You know you’re in for something different aboard a megayacht when you’re greeted by a bar with an aquarium as its base.
That’s one of the items giving J’ade (pronounced “jade”), recently delivered by CRN, her strong identity. The 191-footer (58.2-meter) lives up being a fully custom yacht by incorporating some visually arresting elements. Simultaneously, J’ade lives up to CRN’s desire to compete more regularly against other builders targeting large-megayacht buyers.
Let’s start with the latter concept. Builders and designers competing in the upper end of the megayacht marketplace are increasingly embracing inventive ideas, which extend to engineering. CRN’s chairman and CEO, Lamberto Tacoli, explains that for some time, the yard wanted to incorporate a floodable tender bay into one of its builds. The in-house engineering team studied stability and devised a solution, which CRN’s management presented to the owner of J’ade. A three-piece hatch (one top and two bottom components) open to let a 27-foot Riva Iseo not only float out, but also float in, without using a davit. (On a side note, J’ade changed hands partly through construction, and the current owner’s selection of a 27-foot Riva, a larger tender, necessitated some creative re-sculpting of the bay.) A crewmember can drive the boat straight into the bay, which is cushioned around its perimeter. Once the tender is secured, J’ade’s floodable bay empties within a reported three minutes.
What further makes this arrangement novel is that aboard most megayachts, the tender bay is considered a technical area or even a workspace and therefore completely separate from guest areas. Certainly, some beach clubs are formed from tender garages when the toys are offloaded, but once the toys are gone, the furnishings that are set up in the teak-lined space give no hint as to the stowage purpose. Aboard other megayachs, the bay and beach club are in independent spaces. Aboard J’ade, they share the same space permanently, as you can see here. What you can’t see are how the transom folds down to enhance the spaciousness, nor how a bar, television, and day head are all within the beach club. At night, underwater lights in the bay add further appeal.
Speaking of appeal, J’ade is also equipped with a Turkish bath, located on the upper deck, near the gym. If there’s any question as to how J’ade got her name, take a hint from the colored mosaic tiles in the bath, selected with the assistance of Studio Zuccon International Project. The same ones adorn a day head near here, and the color is picked up by accessories throughout the yacht.
Formal meals, after-dinner drinks, and conversations are made all the more enjoyable in the full-beam (33’5”, or 10.2-meter) upper-deck saloon. Take particular note of the wall of windows adjacent to the dining table; each window is nearly full height. Canaletto walnut is used for soles and wall paneling, both here and throughout the rest of the guest spaces aboard J’ade, with rosewood additionally used as an accent.
The owner of J’ade had some decidedly different ideas for the main saloon as well. While guests can certainly relax here, the focus is on music, not television. That’s why a Yamaha piano is a big focal piece, forward. The seating area is arranged to let everyone appreciate the entertainment or welcome additional guests entering from the aft deck and into the reception-like bar area—the same bar reference above, fitted with an aquarium.
Guests can retire for the night in four VIP staterooms, all below decks, while the owners naturally have their suite fully forward on J’ade’s main deck. Balconies have become de rigeur aboard megayachts, especially in a master suite. CRN has incorporated a balcony on essentially every build for the past five years, and the management team does not foresee the trend ending anytime soon. Further incorporated on many megayachts, including J’ade, is an office within the master suite. Work takes place at a crocodile-leather-topped desk and matching chair, though also in the room is a comfortable chair and ottoman, facing a television.
Hopefully time spent aboard J’ade will be devoted more to leisure than to work, given her creature comforts. The hot tub on the sundeck is sure to be put to good use. It lends a good deal of privacy to anyone soaking or sunning on the adjacent pads, whether J’ade is at the dock or cruising (cruise speed is reportedly 14 knots, thanks to twin MTU engines).
Having set its sights on the 131- to 295-foot (40- to 90-meter) market, CRN is increasingly building yachts toward the upper end. Deliveries like J’ade show it recognizes the difference between simply building big and incorporating features and functions that make the onboard experience all the more enjoyable.
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