The Yacht Alice Is Nimble, Natural, and a Potential "Star Performer"

This month marked a poignant goodbye, yet a fond farewell to the owners of the yacht Alice and her crew. The sailing superyacht departed the docks in Finland, where she’s been taking shape at Baltic Yachts for the past two years. The 122-footer (37-meter) left relatively quickly, too, which is the whole reason that she exists in the first place.

Started anonymously as the Baltic 121 Custom, the yacht Alice belongs to passionate sailors who enjoy wide-ranging family cruising. They wanted a contemporary-styled, high-performance, bluewater cruiser to take them on their journeys. Naturally, they also wanted proven safety and operational systems for peace of mind. They turned to Malcolm McKeon, head of the eponymous design studio, for styling and naval architecture. He penned a fixed bimini for shade underway and at anchor, for instance. He also penned a glass deckhouse, which is not just striking-looking, but also practical, spilling lots of light inside. McKeon further gave Alice a telescopic keel for accessing a broad variety of cruising grounds while still supporting offshore sailing.

Performance was of primary importance for the owners, in fact. But, not the way you might think. “The yacht has been designed to be easily driven,” McKeon says, with just a small crew. Ryan Taylor, a delivery captain with Baltic Yachts, elaborates. “From leaving the dock to setting sail takes just minutes,” he explains. “Once the sails are set and trimmed, she performs and maneuvers like a much smaller high-performance sailing yacht.” Although the owners aren’t racers, Taylor believes that if they change their minds, Alice could easily “become a star performer in the superyacht regatta scene.”

yacht Alice Baltic Yachts Adam Lay interior

For now, the owners and their family are looking forward to enjoying time together, including in the soothing, texture-rich interiors. According to Adam Lay of Adam Lay Studio, they wanted natural materials that created a welcoming, safe, and comfortable feeling. Brushed walnut is among the materials that Lay says “become more interesting the closer you look at them.” Their lines and ridges, along with the tactile nature of the rest of the décor, begin to reveal themselves in detail.

Speaking of details, the yacht Alice reminds all aboard that they are indeed aboard a yacht. The textured veneer inserts in the staterooms are purposely reminiscent of the ocean, for example. Tree branches inspired the light fixtures, too. Altogether, the elements are in keeping with biophilic design. It’s a practice where natural materials, patterns, and more in living and working spaces purposely reconnect people with nature, for stronger wellbeing.

Wellbeing has both physical and emotional aspects, something that Daniel Calascione, the owners’ representative from A2B Marine Projects, noted at the yard. While he says the Finnish have a strong work ethic and “meticulous attention to detail,” he especially notes their personal pride. “Building a boat is an emotional art, but here in Finland there is an extra passion,” he reflects. “You see that every boat there that is delivered carries a little piece of everyone’s heart with it.”

Adam Lay Studio adamlaystudio.co.uk

Baltic Yachts balticyachts.fi

Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design malcolmmckeonyachtdesign.com