History

By the Owner

Star of the Sea is one of an exclusive series of only three true classic ‘gentleman yachts’ built in 1983 by the renowned Benetti Shipyard in Viareggio, Italy.

During the latter 1980’s and through the 90’s she was a hugely successful charter yacht in the Mediterranean. I first spotted her lying in Antibes in 1997, whilst actually viewing a slew of slightly smaller yachts, my late-wife casually remarked 'you should buy that one Bengt...' but she was beyond my budget!

Fast forward to 2001 and now lying in Hong Kong used infrequently as a private yacht, I triumphantly purchased the yacht on my second attempt after a three-way bidding contest.

By now well-acquainted with Benetti’s superior build quality of the yachts of this era and having viewed her two 'sister ships' I knew she was the best of the three & had brilliant potential as a perfect family-friendly yacht given the spaciousness, layout possibilities and beautiful elegant lines.

After shipping her to Italy I personally oversaw an extremely thorough 3-year refit in San Remo, with nothing left untouched, refurbished or renewed.  Small tweaks to the layout of the master suite, galley and crew mess improved space & access and allowed us to create a VIP guest cabin finished in gorgeous cherry wood.

Her swimming platform hull extension not only adding a lovely feature but also providing greater stability than the initial Benetti transom design. From 2006, under my ownership, she quickly regained her fantastic reputation as a charter yacht in the Med, frequenting the Monaco Grand Prix & Cannes Film festival hosting up to 60 onboard during static charters.  My family together with friends enjoyed long cruises during the summers visiting most parts of the Mediterranean, holidays & exceptional memories that I cherish.

One of the most desirable features is the special layout incorporating six en-suite guest cabins for 12 guests; truly unique compared with most yachts of similar length offering only five at most.

Typically yachts of 50m+ only featured six cabins, nor does that mean it is cramped with well-planned cabin layouts; main deck master suite, VIP suite fore of the Engine room and three twins and a double cabin aft. Two of the generous twin cabins also feature Pullman beds, thus extending the potential guest count to 14; we found this particularly advantageous when inviting Friends and their children to join us.   Fully manned with 7 crew and chartered the generous outdoor areas also allows for privacy; with three distinct dining areas, her classic mahogany interior speaks of timeless elegance.