HIGH FLYER

Many a superyacht is a passion project, but the creation of the 224ft Abeking & Rasmussen (A&R) motor yacht Soaring marks a significant achievement for her owner and designer alike.

German studio Focus Yacht Design became involved in its first collaboration with nearby A&R after being invited to join a design competition. “They knew our work and had the feeling that it could be a good match for this project. It turned out that they were right,” says Thomas Mühe, managing director of the Bremen-based design studio.

The owner wanted an exterior that “wouldn’t be mistaken for any other yacht on the horizon,” Mühe says. “It was important to keep the lines elegant, fluid and harmonic.” Focus’s exterior concept fitted the bill, with its modern, sporty styling that’s not too over the top. A gray hull with a vivid boot-stripe meets a white superstructure, which is broken up by