DOWN WITH THE KIDS
When it comes to catering to children on board, one only has to look at recent yacht launches to see that today’s owners focus far more on keeping their little ones happy and entertained. “There has definitely been a shift in attitude,” says Marnix Hoekstra of Vripack. “Previously, clients would work on designing a grown-up boat and the kids would simply be expected to live on it. That’s no longer the case.”
Take the 48.8-metre Benetti Elaldrea+. While the adults enjoy the relaxing spa pool on the sundeck, the teenagers can spend their time at the transom where there is a large beach club and the opportunity for plenty of watersports. Meanwhile, the younger children can be chaperoned at the small, shallow saltwater pool on the bridge deck. There’s also a spot on the bridge deck with comfortable sofas and a PlayStation if the teenagers want to join. Elaldrea+’s interior is certainly overarchingly grown-up in design, featuring soft, buttery leathers, wood-framed silk walls and sculptural furniture, but there are concessions made for the kids’ areas, which feature colourful and hard-wearing fabrics and furniture.
