Panache - Eidsgaard Design

Back in 2009, and following on from the success of their highly acclaimed 60m platform, (Slipstream and Cloud 9) CMN’s sales and marketing manager Cyril Le Sourd approached Eidsgaard Design with a brief to realise a new 65m flagship yacht. This was to be the biggest yacht in CMN’s portfolio, and was to take all the technical and engineering lessons learned from the 60m, develop and enhance them to ensure CMN’s continued ascent amongst the ranks of first class European shipbuilders.

Technical improvements to the stretched 60m platform have stemmed from a number of sources, but none perhaps as informed and useful as those provided by the crew and Captains of the yachts already launched. This point is made by Le Sourd who says, “who better to deliver an informed response to the overall workings, functionality and layout of a yacht than the crew who are onboard in all working conditions, be it service or on deck week in week out 24/7”. Cyril has worked tirelessly to build on these relationships and ensure that his team of builders and technicians do everything to modify and adapt existing engineering ensuring each yacht delivered is better than the last. The following are a number of improvements that will come as standard on board the 65m Panache.

Black and Grey water treatment according to MARPOL 2010, a re-engineered engine room to fit soot filters on all gensets. Ultra silent bow thrusters, gensets C9 EL power increase from 3x190 kVA to 3x205 kVA, an A/V package that includes VSAT 4004/4009 aerials and computer package, all crew quarters meet the new ILO regulations and the yacht lighting system is full LED.

Most of the technical improvements are governed by three key objectives:
- Guests service and comfort.
- Ease of maintenance by crew.
- To reduce the impact on the environment

Having worked extensively with both creative directors Peder Eidsgaard and Ben Harrison prior to the formation of their company, CMN were in no doubt as to the choice of Eidsgaard Design for the Interior and Exterior of Panache. Following a meeting at the 2009 MYS, the outline of the brief was laid out. CMN wished to create a fully engineered, build able, elegant yacht, which was to be cutting edge in every technical respect, and yet without shouting “radical” or “revolutionary”.
Eidsgaard design immediately looked to the golden era of the liner, and the enormous contribution made to it by French ship builders. As Peder Eidsgaard explains “ we really wanted to capture the romance and purity of line so well demonstrated in yachts built around the 1930’s, and yet maintain the crisp, contemporary exterior forms that have become the trademark of EDL exteriors”. Peder was also keen to point out that the use of alternative paint colours for the hull and superstructure help to define the exterior, and give focus and dynamics to those elements he wished to highlight, another EDL trademark.

Upon closer inspection an increasing number of Eidsgaard Design’s beautifully refined details become apparent, giving the yacht an originality that will set it apart from its more conventional rivals. One such detail that demonstrates EDL’s originality is the way in which the bulwark “wings” wrap under the extending deck plates creating a unique architectural feature, which is then carried through to the interior.

It is evident throughout the yacht that the distinctions between interior and exterior spaces have been intentionally blurred. On main deck the option is being offered to owners to have fold down balconies port and starboard that sit facing full height sliding glass doors to the interior. Ben Harrison comments that this is intended to increase the guests’ connection with the exterior, and give the viewer an uninterrupted view to the horizon, especially when seated in the starboard lounge area. The Owner’s cabin offers the same option with fold down balconies perfect for that private breakfast, or sharing a sunset cocktail while at anchor.

Sitting above this on upper deck, Eidsgaard design have crafted an exceptional series of spaces that take you aft through the cinema lounge with outboard facing bar, the interior/exterior dining area for 12 to the exquisite aft facing panoramic seating area. It was vitally important to the designers to ensure that no heavy rails or frames were used in making up the glass screens that enclose the dining area. It was therefore decided to enclose the space but not to make it weather tight, saving on weight and avoiding a threshold or track in the deck. This allows conditioned air to be pumped into the space bringing down the temperature, and acting like an air curtain to the upper salon so that the doors here can remain open while the dining area is enclosed. When dining these frameless glass panels can be slid into position to prevent unwanted breezes, or fully opened to create an enormous aft deck area.

Moving to the Sun deck, the Owner has the option of carrying the rescue tender under the aft sun pad, following modifications to create a portion of this deck in composite. The resultant thinning of the deck allowed the designers to create a sump beneath the sunbathing platform that discreetly hides both the crane and tender. For a casual lunch there is a centreline table for 12 forward of this tender bay, with an electrically operated awning above offering guests the option of dining beneath the stars. The third and perhaps most exciting area is the raised Jacuzzi lounge that sits at the forward end of the sun deck. Up three steps is this fabulously relaxed sun pad and sofa area, which can be completely privatised from the crew via motorised roller blinds enclosed between glass screens. The glass screens also act as a windbreak to the dining area aft, but more importantly give a level of intimacy to this area, especially when watching the pop up 62” LED cinema screen.

Throughout the yacht whether on the crew’s side or within the Owner’s areas EDL has striven to improve on CMN’s existing 60m platform. The crew stair now runs in one line from bilge deck to bridge deck, rather than the dog legs and corridors of the 60m. A crew galley allows limited food preparation adjacent to the mess, large linen and luggage stores sit adjacent to the enormous Guest cabins that now have the added luxury of a guest pantry. The Owners cabin is still full beam, but has been elevated to give superb panoramic views forward rather than being limited by the size and number of portholes.

CMN’s brief to produce a wonderfully elegant yacht with exciting contemporary spaces, has certainly been met by Eidsgaard Design, together they have succeeded in creating the quintessentially French flagship for CMN’s fleet.