraparound windows, the glass strip truly brings something new to tenders.
Borla carefully considered the ride, too. Of course, leather seating makes transiting from the yacht to shosre comfortable. But why not enjoy the ride further? She incorporates pop-up crystal decanters, for instance. Tactile fabrics and other materials enhance it, too.
The tender isn’t just about looks and luxury, however. Borla calls for sustainably sourced teak for decking and adorning the top of the boat. Grabrails on the roof give the crew a helpful handhold as well, when venturing fore to aft outside.
Notably, Falcon Tenders sought more sustainable-oriented construction methods, too. Upon contract, the boat will employ plant-based resins. Additionally, it has researched both diesel-electric and all-electric propulsion systems, as options beyond traditional twin diesels. The electric propulsion methods should especially appeal to owners who want quieter, emission-free operations, such as when carrying guests to and from land. From a space standpoint, the diesel-electric and all-electric equipment options occupy the same footprint as the conventional engines do.
Regardless of engine choice and interior outfitting, the Borla tender is no different than other Falcon Tenders. The low profile and fixed lifting points mean the craft can stow in a dedicated tender garage.
“I have always been driven by fresh ideas and concepts,” says Mark Pascoe, Falcon Tenders’ co-founder and CEO. “This all-new limousine concept keeps us on our path of innovation, and we are delighted to be collaborating with someone of Anna Borla’s talent.”
Anna Borla Design & Yachts annaborla.com
Falcon Tenders falcon-tenders.com
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