Marco Polo is one of thoseyachts you’ll either love or hate. There’s no in-between. Her designer Camillo Costantini told us that in developing the 102-metre for Fincantieri Yachts there were strict guidelines: to rewrite the rules of yacht design breaking down the barriers that limit contact between the guests and the surrounding environment.

“I had to be able to tailor the concept of Marco Polo around the owner’s requirements,” explains Costantini. “I knew that she could be up to 120 metres and after studying different plans, I knew there could be different versions of interior. On the other hand this is such an unusual project that you either love it for what it is or you don’t understand it and reject it in favour of something more traditional.” This vision is shared by Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono: "We take a two-pronged approach to the megayacht world: on the one hand, we present quite traditional solutions whilst on the other we also have more extreme concepts designed for people who want to stand out from the crowd with a yacht that’s not only big but spectacular too.”

Marco Polo most definitely falls into the latter category. It’s difficult to pluck just a few ideas from this stunning megayacht because what it really is is a stylistic revolution. However, the idea that underpins the whole project is a reworking of classic Fincantieri themes: round windows inspired by ancient cruise liners, aprow based on the military ships of the 1940s and a wheelhouse based on that of modern cruise ships. The result is not just enormous but also highly unusual.

It’s a hymn to the intermixing of different styles and worlds. The steel of the superstructure looks almost alive in the rear window, an enormous bubble of glass that bulges out from the body of the hull. A protective bubble that is wonderfully light and delicate, cocooning the world it surrounds. And yet it never cuts off that inner yacht world from the sea. The sea is always there, always in view, so that her guests will always know exactly where they are. 

 

This feeling of barriers being broken down has been taken to even greater extremes when it comes to the philosophy behind the interior d?cor. “I didn’t want the different levels to feel cut off from each other. I like the idea that there is a link between the various decks.” This is particularly the case in the pool area on the bridge deck which is also the rear of the owner’s apartments. The area can be used in two different ways: either as entirely private for the owner or accessible also to the guests. In both cases there is always a sense of contact with the formal saloon on the upper deck which is constantly in view thanks to a large opening to the stern of the bridge deck. The bridge deck is also home to the wheelhouse at the widest part of the boat which is generally rather narrow. The forward half of the upper deck, which includes the royal suite, is devoted to 10 lucky VIP guests. The dining area, the other guest staterooms (there may be up to eight) and the entrance lobby are all on the main deck while on the lower deck, there are quarters for 53 crew, including the captain, as well as the tender garage (which can house tenders up to 10 metres long) and the beach club. The beach club offers a physical connection between yacht and sea.

“Another key element of this project,” says Costantini, “is the contrast between the different styles. These vary from retro to modern where one is represented by mahogany and the other by glass and steel.”In summary, this is a megayacht where you are likely to feel suspended between two different realities. Because when you choose a yacht like Marco Polo you show the world that you can make choices and that you know where you want to be.

 

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