    
YACHTSPOTTER's WORDS
- 07/27/2010 -
Yachtspotter.com is now running on a brand new server, ready for the future updates! |
LAST REPORTS...
 BBS : El Jefe
 USA : Tuscan Sun
USA : Polar Star
USA : Kisses
 BMU : Balaju
 PYF : Tribu
USA : Miss Tricia
 FRA : Celestial Hop
FRA : Stanley
FRA : Passionata
[more]
|
|
no reproduction without the permission of the photographer |
| Shipyard : | Peenewerft, DEU  | Length : | 245.40 ft / 74.80 m | | Hull ID : | -- | Beam : | 42.00 ft / 12.80 m | | Year : | 1992 | Draught : | 13.45 ft / 4.10 m |
| Refit : | 1998 | | Naval Architect : | Kusch Yacht Agentur | | Stylist : | Kusch Yacht Agentur | | Decorator : | K. Landon / P. Nunns / H. Vollers | | Engine : | 2x 2685kW Deutz diesels |
| Speed (max.) : | 18.6 | Range (Nm): | 8,000 | | Speed (cruise) : | 15 | Hull / Superstr. : | steel / aluminium | | Guests : | 22 | Fuel (Ltr) : | 288,600 | | Crew : | 24 | Water (Ltr) : | 94,000 |
|
Comments
By Chris, a Belgian spotter.
To understand the story behind Leander, we must go back in time? to the 1950?s in England where a young British military student attended the military academy at Sandhurst together with the son of a Sultan from a Middle East, oil state. They became good friends. In 1970, the British student had become an SAS intelligence officer and his friend called upon him to orchestrate a coup in his country. The coup was a success and the son of the Sultan became the new Sultan and ruler of the country. The British intelligence officer was rewarded and became special adviser to the young Sultan and military counsellor in charge of equipping the armed forces?
The Sultan was forever grateful to the officer and the financial rewards for our former student were enormous ; it is said that even today he receives a percentage on the oil income of the Sultan?s country.
Enters Claus Kusch. In 1979, this German wizard in orchestrating the building of complex superyachts, was instructed by the military officer, who had become an extremely wealthy man, to build a superyacht for him. Planning for the yacht began in 1979 and in 1980 the yard was chosen : it was Amels and they began to build their first superyacht, the 48,15 meter Katalina that was delivered in November 1982. With this Katalina, today known as Lady Georgina, we see the early version of a design that will evolve through time to become Leander; this is very clear when you consider the overall styling, together with the interior design and interior layout.
A few years later, again with Claus Kusch as project manager, the owner of the Katalina ordered a larger version of his Amels yacht : the 65,20 meter Blohm & Voss Katalina that was delivered in 1987 and known today as Astarte II. This second Katalina was very clearly inspired by the first Amels yacht : the same overall styling and interior lay-out, even interior decorating, just an extra 17 meters?
The Blohm&Voss Katalina was not the end for our former military officer. After some time, he began thinking about an even bigger version of the Katalina and he once again instructs Claus Kusch with a new project. Not at Blohm & Voss this time but Peene in former East-Germany. At this moment, the Berlin wall had come down and the whole eastern region was opened. That?s why Kusch decided on the yard Peene Werft GmbH : they had the necessary knowledge to do the job; the materials were all imported from the West : from the first steel plate to final piece of cable? The work began and Kusch was able to deliver the yacht on time. She was launched and was transferred to a yard near Hamburg for the fitting of the interior that had been designed by Mrs Katalin Landon, Heinz Vollers and Pauline Nunns. When the final launch was near, a problem intervened : her original owner, our military officer, could not accept the yacht because of what is officially known as health reasons and he sold the boat to her present owner who at that time was the owner of the Schweers motor yacht Brave Goose (ex-Edenforth, today known as Nafisa) and who had been and today still is a very much respected gentleman with an enormous experience and knowledge in naval matters. A interesting detail is the fact that the present owner of Leander once also was the owner of the first Katalina from Amels at the moment when he was awaiting the launch of his yacht by Tough Brothers, the Brave Goose (today Atlantic Goose).
Leander is without doubt one of the most impressive yachts around. She has full 4 decks and even 6 decks in total : the funnel deck all the way on top, the bridge deck, the boat deck, the main deck, the accommodation deck and the lower deck.
The main entrance is the starboard side entrance where you come in to the main lobby and where you immediately get a very good idea about the informal style of an English country house? The lobby leads aft to the main saloon with a secluded writing area and a grand piano and finally a very big aft deck with seating area. Forward off the main lobby, there?s an enormous full beam dining room with a giant table which can be extended to seat up to 22 guests ! One of the walls of the dining room is completely adorned with a huge mural from the artist Ian Cairnie. Even more forward from the dining room, you step in to the owner?s suite that is located on two decks : main and boat deck. The entrance to this suite goes through another lobby on the starboard side with another staircase to the owner?s private forward observation lounge on the boat deck with its own impressive 48 m? private outside deck. Further to the owner?s lobby on the main deck, there is a VIP cabin with bathroom, sitting room and dressing room. Next there is of course the principal master stateroom with office, dressing rooms, bathroom, etc? When you see the layout of this owner?s suite you can see that there?s the same double owner?s stateroom as onboard the two former Katalina?s? Further on the port side of the main deck, there?s the main galley, a pantry area and a servery for the dining room.
On the boat deck aft there?s a bar lounge with a newly installed outside dining area that can be enclosed and of course the outside aft deck with more seating area and big Jacuzzi pool. Also on this deck : a fitness room, sauna, two further guest or staff cabins, a pantry, the main staircase and as you can see on the photos, the tenders.
Above the boat deck, there is the bridge deck completely devoted to the running of the yacht with the bridge, chart room, radio room, officer?s cabin, captain?s office and suite and the recently enlarged helicopter deck. Even more up, there is the funnel deck where a complete walk around is possible and where storage room is available inside the funnel.
From the bridge deck, the main staircase goes all the way down to the accommodation deck, where there are 7 guest staterooms and a dive room with even a decompression chamber and direct access to the sea. Forward to the guest accommodation and dive room, there is the two level engine room, engine control room and forward of that, the crew quarters and ship?s office, laundry, ? There?s even one deck further down: the lower deck with the lower part of the engine room, the generator room, food storage, wine store, further crew cabins and a crew recreation room.
As you can see this is an very impressive yacht with a total of 11 guest cabins and crew quarters for 24 crew members ! An exquisite ship ! |
Spotters Log
| REPORT DATE | HARBOUR | LOCATION | ABOUT | | 02/02/2009 | Falmouth Harbour Marina | English Harbour, Antigua  | -- | | 12/18/2008 | Falmouth Harbour Marina | English Harbour, Antigua | -- | | 09/17/2008 | IYCA | Antibes, France | -- | | 07/30/2008 | IYCA | Antibes, France | -- | | 07/20/2008 | Port de St. Jean | St. Jean Cap Ferrat, France | anchored | | 06/12/2008 | IYCA | Antibes, France | -- | | 05/08/2008 | Pantalan del Mediterraneo | Palma, Mallorca  | -- | | 04/26/2008 | Great Bay | Philipsburg, St. Maarten  | anchored | | 03/29/2008 | North Sound | Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands  | anchored | | 03/11/2008 | Off Port Royal | Kingston, Jamaica  | anchored | | 02/10/2008 | North Sound | Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands | anchored | | 02/03/2008 | Falmouth Harbour Marina | English Harbour, Antigua | -- | | 01/21/2008 | Off Corossol | Corossol, St. Barthélemy | anchored | | 01/05/2008 | Off Simpson Bay | Simpson Bay, St. Maarten | anchored | | 01/01/2008 | Off Corossol | Corossol, St. Barthélemy | anchored | | 12/16/2007 | Falmouth Harbour Marina | English Harbour, Antigua | -- | | 12/07/2007 | Gibraltar Strait | -- , Gibraltar  | -- | | 11/09/2007 | Navantia yard | Cartagena, Spain | -- | | 09/08/2007 | Ile Ste Marguerite | Cannes, France | anchored | | 08/23/2007 | Port Hercule | Monaco, Monaco  | -- | | 07/05/2007 | Faliro Marina | Athens, Greece  | -- | | 06/12/2007 | Club de Mar | Palma, Mallorca | -- | | 05/01/2007 | IYCA | Antibes, France | -- | | 04/20/2007 | Club de Mar | Palma, Mallorca | -- | | 03/26/2007 | Club de Mar | Palma, Mallorca | -- | | 03/19/2007 | Horta Marina | Faial, Azores  | -- | | 02/05/2007 | North Sound | Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands | anchored | | 01/23/2007 | Off Corossol | Corossol, St. Barthélemy | anchored | | 01/08/2007 | Falmouth Harbour Marina | English Harbour, Antigua | -- | | 12/25/2006 | North Sound | Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands | anchored | | 11/11/2006 | Club de Mar | Palma, Mallorca | -- | | 10/14/2006 | Grand Harbour Marina | Valletta, Malta  | -- | | 09/26/2006 | IYCA | Antibes, France | -- | | 08/25/2006 | IYCA | Antibes, France | -- | | 07/04/2006 | Rade de Villefranche | Villefranche-sur-Mer, France | anchored | | 06/15/2006 | IYCA | Antibes, France | -- | | 05/30/2006 | Pantalan del Mediterraneo | Palma, Mallorca | -- | | 04/16/2006 | Gibraltar Strait | -- , Gibraltar | -- | | 03/12/2006 | Port de Gustavia | Gustavia, St. Barthélemy | anchored | | 02/01/2006 | North Sound | Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands | anchored |
|
|
