Boat of the Week: The Elegant 295-Foot Superyacht Will Transport You Back to New York’s Art Deco Period
The legend states that only one mythical phoenix can live at a time, and true to form, the 295-foot Phoenix 2 is like no other superyacht on the water. Built by Lürssen from a Winch Design, it embodies an owner’s vision to own one of the most unusual yachts ever built, complete with a 16-foot-long metal sculpture of the mythical bird as the bowsprit.
“Phoenix 2 is an extravagant and heavily personalized boat, and I still hold her up as one of the best projects we’ve ever done,” Jim Dixon, Winch’s director of yachts and aviation, told Robb Report.
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The principal owner was heavily involved in the boat’s design. Though he passed away a few years after taking delivery in May 2010, the yacht has remained in the family. Phoenix 2 was his second Winch-designed yacht, but his first new build.
The former, also named Phoenix, was penned for a different owner who had requested a Parisian art-deco theme. Phoenix 2 was the boat that he wanted to build, and New York was his art-deco city of choice.
“The owner was a powerful businessman and very proud of it,” says Dixon. “He wanted Phoenix 2 to reference the boom time of 1920s New York—the art-deco architecture and that period of industrialization. It was much stronger in character than his previous yacht.”
In a subtle nod to the Big Apple, the external side decks are large enough for two people to comfortably walk abreast, and the New York skyline is outlined in polished stainless-steel on the upper deck bar stools. A more overt example of the theme is the plated stainless-steel Phoenix sculpture on the bow, which is a direct representation of the eagles on the Chrysler building.
“The owner wanted his yacht to be longer than his friend’s, so we welded and bolted on a 16-foot phoenix figurehead on the bow,” Andrew Winch told Robb Report. “It’s absolutely enormous, weighs 5.5 tons and gave the owner the extra 16 feet he was looking for.”
The interior keeps to four main colors—black, cream, gold and burgundy—with high-gloss macassar wood and gold leaf used to reflect 1920s glamor.
A central element is the owner’s love of classical music, piano and opera. On the main deck is an orchestral-themed formal dining room, which has a large six-paneled gold bas relief frieze of jazz musicians crafted by DKT. Behind each panel is storage for the custom china and glassware. The dining table is inlaid with white cowbone and black wood to form piano keys, while each dining chair has an instrument embroidered on the back. On the floor, black and cream carpets echo a piano keyboard.
Adjacent is a round room with a reinforced floor where a custom black-and-gold Steinway piano sits. Designed as a one-off, it has a phoenix emblazoned on its side and took two years to build. The crew of 28 include a pianist and guitarist, as well as a massage therapist and chocolatier.
“The owner was a consummate host and Phoenix 2 was all about dining, music and entertainment,” says Winch. “He liked to think that his dinner guests became the orchestra, while he was seated at the head as the conductor.”
The yacht also has a spa, gym and hammam for relaxation. A wine cellar is stocked with the finest Italian and Bordeaux wines. The owner’s love of art is evident in the yacht’s prized collection, including a Modigliani in one of the guest suites.
The art-deco theme continues in the lower-deck cinema. On the top deck is a second outdoor cinema and a swimming pool with portholes in the floor to allow natural light to fill the staterooms below.
The forward master suite is spread across two levels.
On the main deck is the bedroom, dressing room and ensuite, with another elaborate mural and a vanity table with refrigerated cosmetic drawers. A private spiral staircase leads to the owner’s deck with an observation lounge and office where a desk made from high gloss macassar and mother of pearl inlay takes pride of place.
“The owner felt the panoramic views would be wasted on a master bedroom where he wouldn’t spend as much time,” says Dixon. “A private lounge gives him another level of privacy and is the room the family enjoy spending time in the most.”
Though the yacht no longer carries a helicopter, there are two available landing pads for private use. The main helipad on the aft deck leads straight into the winter garden with a dining table for 20 guests. “It’s an incredible welcome area. Guests arriving by helicopter get slapped in the face by the extravagance and size of the onboard space,” says Dixon.
One of the few changes made since the original design is an extension to the swim platform. Though the principal didn’t live to enjoy his yacht for as long as hoped, his family has cruised Europe and the Caribbean. “The yacht crosses the Atlantic every year,” Captain Ian Howcroft told Robb Report.
For sale for $134 million with yacht broker Burgess, Phoenix 2 is ready to rise from the ashes and give a modern Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan a chance to foxtrot around the high seas.
Click here to see more images of Phoenix 2.
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