The first Truly Classic 127 Atalante has been delivered by Claasen Shipyards in the Netherlands to a delighted repeat client. Designer and naval architect André Hoek is equally impressed by this exceptional super yacht: “Atalante’s build quality and design place her among the finest boats in this category and confirms Claasen Shipyards’ position among the yacht building elite.”
Built for an experienced client, Atalante is a successor to a TC90 of the same name. The owner’s brief called for a larger, faster yacht with more comfortable accommodation for both guests and crew, without being so large as to lose intimate contact with the water, and the ability to ‘spin the boat on a sixpence’ when racing.
In addition to the exterior profile and naval architecture, Hoek Design has also been responsible for the interior design. Claasen Shipyards, Hoek Design, Nigel Ingram from MCM and Atalante’s experienced captain/crew James and Kate Prince have incorporated a great deal of know-how into Atalante. “She represents unrivalled value for money, and the craftsmen at Claasen have excelled in terms of the execution of materials, joinery and finishing,” says Andre Hoek. “The same goes for the technical aspects – the systems, the layout of the engine room, the hydraulics, the cabling. Atalante has been built to a truly impressive level of quality.” The classic, but relaxed, soft furnishings were designed and supplied by London-based Hamilton Weston.
Built to win
With continuous longitudinal framing of high tensile aluminium, Atalante is also very performance-oriented. Particular focus was given to this aspect, as she will compete in the bucket regattas and super yacht cups. Atalante has a deep-draught keel, a thin foil section, carbon rudder and cable-based direct steering, all of which gives great feel and feedback at the wheel. The underwater configuration in conjunction with the carbon mast and rigging, and sporting North 3DI sails should make her a fast boat on the regatta circuit.
“Atalante is a step above anything we’ve produced so far at Claasen,” adds project manager Victor Weerens. “This was achieved by a great team of people, attention to detail, materials selection and top-class production and construction techniques. For example, after an extensive search in the Netherlands and abroad we found the perfect mahogany veneers for the interior. These are the details that make or break a project.”
Ingenious layout
While Atalante was created specifically for her owner, she is also the first in a series. Claasen Shipyards and Hoek Design cooperated closely to ensure that the design is sufficiently flexible for use as a customisable foundation upon which other owners can now build. This is reflected in both the construction and the layout.
On Atalante the main salon is aft of the main deckhouse and the owner’s cabin is aft of the saloon. As the owner enjoys being highly involved in sailing and helming the yacht, he wanted the wheel in the aft cockpit and the aft deckhouse to be dedicated to navigation. This means that when the yacht is at anchor, the whole aft area is reserved for the owners.
Atalante is equally suited as a cruising boat for a family and a charter yacht. Her interior is executed in raised and fielded panelling of carefully selected West Indies mahogany. The ceilings and walls above the wainscot level are painted white. While the yacht could easily have contained more cabins, the owner specified fewer, roomier interior spaces.
Owner’s area
The aft deckhouse comprises a large navigation station with two screens, a pilot berth, a fridge for cold drinks and a useful boiling water tap for coffee or tea. Access forward to the master suite is via an electric sliding door, conveniently connecting the two spaces. First-class sound insulation provides a peaceful environment in the master cabin, even when sailing. The aft deckhouse serves as the owner’s office when Atalante is at anchor.
The full-beam master has been made as symmetrical as possible. To starboard, a lovely vanity table opens up to display a back-lit mirror. To port is a comfortable sofa providing a quiet place to read or relax. There are plenty of easily accessible lockers, including some full-length lockers for the owner’s wife’s dresses, and the toilet and bidet are separate from the bathroom with shower.
Superlative finishing
Atalante’s full-beam salon, which seats at least ten people, is flooded with natural light. There is a pleasant bar area, bookcases, a TV and plenty of comfortable seating, ideal for all kinds of entertainment.
The day head in the salon is linked via a watertight door to the air-conditioned control room, which in turn opens onto the engine room. This ingenious layout creates a buffer between the noise of the engine room and the main salon and keeps the control systems in a cool environment.
The stunning interior furnishings, designed by Hamilton Weston (the fourth such project for the owner) are well thought-through and provide a sense of continuity throughout the boat. The custom leather coffee table in the saloon features integrated trays that can be flipped to make a horizontal surface, and conceal storage beneath. All free spaces are optimised to maximise storage, and all floors and ceilings are removable to provide access to systems and tanks.
Main deckhouse and guest cabins
The dining area is located in the main deckhouse forward, which is half a level up from the saloon via a curved staircase. This bright space comprises a large dining table to port and comfortable seating with a sliding card table and flag locker storage to starboard. The cabinet housing the card table also is home to two cutlery drawers with custom-made inserts in dark blue velvet by Carrs of Sheffield (UK), who also supplied the cutlery.
Going forward, two beautiful guest cabins are sited to port and starboard. On the port side is a large double berth with en-suite bathroom, a sofa and plentiful storage. To starboard is an equivalent twin berth cabin with en-suite facilities. Interior furnishings and artwork complete an extremely comfortable picture.
Galley and crew area
Just forward of the mast, an automatic door provides entry to the crew area. The galley is characterised by many clever details and has everything needed for the chef to produce top-quality cuisine. The induction hob and oven gimbal through 30 degrees to prevent spills, the twin Sub Zero fridge/freezer units provide all the storage needed and there is a hatch overhead large enough to remove the refrigerators in case they need replacing. The relaxed crew mess to starboard has a table with adjustable height and position so that it can provide either a crew dining space or a coffee table or footstool.
Originally conceived as a 115-foot boat, Atalante was extended to 127 feet to enhance the crew space, which is finished to the same high standard as the rest of the boat. In the extension to starboard is the captain’s office, which doubles as an extra crew cabin. To port is a laundry room with two pairs of washing machines and driers. This space also provides an additional shower/toilet for the extra crew. Under the floor is a huge freezer. The chain lockers are also integrated within this extension, so that the weight of the chains is located as far aft as possible.
The captain’s cabin to port features a double bed and ensuite head and shower, as well as a monitoring screen in the wall to follow developments on board. The double crew cabin to starboard also has an ensuite head and shower. The detailed design of the crew area underscores how important a happy crew is to the successful operation of a yacht of this quality.
Control and engine room
The control room, which contains all the electrical switch panels, is fully air-conditioned. The engine room benefits from a very smart layout and a lot more space than is normally seen on boats of this size. “This is a crucial space, and tends to be very complex,” Weerens says. “The technical installations on Atalante are sophisticated yet straightforward. The Scania main engine with controllable pitch propeller and two Northern Lights generators are solid, proven technology. We didn’t install any experimental systems where we felt that the risks outweighed the benefits. There are tanks for hydraulic, clean and dirty oil. The oil changes of the main engine and generators can be done efficiently with a system of fixed pumps and hose reels.”
“The biggest problem on yachts of this type is getting the exhaust to the back. Many have chosen for a simpler amidships exhaust to port and starboard, which can lead to exhaust fumes in the centre cockpit while sailing. The exhaust on Atalante, however, is cooled through the addition of cold water, which is subsequently separated and the dry remainder expelled in the back. The separators have to be well above the waterline, and as close to the centreline as possible. This requires an intricate design in terms of space and positioning, which has been skilfully resolved on Atalante – surely this is one of the best engine rooms on a yacht in this category.”
“It’s vital that everything is easy to maintain and access, and not overly complex, because the equipment itself is already very sophisticated and demanding. Atalante’s captain is a qualified engineer, but the crew must be able to look after the guests, sail the boat, and understand how the systems work. It takes a lot of clever design work to get this right.”
On deck
Atalante’s deck features several practical social areas, suitable for alfresco lounging, dining or sunbathing with fantastic views. Two biminis – removable for racing – make it easy to take cover from the sun. The most striking thing about the deck is the teak joinery. Everything is meticulously finished, with no expense spared. The low deckhouses are accentuated by mouldings and many striking details, like the integrated grooves in all the overhanging margins of the deckhouses into which sunscreens can be slid to cover all the deckhouses when guests are not on board.
The helm station aft features a large wheel – large enough, in fact, to allow a person to sit on the edge of the cockpit and still comfortably steer. Like all Truly Classics, Atalante features a keyhole-shaped cockpit to facilitate this, and to make it possible to operate the primary winches while standing upright. Charter guests who prefer not to be involved in sailing can spend their time in the main cockpit.
Rigging
The high modulus carbon mast was produced by Offshore Spars and is fitted with EC6+ continuous carbon rigging. The main sheet is on the captive winch from Harken, while the three pairs of winches for the sheets and running backstays are of a new design from Lewmar. They sparkle in beautifully polished stainless steel, matching the custom binnacle that has the Atalante name and logo cut into the steel.
Future options
“We’ve built around 30 boats together with Hoek Design,” adds Jan Hart, owner of Claasen Shipyards. “Many, like Atalante, are part of the Truly Classic series where future owners do not have to make all the decisions required with a fully custom design. Using a proven hull concept and design removes the need for them to micro-manage a thousand small decisions. There is a great deal of interest in the TC127 design, which is a popular size for sailing yachts, as it can easily be sailed with four to five crew.”
“What sets Claasen apart is our small dedicated team and low overheads,” Jan Hart concludes. “We build the best possible boat in every set of circumstances and the people who worked on Atalante really gave it their all for the owner. The result is fantastic.”
Length hull over all 38.8 m
Length on design waterline 28.0 m
Beam over all 7.7 m
Draft on design waterline 4.5 m
Total displacement on dwl 140 tonnes
Mast above waterline approx. 48.3 m
Class approval ABS X A1 Commercial Yachting Service (Sailing Yacht) + MCA LY2 Unrestricted
