Yacht Starfire Refit Returns Longer & Dramatically Different Style

What initially was to be an eight-month redesign turned into a yearlong re-imagination resulting in a yacht that looks and functions far differently. With the yacht Starfire refit having wrapped up recently, the first extensive looks at what went on are now possible.

The ex-Saint Nicholas stunned yacht watchers when she emerged from Abeking & Rasmussen earlier this year. She arrived in late February 2024 still looking much as she did when Lürssen originally delivered her in 2007 (below). For instance, she was all white, with a classically inspired profile keeping her from being pigeonholed in a particular era. The 230-footer (70.2-meter) additionally had some good alfresco spaces, a combination of fully open-air deck areas and shaded areas. However, she lacked some of what modern-day owners and guests want, such as full-height windows and flexible-duty areas.

In fact, one of the initial ideas was a reconfigured swim platform. It became instead a nearly 10-foot (3-meter) stern extension. This therefore now allows a multitude of purposes. During afternoons, for example, the owner and guests can use it for boarding and disembarking from the mini flotilla of watertoys. When everyone is getting ready for the evening ahead, meanwhile, the crew can set up a 12-person dining table here. While a number of yachts have deep swim platforms, they don’t necessarily cater to this type of an extraordinary experience. Pascoli International and Murray & Associates collaborated with the shipyard to make this stern extension possible.

Yet another dramatic physical change took place up top. The yacht Starfire refit transformed the sundeck into a glass-enclosed, air-conditioned gym. Not only that, but the deck further has a cold-plunge pool, a massage area, and a sauna. Essentially, the uppermost deck has become a dedicated wellness deck. It’s a nice complement to the transformation one deck below, too, which saw the addition of a heated pool with counter-current jets. Sixteen feet (5 meters) long, the pool can convert to an expansive hot tub with the jets and temperature each turned up a bit. Either way, it also has a swim-up bar.

Major changes during the yacht Starfire refit took place throughout the interior, too. Besides technical-system upgrades, the owner wanted new aesthetics, and new flexibility. While six staterooms are pretty typical for superyachts of this size, Starfire has seven. They include a VIP on the bridge deck and four king-size staterooms below decks. Yet another cabin below has twins. Plus, pullman berths are in two of the four king suites. The extra beds can ensure family members are all together or suit personal aides. Regardless, the setup means that up to 16 people can be aboard for weeklong cruises.

This higher head count could lead you to believe that the lounges and other gathering areas are all ample. A few certainly are, but with Patrick Knowles Designs, the owner simultaneously ensured some more snug and serene spaces came about. In fact, Starfire welcomes guests into secluded corners, rich-looking lounges, and grand staterooms throughout her decks. Naturally, the owner reserved similar treatment for his own suite. It has a terrific observation lounge for contemplating how to start the day. It further has its own gym and an office for a workout or working out business deals.

The icing on the proverbial cake for the Starfire refit is the paint job. Bold, black swaths take your eyes from fore to aft on each deck. They lend the illusion of long, continuous expanses of windows—now floor-to-ceiling—and call more attention to particular areas. Namely, the overhang aft of the gym, the pool deck (with a basketball hoop, too), and the aft upper deck are each rimmed in black. Even the grills on each level are black as well.

The refit of Starfire isn’t solely for the owner’s family’s benefit. In fact, beginning this summer in the Med, charter guests can experience her decks. At a weekly rate starting at $680,000 through Northrop & Johnson’s central agency, she’s under the care of a captain with decades of charter experience. The captain and crew love rolling out the red carpet for those seeking go-big theme nights, for instance, or simply beach barbecues. They also can recommend which watertoys will get your adrenaline pumping. The toys range from traditional PWCs and Seabobs to an inflatable water park and a waterskiing boat.

Abeking & Rasmussen A&R Services abeking.com

Murray & Associates murrayna.com

Northrop & Johnson northropandjohnson.com

Pascoli International pascoli.mc

Patrick Knowles Designs patrickknowlesdesigns.com