In April the SYT team headed to Palma, Mallorca, for the Palma International Boat Show and Superyacht Village. Predominantly a sailing yacht sales and charter event, the boat show never fails to disappoint those who enjoy to step aboard a full spectrum of yachts, from Spirit of Tradition schooners such as the 55-metre Elena of London and the 40.23-metre Naema, to streamlined sloops like the Southern Wind Morgana, or the eco-focused catamarans of Sunreef.
One of the more interesting yachts exhibited at this year’s event, was the 36.19-metre Alloy sailing yacht Miss Silver. Originally owned by Neville Crichton, the famous businessman and motor and yacht racer from New Zealand, Miss Silver was born from a collaboration between Alloy, Ed Dubois and RWD; a world-class yachting pedigree.
Launched in 1995, the super sailing yacht has consistently validated Alloy’s international reputation for building ferocious, regatta winner sailing yachts and was crowned with her most recent title at the 2021 Millenium Cup. In 2019 the yacht changed hands for only the second time. Purchased by another Kiwi businessman, the yacht was cherished as a home-away-from-home during the pandemic, with her owners living aboard with family and cruising whenever possible.
After a number of months sailing and exploring the Pacific islands, in 2021 her owner decided it was time to give the yacht a thorough makeover. While her original interior was well configured, it was also very much of its time, with panelled interiors, dark furnishings and leather sofas. She had begun to look her age and with her owner considering the sale of the yacht, Miss Silver returned to Auckland where she was due to undergo the refit.
Alloy Yachts, however, had closed its doors in 2016 due to a decreased demand for large sailing yachts and the team had been disbanded. While New Zealand has its fair share of yacht owners and certainly a very large number of sub-24-metre sailing and motor yachts, few big boat facilities survived and many of the shipwrights had pivoted careers into different sectors. Through friendships with a number of Alloy yacht owners, Miss Silver’s owner managed to connect with a number of the original team who’d built her back in the 1990s. He hired a shed in Auckland and bought the yacht ashore, working on the redesign with the old Alloy chief designer and unifying as many of the original team as could be found.
“It was a brilliant experience, these guys stepping back onboard the yacht after 25 years who knew her inside and out and who had memories of working on her in their 20s and 30s,” explained the owner. “We stripped most of the original interior right out with the goal of creating a contemporary and bright aesthetic that gave her a new lease of life.”
In the original design, Miss Silver featured a lounge at the top of the companionway but its use was negligible and awkward. In the refit, the space was reconfigured and now features a small table with rounded seating area to the starboard side and a well appointed bar to the port, meaning that a chilled glass of wine is only a few feet away from the cockpit.
The configuration of the saloon and dining area, which is situated on the lower deck amidships, has remained the same as the original, however the Asian-inspired panelling has been removed and replaced. The wood throughout the interior has also been stripped and lightened, with the upholstery and soft furnishings modernised throughout.
The master stateroom, which is situated to stern, is a cavernous space for a yacht of this size, featuring a large centralised double bed, spacious bathroom and an abundance of storage. Like the rest of the yacht, and all of the staterooms, this room has been lightened and modernised, with the dark wood replaced for a lighter varnish and the bathroom refreshed.
Miss Silver is now on the market, looking as good as she did in 1995 and is ready to take on another 25 years of adventure with new owners. Despite being on the market, her owner is excited about being onboard in the months ahead and you can expect to see her battling it out on the Mediterranean circuit this summer and she will be making an appearance in June at the Palma Superyacht Cup so make sure to keep your eyes peeled.
Miss Silver is currently on the market with Cecil Wright.
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