Feadship has launched the 44.65-metre Blue Sky, the first superyacht to be built by a Western shipyard for a client in mainland China, in a ceremony that combined Chinese and Dutch maritime cultures. The yacht, which features her own helicopter deck and dedicated karaoke and mahjong rooms, was launched in a ceremony that included lion dancers.
Blue Sky was jointly christened by the owner’s representative (it is traditional for a man to perform the ceremony in China) and Jeanette van Mil, wife of operational director Peter van Mil (maintaining the European tradition of a lady cracking the champagne bottle). Feadship director Dick van Lent hailed this as an example of the cross-cultural symbiosis that had been the hallmark of the co-operation during the construction of Blue Sky. “We are very proud to have partnered with the owner, who is a pioneer in his country when it comes to owning the very best motor yacht that money can buy,” he said. “It is also a great honour for Feadship to complete the order for an exclusive superyacht for the People’s Republic of China.”
Blue Sky has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, with an exterior styling developed by Feadship and Sinot Yacht Design. The interior design is by Bannenberg & Rowell Design and Sinot Yacht Design. “We very much enjoyed the smooth cooperation with the owners and their representatives in China,” says Dickie Bannenberg. “Blue Sky features a fresh contemporary interior with lots of lightweight loose furniture. The sky deck lounge is a dedicated karaoke space with an 85in television, while the mahjong room is found aft of the wheelhouse and includes a state-of-the-art table that shuffles the tiles and deals the dice
automatically. This room can also be converted into an additional cabin with its own bathroom.”
“In addition to her unique helicopter deck for a yacht of this length, Blue Sky must also be one of the first superyachts to have two separate areas for Chinese pastimes,” adds Francis Vermeer, head of marketing at Feadship. “With both the owner’s stateroom and the four guest suites located on the main deck, phenomenal views await those who will soon be sailing on board this landmark project in the history of global yachting.”