We are happy to repost the article “A new look for Tess” written by Paola Bertelli about S/Y Tess and her interior refit made by BR1 management this winter. Photos by Mabiphoto.
“A sophisticated refit, carried out during by BR1 management service, that’more in-depth than it may at first seem. This meticulous project obeys the unwritten rules of yachting style, evoking memories of the past to create a craft that inspire emotion.
In the dinette, forest green sofas with white piping and custom rosewood table. Lighting is provided by vintage Louis Poulsen wall lamps and ceiling spots.
Tess surrounds her guests with an authentically maritime atmosphere. This 24-metre superyacht has an eventful life behind her – launched in 1984 under the name Speedy Go with the aim of taking patron ocean races, she has a number of Atlantic crossings under her belt. She was designed by Martin Francis, a long-time collaborator of Norman Foster, who is known in the yachting world for projects that successfully combine functionality and aesthetics. With her racing days behind her, Speedy Go was renamed Tess and adapted for charter, rendered more biddable with a reduced sail plan and given a thorough refit that transformed the interiors by creating spaces that reflect authentic marine tradition.
Wharm colours, welcoming atmosphere and old-style nautical decor in the cabins. A series of natural raffia and wood panels in tone-on-tono shades clad the walls, while the floors have an even brown rubber finish. The refit work was carried out during winter 2019-2020 by the Malta-based BR1 management service.
In 2019-20 Tess went back to the shipyard for a new refit. In the words of Bruno Montalbano, CEO of BR1, a Maltese company operating in tecnical management and refitting of sail and motor yachts fro 70 to 140 feet length, “Tess has been on our books since 2014. She’s one of our top high-level charter yachts in the Mediterranean. She is, in fact, part of the exclusive MYBA circuit. The refit was carried out in Trapani – as BR1 we work with yards across the Mediterranean where we usually haul our yachts, then the work is entrusted to our artisans. They are specialists in carpentry, fabrics, painting and installation”.
This meticulous work has reshaped the yacht’s look. The Milanese architectural studio Locatelli Partners was brought in to handle the interiors. “Our job was to make Tess modern and contemporary while respecting her spirit as a sail yacht“, says Massimiliano Locatelli. “We created a new design and introduced innovative materials. We’ve redone the flooring and wall coverings and revolutionised the upholstery fabrics. The choice of colours was inspired by a dialogue between us and the owner who is very keen on attention to detail”.
On the walls, new natural raffia panels enhanced by brass rods outlining the sections create a hospitable warmth. The flooring is in natural brown rubber. The dinette is the area where the Locatelli studio has made the most changes, redesigning the sofas to make them more functional and pairing them with specially-made tables. “The dining table, with the iron and bronzed brass base, comprises two superposed leaves that rotate on a single base, doubling the surface”, says Locatelli, “And we redesigned the coffee table base in wood and bronzed brass”. A classic tecnic cotton with white piping was chosen for the sofa coverings, wood green for the dinette and a brighter yellow and white pattern for the cabins.
Paolo Stagno, BR1 Project Manager, also points out that the yacht’s exteriors have also been revamped. “As well as the teak deck we’ve renewed the sails and running rigging – this work was carried out by the Malta Sail Factory – and we’ve swapped the 3.5 metre tender for something bigger, an 8.5 metre craft with a 270hp EFB diesel, the ideal solution for excursions and rapid deliveries. Tess is now ready for delivery to our central agent, MYBA, West Coast International UK Ltd in London, and she is now even more suitable for the luxury market”.”
On your next superyachts for charter, consider taking Tess for a ride
For the original article on “The One yacht and design, please have a look here.
