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Vijonara's owners had plenty of big ideas for her custom build. One of the earliest requests was for a bowsprit, the purpose of which was twofold. e first was for practical reasons. A true evocation of vintage sailing yachts, the bowsprit carries larger downwind sails, which in turn deliver more power in addition to the improved ease of handling the yacht with a small crew. e second, however, was simply for the thrill of lounging in the ship's netting while at sea. "Despite her classic lines, Vijonara is a thoroughly modern sailing yacht with a very powerful sail plan, but those long elegant overhangs also mean you lose interior volume and a major challenge during construction was fitting everything in," says Ingram. "For safety reasons, the owners also requested quite high bulwarks on what is a very sleek hull with a low freeboard. is pushed the deck down and we had to be careful to maintain the ceiling heights below deck because the owner is quite tall." e owner's called for a new deck layout with Vijonara's helm station in the midship and an a suite featuring a study in the deckhouse and a gym. For the ship's interior décor, the team tapped Hermès. Inside, the luxury French brand used its signature leather and white stitching, a color palette well-suited for the ship's understated brushed metal and nautical blue accents. Couple its chic style with exterior features such as its teak deck, Vijonara pays homage to both sailing's sophisticated past and imaginative future. Also working closely with the yacht's owners, Hoek's role in the owner's distinct vision was crucial to Vijonara's short construction window. Using modern 3D scanning technology, the Dutch naval architect ensured the symmetry of what would become the second Truly Classic 128 sloop—down to the last inch of aluminum. It was also the task of the designer to restructure the ship's deck to be both practical and unique to the owner's personal tastes. V U E N J . C O M 96

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