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 Mamix 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 160ft 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 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 colorful, hard-wearing fabrics and furniture.
If s hard to talk about child-friendly interior too, designed by Andrew Winch, which launched in 2013 and is currently for sale. With a green hull inspired by pirate-themed cabins, secret doors and a shark hanging above the pool, it is a true child’s playground. More commonly, such design is restricted to kids’ cabins, but here creativity can flourish. Recent yachts have included giant murals, entire walls covered in plush toys and balloon-shaped chandeliers.
