Lürssen Ahpo, heaven can’t wait

The flagship of the fleet exhibited at the Monaco showcase event dedicated to super and mega yachts, Ahpo, attracted the gaze, admiration and interest of visitors and insiders alike for her size, undoubtedly, but also for the lines elaborated by Nuvolari Lenard and – for those who had the opportunity to delve deeper – for its engineering and technical content. If paradise is achieved when one has the opportunity to savour sharing one’s time with one’s family and loved ones, when one has the opportunity to enjoy one’s leisure and interests to the full or, again, when one can truly relax in absolute privacy, then there is no doubt that on the 115-metre Ahpo there is no need to make a choice between these options.

There is nothing on board – from the immensity of the furnished outdoor areas to that of the interior volumes, from the study of the layout and the routes reserved for guests (14, in addition to the owner’s couple) and crew (a good 37 people) to the workmanship of the furnishings, from the meticulously customised décor to the technology employed, from the construction and manufacturing quality to the quantity of gadgets and water toys available – that is not a perfect representation of the state of the art signed and ‘formed’ by Lürssen.

The sheer size certainly helps, but it is only by visiting and, above all, experiencing the yacht that one gets the exact idea of how on board Ahpo one can spend hours in absolute privacy or, on the contrary, spend moments of shared recreation. It is likely that the long voyages and stays at sea will allow the owner’s family and guests – as well as those who choose her for their holidays thanks to the charter opportunity offered by Moran Yacht & Ship, who also supervised the construction – to enjoy both opportunities, depending on time and mood. One thing is certain: from whichever angle you look at the ship, the ‘wow effect’ is guaranteed.

And that’s not all: “However you reach Ahpo,” says Carlo Nuvolari, “you are sure to make guests aboard the two 12-metre ‘limo’ tenders that serve the yacht feel an absolute delight in the aesthetics, the level of perfection achieved and the extraordinary completeness of the amenities present. The desire was to make them fall in love with Ahpo”. And indeed, it is difficult not to fall in love with the profile, which highlights the perfect balance of shapes and features, with the sleek lines of the bow portion that are well matched by the soft, streamlined lines of the superstructure and the design of the stern, overlooked by the immense furnished outdoor areas of the upper decks.

“At the shipyard,” emphasises Peter Lürssen, “we were aware that we had to build a yacht for an owner who had already commissioned an 86-metre from us and had also sailed for many years aboard others of our vessels on the charter circuit. A great admirer of Lürssen, then, but with inevitably very high expectations; so much so that for Ahpo he asked for the highest levels of equipment in terms of design, engineering solutions, safety and comfort when sailing, to guarantee his family and crew the very best they could wish for. This consolidated a relationship of trust and relations that had been going on for some time and which made the entire Lürssen team – designers, engineers, workers – proud to have been able to face and brilliantly overcome a very demanding challenge.”

One of the personal requests was to have the essential elements of nature reproduced in the interior work, which had to represent a recurring motif in the décor without, however, lapsing into redundancy or opulence for its own sake. What was to emerge, as desired by the owner, was the genuine richness of the workmanship, the chromatic harmony, the beauty of nature in bloom. The style, refined and at the same time very original, is expressed in all its power in the area of the lower deck dedicated to wellness: a 205-square-metre space of great presence, so much so that it can also be used as an entrance on board for guests. Entering through the door on the transom, one is immediately captured by a real bamboo grove protected by a backlit frosted glass panel. It forms the backdrop to a stylistically sophisticated bar counter on one side and a luxurious massage parlour on the other.

The Zen atmosphere that one breathes here is contrasted by the explosion of colours of the mosaic tiles that cover the hammam, the day head, the Jacuzzi and the small pool, which together represent the fulcrum around which the entire area develops. Completing the area dedicated to relaxation is a terrace flush with the water, which can be furnished with chaise longues and sun loungers and can be used when at anchor. Further forward is a cinema room with twelve armchairs, whose wallpaper echoes the mosaic motif of the spa.

Immediately below the lobby one enters one of Ahpo’s most interesting and unusual areas: a glass corridor gives direct access to the engine room, a futuristic passageway that allows owners and guests to view the majestic engines and mechanical parts that make up the engine rooms at any time they wish. A ‘tour’ not to be missed.

In the aft area of the main deck, on the other hand, there is the first of the spaces designed and built with the utmost flexibility of use in mind: a conference room with the ever-present table at centre stage, a superb piece of furniture with a bronze engraving of an ancient geographical map of Jamaica surrounded by deep blue resin work, surmounted by an immense crystal chandelier that catches the eye.

The discretion required by the decisions that will surely be made here is assured by a system of perimeter sliding doors that isolate from outside distractions, ensuring maximum formality to the place. When open, they instead connect with the adjoining main hall dominated by a Steinway automatic piano. At the front, another series of openings leads to the dining area for formal dinners.
Being able to have three separate areas on the same deck makes it possible to satisfy both the desire for rest and relaxation typical of a holiday, as well as that of being able to carry out meetings and professional activities in privacy even on the open sea. This is all the more so on the deck reserved for the owner, whose apartment (245 square metres and a 95-square-metre panoramic salon on the upper deck, reached by a majestic private staircase) in its design and furnishings also recalls the atmosphere of intimacy and serenity required by the oasis of rest par excellence.

The invitation is evident, for example, in the headboard of the bed, a custom-made ‘backdrop’ with the mosaic motif of the main bathrooms and the patterns of maple leaves and blue birds recurring in the suite’s décor. The layout, which deliberately does not include external walkways so as to protect the privacy of the owners, is all about intimacy. On the owner’s deck there are also two guest cabins reserved for family members. Another four are located on the main deck while the seventh is on the lower deck, in the wellness area opposite the cinema, designed for younger, more active guests who spend most of their time in the beach club and always in direct contact with the water.

The theme of nature literally blossoms outdoors thanks to the inclusion of ornamental plants that become an integral part of the furnishings and the en plein air setting. The aft area of the owner’s deck has a winter garden with a huge dining table for sixteen diners that can be enjoyed in all weather conditions and at any time of year: a complex system of glass sliding doors allows the area to be opened or closed completely to broaden the range of entertainment and leisure opportunities with family and friends, without confining the yacht’s usability to the summer season alone. Heaven, on board Ahpo, really can’t wait.

Length o.a.m 115.10
Beam m 18.21
Draft m 4.30
Displacement t 3,520
Water lt 50,000
Guest 16 in 8 cabins
Crew 37 in 21 cabins
Construction material hull steel
Construction material superstructure aluminium

ENGINES

2 x MTU 20V 4000 M73 L (3.200 kW at 1.970 rpm)
Fuel lt 400,000
Max speed knots 18
Cruising speed knots 12
Range at 12 knots nm 8,500

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE

Lürssen Yachts

EXTERIOR DESIGN

Nuvolari Lenard

INTERIOR DESIGN

Nuvolari Lenard

ADDRESS

Lürssen Yachts
Bremen, Germany
Tel. 0049 (0) 421 6604-166, www.lurssen.com