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With her name derived
from the phrase sine qua non, meaning simply indispensable, S.Q.N.
is richly endowed with qualities her owner deems essential. The largest
motoryacht to date from New Zealand-based Alloy Yachts International,
she was built for the yard’s chairman, Gary Lane. With a prominent
reputation more closely associated with large custom sailing yachts, Alloy
is the largest megayacht builder in New Zealand, having launched more
100-plus-footers than all other builders in the country combined. And
while Alloy now builds about three megayachts each year, prior to S.Q.N.,
the last motoryacht launched from the yard was the 115-foot, 25-knot A
Khaliq way back in 1997.
Though the mainstay
of Alloy’s order book is sailing yachts, Lane’s personal
preference is power. Throughout his 15-year association with the yard,
Lane has wanted to have an Alloy-built vessel, so when a slot opened
up in the production schedule three years ago, he booked an order for
the 126-footer that would become S.Q.N., designed by the U.K.-based
Dubois Naval Architects. Not only was Lane ready to move up from his
100-footer, he also wanted to give the yard an opportunity to “demonstrate
its flexibility to go either way, sail or power.”
One of the features
Lane considers essential in a yacht is maximum outdoor space for entertaining,
since he does much of his yachting under the fair skies of the Mediterranean.
Thus, S.Q.N. was designed with a two-and-a-half-deck (rather
than a full trideck) layout that creates a larger flying bridge and
a lower, sleeker profile. And rather than taking up precious space on
the bridge deck for tender stowage, the RIB is stowed in an athwartship
garage beneath the aft deck, launched through a door in the port side
of the hull via a retractable gantry. The novel arrangement easily accommodates
the tender, yet takes up much less space than the usual fore-and-aft
garage would have. For more outdoor fun, there’s a smaller RIB
and a PWC stowed on the foredeck with a davit, all hidden from view
behind the yacht’s generous bulwarks. There’s also a dive
compressor and compressed air outlet in the forepeak.
The flying bridge
is suited for outdoor living at its best and seems to offer something
for everyone. Forward is a full centerline helm station with forward-facing
seats for several guests, and aft there’s a circular spa pool
flanked by sunpads. Sheltered beneath a hardtop in the center of the
flying bridge, there’s a dining table and chairs just aft of the
helm station, along with a full wet bar, ice maker, and barbecue. Tinted
panels in the hardtop allow sunlight and sky gazing but keep out harsh
glare and the occasional raindrops.
A similarly interesting
setup is found on the aft deck. A pneumatically sliding awning covers
a beautiful oval table that can accommodate alfresco dining for ten, or
retracts to afford unobstructed views. The beautifully appointed area
is an entirely suitable point of embarkation for guests, most of whom
probably won’t notice the docking station concealed by a hinged panel
near the stern.
Lane’s preferences
are reflected in the yacht’s interior, too, thanks to a successful
collaboration with Donald Starkey that produced the air of “casual
elegance” he sought. A key element is the use of flat-panel finishes
rather than raised-panel motifs, which can appear heavier and more formal.
Bulkheads are finished with book-matched sycamore panels plus redwood
burr with v-groove detailing, together with leather and fabric panels.
A rich-looking silver leaf adorns the cabinets in the dining area, while
countertops, shower walls, and soles in the owner’s and guest areas
are executed in luxurious marble.
Next page >
Part 2: Another of Lane’s priorities was a sumptuous master stateroom. > Page 1, 2,
3, 4, 5
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