April Fool was built by Feadship in the Netherlands and launched in 2006. The asking price at the time was 60,000,000 euros and, at 61 metres in length, it entered the list of the 100 largest Superyachts at number 93.
As the sun was setting, April Fool arrived in Symi for, I believe, the first time, and after an initial attempt to tie-up on the southern side of the harbour, moved over to the other side. It is rare indeed for private yachts this large to grace the main harbour of Symi, but it provides the perfect backdrop to show off this yacht's beauty.
You can enjoy the photographs of April Fool in Symi while reading sections of a review written about it at the time.
Everybody is leery of the first day of April, but don't let caution keep you from admiring this 200-foot Feadship. Her owner not only used the date to launch his new yacht but firmly affixed same to her nameplate: April Fool. Charter service not being in her immediate future, her arrangement and outfitting reflect a strong design sensibility; her interior, was described in The World's Most Extraordinary Yachts as "modern, clean and efficient."
The same phrase is perfect to describe April Fool. Subdued yet exquisitely tasteful, she is remarkably free of the purposeless glitz that afflicts too many yachts today. The same can be said of her exterior styling, completed by De Voogt Naval Architects, the in-house design arm of Feadship. It is a traditional Feadship, a classic raised-bow profile that will look as good in 20 years as it does today.
Achieving that classic appearance aboard April Fool, though, was not as easy for De Voogt as it has been on other recent yachts in this size range. Compared with other Feadships, the elevator and associated staircases aboard April Fool are relatively farther aft, not in line with the traditional starboard side entry but rather between the dining room and the main saloon. With the entire belowdecks suite of guest accommodations located abaft the engineroom, putting the elevator aft allows it to be central to the guest areas on all four decks. It even goes to the sundeck, where the elevator lobby under the expanded radar arch has been enclosed to create a compact gymnasium with the world's best view.
The entire yachting world is now more concerned with too much sun exposure, and April Fool's owner is no exception. Because of that, Feadship developed a new awning system that has made its first appearance on April Fool. From the radar arch, curved tracks on each side (prominent features in the profile) extend forward to support a retractable awning that can be deployed to shade the four-stool bar and pop-up television, dining and seating areas. Forward, clear of the awning and elevated for a fabulous view of the sea, is a circular whirlpool spa with sunpads on either side.
The other end of the sundeck is fitted with an extendable dining table for up to 12 guests, served by a barbeque grill that slides away when not in use; carbon-fiber posts and tracks can be erected by the crew to support a full-beam canopy. Under way at sea, this area can be used to transport a man-overboard boat that is launched by a crane built into the bulwark at the port side.
Because April Fool is not in charter, and because the owner prefers to cruise with a limited number of guests, the yacht has only four guest staterooms in addition to the master suite. The result, on a yacht of this length, is that each guest enjoys VIP status with space and amenities not often found in guest cabins. Situated between the engineroom and the stern garage, there are two staterooms with king berths forward. These two staterooms are slightly larger than the aft stateroom, with an extra closet and desk. The two aft staterooms are fitted with twin berths, convertible to kings by sliding the twins together. All have en suite baths with showers and private toilet compartments, and the forward baths have Hollywood-style mirrors framed with rows of lights. At the touch of a button, the mirrors drop into pockets below sink level, exposing the portlight behind.
There is also a guest day room, finished like the rest of the guest area in whitewashed oak. This room is fitted with a television, computer and entertainment center for the owner's grandchildren. A settee in this room converts to a berth for an additional guest or two.
The master stateroom enjoys a level of grandeur and distinction all its own. Unlike the rest of April Fool, which is finished in oak, the master suite is cherry, accented with blue and white fabrics. The full-beam bath is shared, but the large dressing rooms are his-and-hers. His has leather flooring for a masculine feel, and hers is finished in white with pastel carpeting. The bath includes a shower, sauna and oval tub, all with gold fixtures.
The master suite enjoys an abundance of light-in the bathroom, the sleeping room, the dressing rooms and the adjoining library-and a wide view through oversized hullside windows. The glass is reinforced, laminated and chemically treated to achieve a level of toughness that renders the installation of storm shutters unnecessary at sea. Not only is this better for aesthetics, but it eliminates a lot of difficult work for the crew.
In conjunction with cut-down sections of bulwark outboard of the sidedecks, the same large expanses of glass make the views from the main-deck saloon and bridge-deck skylounge much more enjoyable. The saloon is a lovely room, with shades of white, beige and blue nicely framed by oak joinerwork. It features a game table for four in one corner, a reading nook for two in another, and a large sofa and four chairs surrounding a circular glass cocktail table facing the retractable video screen. Large bookcases form the forward bulkhead, nicely framing the entrance to the elevator lobby and the dining room beyond.
The dining room's circular ash table expands, with four removable leaves, to seat up to 14 guests. Chairs in hues of red, white and blue bring a splash of color, and sit atop a carpet with concentric shades of blue that are reminiscent of the sea just outside the six large windows. Modern, clean and efficient with good looks and easy functionality, this superb yacht is the quintessential Feadship. We should all be so lucky as to experience an April Fool such as this.
As the sun was setting, April Fool arrived in Symi for, I believe, the first time, and after an initial attempt to tie-up on the southern side of the harbour, moved over to the other side. It is rare indeed for private yachts this large to grace the main harbour of Symi, but it provides the perfect backdrop to show off this yacht's beauty.
You can enjoy the photographs of April Fool in Symi while reading sections of a review written about it at the time.
Everybody is leery of the first day of April, but don't let caution keep you from admiring this 200-foot Feadship. Her owner not only used the date to launch his new yacht but firmly affixed same to her nameplate: April Fool. Charter service not being in her immediate future, her arrangement and outfitting reflect a strong design sensibility; her interior, was described in The World's Most Extraordinary Yachts as "modern, clean and efficient."
The same phrase is perfect to describe April Fool. Subdued yet exquisitely tasteful, she is remarkably free of the purposeless glitz that afflicts too many yachts today. The same can be said of her exterior styling, completed by De Voogt Naval Architects, the in-house design arm of Feadship. It is a traditional Feadship, a classic raised-bow profile that will look as good in 20 years as it does today.
Achieving that classic appearance aboard April Fool, though, was not as easy for De Voogt as it has been on other recent yachts in this size range. Compared with other Feadships, the elevator and associated staircases aboard April Fool are relatively farther aft, not in line with the traditional starboard side entry but rather between the dining room and the main saloon. With the entire belowdecks suite of guest accommodations located abaft the engineroom, putting the elevator aft allows it to be central to the guest areas on all four decks. It even goes to the sundeck, where the elevator lobby under the expanded radar arch has been enclosed to create a compact gymnasium with the world's best view.
The entire yachting world is now more concerned with too much sun exposure, and April Fool's owner is no exception. Because of that, Feadship developed a new awning system that has made its first appearance on April Fool. From the radar arch, curved tracks on each side (prominent features in the profile) extend forward to support a retractable awning that can be deployed to shade the four-stool bar and pop-up television, dining and seating areas. Forward, clear of the awning and elevated for a fabulous view of the sea, is a circular whirlpool spa with sunpads on either side.
The other end of the sundeck is fitted with an extendable dining table for up to 12 guests, served by a barbeque grill that slides away when not in use; carbon-fiber posts and tracks can be erected by the crew to support a full-beam canopy. Under way at sea, this area can be used to transport a man-overboard boat that is launched by a crane built into the bulwark at the port side.
Because April Fool is not in charter, and because the owner prefers to cruise with a limited number of guests, the yacht has only four guest staterooms in addition to the master suite. The result, on a yacht of this length, is that each guest enjoys VIP status with space and amenities not often found in guest cabins. Situated between the engineroom and the stern garage, there are two staterooms with king berths forward. These two staterooms are slightly larger than the aft stateroom, with an extra closet and desk. The two aft staterooms are fitted with twin berths, convertible to kings by sliding the twins together. All have en suite baths with showers and private toilet compartments, and the forward baths have Hollywood-style mirrors framed with rows of lights. At the touch of a button, the mirrors drop into pockets below sink level, exposing the portlight behind.
There is also a guest day room, finished like the rest of the guest area in whitewashed oak. This room is fitted with a television, computer and entertainment center for the owner's grandchildren. A settee in this room converts to a berth for an additional guest or two.
The master stateroom enjoys a level of grandeur and distinction all its own. Unlike the rest of April Fool, which is finished in oak, the master suite is cherry, accented with blue and white fabrics. The full-beam bath is shared, but the large dressing rooms are his-and-hers. His has leather flooring for a masculine feel, and hers is finished in white with pastel carpeting. The bath includes a shower, sauna and oval tub, all with gold fixtures.
The master suite enjoys an abundance of light-in the bathroom, the sleeping room, the dressing rooms and the adjoining library-and a wide view through oversized hullside windows. The glass is reinforced, laminated and chemically treated to achieve a level of toughness that renders the installation of storm shutters unnecessary at sea. Not only is this better for aesthetics, but it eliminates a lot of difficult work for the crew.
In conjunction with cut-down sections of bulwark outboard of the sidedecks, the same large expanses of glass make the views from the main-deck saloon and bridge-deck skylounge much more enjoyable. The saloon is a lovely room, with shades of white, beige and blue nicely framed by oak joinerwork. It features a game table for four in one corner, a reading nook for two in another, and a large sofa and four chairs surrounding a circular glass cocktail table facing the retractable video screen. Large bookcases form the forward bulkhead, nicely framing the entrance to the elevator lobby and the dining room beyond.
The dining room's circular ash table expands, with four removable leaves, to seat up to 14 guests. Chairs in hues of red, white and blue bring a splash of color, and sit atop a carpet with concentric shades of blue that are reminiscent of the sea just outside the six large windows. Modern, clean and efficient with good looks and easy functionality, this superb yacht is the quintessential Feadship. We should all be so lucky as to experience an April Fool such as this.
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Comments
Updated 17/05/2009, 13:48, 1076 hits
Joanie said on 17/05/2009, 16:29
Just fabulous