Oceano: S/Y Black Pearl

Among the largest private sailing yachts in the world, Black Pearl has more than her size to make her stand out. The three monumental DynaRig carbon masts (each 70m in length – with distinctive black sails are hard to ignore, as are the recently unveiled raised pilot house and extensive sundeck.

Accommodating 12 guests in six cabins, she has an interior volume of 2,700GT and is reputed to be one of the “greenest yachts” yet made. The grand nature of Black Pearl comes as no surprise given the wealth of talent that has worked alongside Oceanco’s in-house team to build her.

British firm BMT Nigel Gee helped to create the hybrid propulsion system; Amsterdam’s Dykstra Naval Architects designed the masts and sailing system; and Ken Freivokh, Nuvolari Lenard and Gerard P Villate – from the UK, Italy and France respectively – had hands in aspects of the exterior and interior design.

Centurion first set eyes on the yacht in the Dutch shipyard during building and was already impressed by the sheer size of the hull. Now, fully DynaRigg-ed, Black Pearl is even more like a precious jewel on the water.

Visit oceancoyacht.com

Perini Navi: Seven

With its facilities in Viareggio, La Spezia and Turkey, Perini Navi has managed to be both a highly prolific and innovative shipbuilder, with 62 yachts in its portfolio and a status as the leading player in the production of push-button sailing yachts.

The technology behind these was, of course, developed by Fabio Perini himself in 1983 and the company, even under new management, continues to stretch the boundaries of its craft. Its latest delivery, the ketch-rigged Seven particularly catches the eye. Centurion was lucky enough to glimpse the yacht as the finishing touches were applied to her, when visiting the Perini Navi terrace at this year’s Versilia Yachting Rendez-vous in May.

With an exterior by Ron Holland and interior by Dante O Benini & Partners, she boasts accommodation for up to ten guests and Panamax aluminium masts. As Lamberto Tacoli, chairman and CEO of the shipyard, says, the first launch since Perini Navi entered into the partnership agreement with the Tabacchi family “is testament to how the company has kept its core values intact”.

Visit perininavi.it

Royal Huisman: S/Y Ngoni

The challenge from the owner to Royal Huisman was clear: “Build me a beast Don’t build me a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” And with Ngoni, the Dutch shipyard has delivered precisely that. Named after a tribe in southeastern Africa – and their unique language – the high-performance sloop is the “fast and furious, innovative weapon” of the owner’s dreams.

The late Ed Dubois, the master naval architect behind such yachts as Kokomo, Mondango and Twizzle, is responsible for a design in which a slender aluminium hull is preferred to a carbon one as, while the latter is lighter, it makes for a less comfortable journey when cruising long distances.

And after all, comfort on board can go hand in hand with “The Beast” on the water. The interior is a sophisticated design by Rick Baker and includes individually created doors, panels and surfaces by Officina Coppola that make use of materials not commonly found on ships.

A glass deckhouse provides the perfect environment for relaxing, while below deck at aft is the owner’s apartment, as well as two further guest cabins.

Visit royalhuisman.com