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Similar, but different; familiar, yet unique. Platinum may be the latest in Benetti’s Golden Bay series (Hull No. 8) but she is, of course, a totally custom build. It is only from the basic elements of her plan and profile that you can tell she is a member of the family. In every other respect she is absolutely her own mistress.
Launched last fall, she made her first public appearance at September’s Cannes Boat Show and enjoyed the ultimate gratification of being the debutante who’s the center of attention. She was the largest yacht there—by a considerable margin—and dominated the show’s superyacht quay at the seaward side of the harbor with regal poise.
Built for an experienced owner and long-standing Benetti customer, Platinum was designed from the outset with the comfort of guests in mind. “A yacht should be luxurious, something which inspires you. Ordinary life is boring brown,” he said. A superyacht holiday is arguably the ultimate holiday, and a guest on one has to feel ultra-special. Accordingly, the owner worked closely with Benetti’s design team to create an interior that has more than a touch of the Palais de Versailles about it, with French-influenced detailing in the fine woodwork—mostly burr oak, tinted to different shades—the bolster-end sofas, and ruched curtains. Even the neo-classical table lamps have a touch of Sevres about them, and each of the guest bathrooms features a different Italian marble, including some rare, black Portoro and beautifully veined white Carrara.
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The ultimate layer of luxury, though, has to be the sheer acreage of gold leaf: some 40,000 sheets, apparently, each individually applied by a craftsman. It is everywhere—highlighting the moldings around the deckhead panels, providing lustrous edging to the cabinetry, decorating the floor of the skylounge bar, and even providing a slightly delicate-looking surface for your drink on some of the side tables.
“I wanted Platinum to feel special,” confirmed her original owner, an architect and property magnate from Japan. “The gold leaf gives her a unique atmosphere; it is light but also warm.”
All this sybaritic indulgence is not to suggest that the yacht feels old fashioned, however. Some of the chairs may look like they’re straight out of the 17th century, but the styling of the joinery is completely up to date (just look at that curved desk in the owner’s office), and the gloss-lacquered deckheads are a signature feature of the modern superyacht, producing a brighter ambiance and creating that illusion of extra height.
Having made the guests feel special, the designers turned their attention to making sure they had enough to eat. One of the great joys of superyachting is having an excellent chef on hand, and Platinum not only boasts a truly impressive galley on the main deck but there’s also no shortage of places to dine. The main, 12-seat table in the middle of the main deck is perhaps the obvious choice, but if it’s a nice evening, why not try the equally impressive, open-air dining table on the upper deck? For an alfresco lunch with an unbeatable view, there is the big eight-seater on the sundeck, and when you want to be closer to the water in a pretty anchorage, the cockpit table is equally comfortable. For a private breakfast in harbor, how about the semicircular dinette up forward, away from the curious gaze of passers-by? With so many options, the chief stewardess and her team might be kept busy chasing the guests around the boat, but that’s sort of what guests are there for.
It’s a similar story when it comes to relaxation. The main saloon is roomy and bright, with plenty of comfortable and sociably arranged seating, and a big plasma TV. The room is served by its own bar on the port side. Upstairs, there is a more private but still surprisingly spacious upper saloon, spanning the full width of the deck, with doors leading outside to the upper dining table, and its own big, inviting bar.
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