Every so often, a truly special yacht sails into the yachting industry, making its mark and transforming the very definition of a luxury yacht. HANIKON is one such example.
“She’s trans-Atlantic; she regularly goes over to the Caribbean on her own bottom,” explains Partner Henry Smith, when enthusiastically describing the myriad merits of HANIKON — adding that she’ll “regularly be in St. Barth’s for Christmas and New Year.”
As Henry later points out, it’s not uncommon for yachts of HANIKON’s size to cross the Atlantic under their own steam (impressive though this feat certainly may be). But HANIKON is by no means a run of the mill yacht. She may be in good company when it comes to crossing the Atlantic, but she’s a rare gem, whose sheer uniqueness is reflected in her unparalleled demand. “She’s an extremely popular charter vessel; she’s just completed a 13-week charter season, which is a lot for most charter yachts,” says Henry.
When it comes down to it, HANIKON’s popularity is wholly unsurprising. Built as HIGH CHAPARRAL, she’s a Feadship yacht with a cruising speed of 12.5 kts and a maximum speed of 14.0 kts. She sleeps 12 guests in 6 cabins, and her copious amenities include a jacuzzi, a bar and an outside cinema (all features that have taken on a newfound novelty following the pandemic — bars, especially, have become imbued with a rose-tinted fondness after the long, Covid-induced separation). So far, so Feadship — and HANIKON’s capacities are very much in line with what the yacht industry would typically come to expect from a yacht of Feadship calibre.
But what sets HANIKON apart has less to do with her enviable attributes, and more to do with her democratic layout — one that has evidently endeared her to many. “She’s got a very, very user-friendly layout with generous guest cabins,” explains Henry. “They’re all equally proportioned, so you have no hierarchical upset when people come on board. You have a master cabin that’s very large, with ‘his and hers’ bathrooms — which is fairly unusual for a yacht of this size. Normally, you’d have a shared bathroom for a yacht like this. But [with the equal proportioning of the guest cabins], there’s no dispute over someone being given preference for a VIP cabin, or anything like that.”
It’s a notable point, and one that serves to cement HANIKON as a worthy vessel for entertaining. The “hierarchical upset” that Henry mentioned is often something to be avoided at all costs: nothing can put a dampener on a journey like disgruntled guests feeling short-changed, overlooked or sidelined.
But it’s not just her non-hierarchical credentials that make HANIKON so vastly popular. Her sheer space makes her the natural go-to for a yacht on which to entertain. “She’s got an enormous Sky Lounge and the doors open out onto the Bridge Deck Aft to make one seamless outside/inside space — including a large dining table that expands to comfortably fit 16 people,” enthuses Henry. “[So] due to the uninterrupted deck spaces, it’s a phenomenal yacht for entertaining.”
It’s another salient point. The climate in which this yacht is sailing can’t be underestimated. With many Covid-centred fears still circulating, especially when it comes to confined spaces or claustrophobic environments, the value of the dazzlingly large, open spaces of HANIKON has surely skyrocketed.
And this is a yacht that doesn’t skimp on the important stuff, either. “Across the board, it’s extremely highly specified,” Henry points out. “She was built with little to no restriction on budget, in terms of mechanical elements. She’s been maintained extremely well, with little expense spared at all. The current owner spent a huge amount of money when he bought her on updating the AV systems to maximise the guest experience.”
Put simply: HANIKON is special. She fits neatly into the post-Covid era, with its incumbent demands and necessities. But she also transcends the confines of traditional yachts, her notable qualities bursting forth in much the manner as she herself sets off across the Atlantic. As Henry concludes: “while she’s [slightly older,] she has all the trappings of a far more modern yacht”. And if one thing’s for sure, it’s that HANIKON is, truly, a yacht of her time.
HANIKON:
Builder: Feadship
Designer: Terence Disdale Design
Build Year: 2004
Refit Year: 2017
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