Lürssen has announced that it will display the 115m Ahpo at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, where it’s expected to be the largest vessel on display. Featuring exterior and interior design by Italian studio Nuvolari Lenard, the former Project Enzo has an overall length of 115.1m (377ft 6in) and a beam of 18.3m (60ft).
After her delivery in November 2021, Ahpo has spent her first season in the Caribbean and is currently cruising in the Mediterranean. She will have her world debut at the Monaco Yacht Show from September 28-October 1.
Ahpo has been built for a repeat client who previously owned an 86m Lürssen and “required top-notch design and engineering as well as seagoing comfort for his family”, again selecting Nuvolari Lenard for the exterior and interior. Moran Yacht & Ship managed and supervised the project.
The owner, an experienced yachtsman born in the Caribbean of part-Chinese descent, has told the world’s largest superyacht yard Lürssen that Ahpo is “the phonetic pronunciation of the Chinese pictogram meaning Grand Lady”. In Chinese dialects Ahpo can also translate as Grandma, and is used in various other Stately Lady senses.
Notable amenities include a two-story owner’s apartment, and an enormous beach club, hammam, plunge pool, sauna, massage room and beauty salon. Her forward helideck is commercially compliant, and available for use in charters.
“For us,” says Peter Lürssen, “the task was to build a motor yacht for a repeat client, an upgrade from his 86m Lürssen. He has many years of owning and chartering yachts behind him, and required top-notch design and engineering as well as sea-going comfort for his family, guests and crew.”
The early brief for the interior was to link all the elements of nature, harmoniously balanced throughout the yacht, with a pallet of colourful and sophisticated materials. Flowers and plants are a distinct theme on board, a favourite of the owner’s wife. The outcome is a stylish, grown-up environment with beautiful bespoke pieces of furniture framed against a more muted, tasteful background.
The 205sqm beach club and wellness area on the lower deck has real impact and is a fitting place for guests to step aboard. Beyond the transom door, a large bamboo grove is encased in backlit frosted glass, which forms a stunning backdrop to a stylish bar on one side and a luxurious massage room on the other. In contrast to this zen atmosphere is an explosion of coloured mosaic tiles which make up the hammam and day head, as well as the jacuzzi and plunge pool that form the central focus.
When at anchor, an open sea terrace means guests can enjoy their own private living room at water level thanks to a contemporary sofa and coffee table set-up. Further forward is a luxurious 12-seater cinema, complete with proper armchairs and a bespoke wallpaper that replicates the mosaic design of the spa.
The centre of the yacht is dominated by a grand staircase, accessible at all guest levels. The staircase itself represents a path and depicts an olive tree that grows up to the sky, surrounded by cranes and other nature-themed decor.
A striking crystal sculpture hangs from the ceiling, composed of falling feathers, each built by hand. The accent marbles change on each deck, acting as a subtle map of Blu Onyx, Green J’adore and Grey Lilac, with the floor always Calacatta Borghini and White Onyx for the petals, complemented by a bronze balustrade.
The owner’s deck takes a different theme. Its informal lounge is contemporary and convivial, with a colourful interpretation of the universe in the carpet and a striking latticed wood pattern running throughout. Three white curved sofas create a focal entertaining space, while a bespoke bar and a games table caters to guests of all ages.
Directly above on the upper deck is the swimming pool, and by no means a token one. At over 8m long and 1.2m depth, plus a counter-current system, it has been designed specifically for swimming, not simply cooling off. For those who want just a quick dip, there is a self-contained jacuzzi on one side of the pool with large sun pad seating flanking the other side. A large bar and relaxed low-level seating make this a favourite for informal family days.
The lobby of the master cabin also follows Ahpo’s distinct theme of trees and nature with two glass columns engraved with maple leaves and with a red maple tree inside flanking the entrance hallway which leads to the staircase and the salon above.
The panoramic salon is in the area traditionally given over to the master cabin, forward on the upper deck, and it enjoys 180-degree views over the bow. Two beautiful, custom desks flank each end of the salon, turning the room into a private office if so desired. This means that there is a clear delineation between places to work and places to sleep, if the owners want to have a private external meeting that it is kept separate from the sleeping quarters.
“The owners are extremely happy with this solution. It suits them and their lifestyle very well,” says Carlo Nuvolari. “It was an unusual design idea that we decided to implement and they are pleased with the outcome.”
There are seven guest cabins on board with two on the owner’s deck, four on the main deck and one on the lower deck. The two cabins on the owner’s deck are designated for specific family members and enjoy their own colour themes of pink and green, chosen by the family to distinguish the two.
“The owner was very interested in every detail, and was always close to the project,” says Peter Lürssen. “He visited the shipyard as often as he could and between his visits was kept up to date on progress by his representative at the shipyard.”
Paradise is subjective, but when there is so much thought and design put into each space, it is hard to argue that paradise hasn’t been found on a yacht such as Ahpo.
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