BOAT as ART
“There are just three vertical lines on this boat – everything else is at an angle,” says Nigel Stuart, the managing director of Spirit Yachts cheerfully when he shows me around the yard’s new flagship.
At 111ft LOA, Geist (German for spirit) dominates the small marina basin at Woolverstone on England’s muddy east coast. Gleaming brightwork is her calling card, but there’s really much more to this yacht than meets the eye. She is one of the most sustainable boats afloat, while her wood-rich interior elevates cabinetry to an artform.
Her German owner knew from the outset that he wanted a piece of art, and previous experience from owning a Spirit 52 had convinced him that the Ipswich yard was the outfit to deliver it.
“In most larger yachts, space is gained at the cost of detaching yourself from nature – higher freeboard and bulwarks for example,” he explains. “Being close to the water and to the environment is what drew me to yachts in the first place and this became central to my inspiration. Sean
