Four decades after Duran Duran released the hit single Rio (“Her name is Rio …”), CRN launches a 62m yacht of the same name. Custom designed for an owner looking to “share the cruising experience with family and close friends”, Rio truly delivers.
She has spent her first summer season in the Mediterranean and more than lived up to her owner’s expectations ahead of the yacht’s much-anticipated world premiere at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show.
Featuring four social decks plus a technical deck, Rio offers plenty of space for up to 12 guests, with her outdoor and indoor areas similarly colourful, spacious and inviting.
Colourful cabins in an array of blues, yellows, reds and greens include a magnificent master suite on the upper deck, known here as the owner’s deck.
There’s a stunning full-beam VIP forward on the main deck and another full-beam VIP on the lower, where there are two more roomy doubles and a twin. And it’s quick and easy to get around Rio, with an elevator serving all levels.
Omega, Pulina Styling
Built as Project C138 at the Ferretti Group Superyacht Yard, the 1,218GT megayacht was launched this January before being delivered and leaving Ancona in May.
Dutch studio Omega Architects created the exterior of the sporty-looking steel and aluminium build, which features flowing hull lines and a near-vertical bow. The aft main deck profile shows Omega founder Frank Laupman’s signature arches, which protect the deck and assure privacy while framing superb views from the side and stern.
Outdoor areas include a bow lounge with a spa pool and clear deck space for exercise or parties, while the sun deck has a huge spa pool and cinema zone aft of the wheelhouse. However, we’ll start at the beach club, where the big swim platform can be dressed with outdoor furniture and toys.
Inside is the wellness lounge, which can be accessed from the swim platform through a rising central door or from the main-deck saloon by stairs.
As well as a hammam and shower, the wellness lounge has a range of water toys, a large TV that doubles as an interactive whiteboard for games and other entertainment, and a corner snug by the stairs.
And if you’re looking for the big toys, an 8m Pascoe Beachlander tender, 4.2m rescue tender and two Sea-Doo Spark jetskis are stored high above the water in a garage towards the bow of the main deck, while there’s also a 14m Sacs Rebel 47 luxury RIB.
Main Attractions
On the main deck, the aft cockpit offers an enormous covered lounging space with a wide aft sofa, smaller sofas on either side, coffee tables and fuschia-coloured poufs.
Like the beach club, it offers a hint of the lively colours that await behind the sliding glass door to the saloon, where the styling by Italy’s Pulina Exclusive Interiors is on show.
American walnut is used for the floors, while the walls are in white lacquered oak. However, the owner requested “bright, colourful spaces and a happy atmosphere for the younger family members to enjoy”, so white tones and natural materials are set off by pops of colour and vivid décor inspired by exotic motifs.
The saloon starts with a stylish American bar, bar stools and lounge chairs, with the area acting as a chilled hangout zone before the room widens for the formal dining area and a large sofa facing an 83-in TV. Full-height windows light up the dining and lounging area and offer spectacular views.
Further along, the central lobby features the elevator and an elegant staircase in bleached pickled oak, while white-leather wall coverings with continuous stitching give a smooth quilted look.
A corridor leads past the large galley and to the full-beam VIP suite, grand enough to be considered a second master. The hallway leads past a huge walk-in wardrobe and into the main bedroom, featuring white tones and bright-blue profiling.
A forward-facing, king-size bed is flanked to starboard by a cosy coffee area, and to port by a desk; at the owner’s request, there’s a workspace in the three largest cabins. Forward are two symmetrical bathrooms.
Colour Below
Down from the main-deck lobby to the lower deck, there’s a fully equipped gym to starboard and four en-suite guest cabins, each with white lacquered-oak staved walls spiced up with dashes of colour for the wall panels, profiling and furnishings. Crema d’Orcia and Calacatta Vagli Oro marbles grace the guest bathrooms.
Aft is the full-beam VIP, lit up by shades of red and brown, and featuring a forward-facing bed and a desk on starboard, while to port is a walk-through wardrobe leading to a twin-sink bathroom.
To port, playful pastel greens are the theme for a twin cabin with a Pullman bunk, a room ideal for youngsters. Forward are two identical double suites, each lined in green/blue with pops of yellow.
All the cabins and guest areas include smart-automation technology allowing guests to control air conditioning, curtains, lighting (including brightness) and all AV equipment.
The spacious crew quarters are in the forward part of the lower deck and include a huge crew mess with seating for at least 15, a pantry and seven neatly finished cabins.
Sky Lounge & Party Zone
The upper deck features the vast master suite and is termed on Rio as the owner’s deck, but it would be a pity to think family and friends couldn’t enjoy its three enormous and very distinct social spaces.
The partially covered aft deck features a full-beam row of sofas and chairs that face the yacht’s main alfresco dining area, where there’s a custom-made round teak table. To port is an American bar with barbecue in exquisite Irish Green marble with bright-green veining.
The area can also transform into an open-air party zone with DJ console, while a custom-designed RGB lighting installation completes the effect.
With the console connected to the ship’s Domotics system, the audio can be broadcast throughout the yacht, indoors and out, in a controlled way. The area is a natural hub, with stairs to both the main and sun decks, side walkways to the vast bow lounge and direct access to the most spacious interior zone.
Automatic sliding glass doors unveil the huge sky lounge, which has masses of space between the sofas and chairs lining each side of the room.
Full-height windows offer breathtaking views and lots of natural light for this standout social zone, which can also be used as a cinema, games room or meeting room.
Forward, the hallway to the owner’s suite features hand-painted artworks depicting a jungle full of colourful animals, with the bespoke pieces created at the owner’s direction.
The blue-themed owner’s suite starts with a chaise longue and vanity desk to starboard, while there’s an antique-blue leather top on the shelves and storage running around much of the room.
Calacatta Vagli Oro marble on the walls and Crema d’Orcia marble floors. Its unique feature is a spectacular tub by the windows for enjoying the view from the comfort of a warm bath.
Forward, the fully custom king-size bed features a white-leather headboard with a 3D effect from the vertical petrol-blue leather inlay. To port, the study area has a desk that can rotate 90 degrees into an L-shape, so a sea view is also on offer.
The owner’s suite also has a forward view of the striking open-air bow lounge. Offering 1,240sqft of deck space, the area is centred around a teak spa pool, which is recessed for privacy from the helm station and to be out of the wind when cruising. If required, a canopy can protect it from the sun.
Otherwise, this vast outdoor space can be dressed with poufs, chairs and sun loungers, cleared for yoga and fitness sessions, or provide a stunning dance floor under the stars at night.
Meanwhile, the sun deck or wheelhouse deck offers a spacious outdoor zone with a pool, integrated sun pad along one side, sofas and an American bar with a similar Irish Green marble top to the bar on the deck below.
Like most of the outdoor areas, the area is highly versatile and can become a fully equipped open-air cinema or karaoke lounge, with a big screen and projector that slide down from the ceiling.
However, this yacht truly makes her mark in the day, when her light, bright interiors, knockout views, and lively outdoor zones make you realise why yachting is so much fun. So, if you’re looking for 62m of fun in the sun and colour all around you, head for Rio.
This article first appeared on Yacht Style.
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