Design ideas, first explored in creation of a 68m Lürssen in 2007, were further developed in 2014 with arrival of the much-lauded 95m Kismet now called Whisper. The latest 122m beauty is surely the owner’s pièce-de-résistance to date.
From her distinctive jaguar-adorned bow to her imposing six decks and thoughtful stern arrangements, Kismet is a homage to innovation, and to blending unique style elements that encompass sleek Nuvolari Lenard exterior lines and sophisticated Reymond Langton interiors.
Originally introduced by Florida’s famous car and superyacht dealer Jim Moran, who met this Asia-born owner as they both made fortunes in the American automobile industry, the current project, known as JAG before her Kismet credentials were revealed, benefitted from having long-time owner’s reps Captain Kyle Fultz and wife Gerry keeping watch during her five-year construction. Some slight delays occurred because the build spanned the Covid era.
The vessel is fully custom, with many personal touches throughout, but like her popular predecessor she is now available for charter via bespoke British brokers Cecil Wright. Rates are from €3 million a week, and Indo-Asia-Pacific cruises may be on the horizon.
Her owner is fairly high-profile himself, as he runs two football teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars in America’s NFL – hence the big cat on Kismet’s bow – and Fulham soccer team in the British Premier League, which he bought from former Harrods boss Mohamed Al-Fayed a decade ago. Son Tony runs the All Elite Wrestling franchise.
Kismet is a Turkish word which dictionaries define as meaning “personified power that determines the course of future events”, but it is understood more generally to refer to one’s destiny or fate. It has been the title of several Hollywood films, and a stage play.
“To execute such a comprehensive project, an excellent team is necessary,” says the builder’s Managing Partner Peter Lürssen.
“We are very proud of Kismet as yet another statement of Lürssen’s ability and desire to build yachts that meet all of our exacting owner’s requirements, guided by our core focus on expert engineering, beautiful design, and being at the forefront in developing sustainable technologies.”
The 122m vessel squeezes in under 5,000GT at 4,918GT. She carries two guests in the enormous owner’s apartment, and 12 others in six substantial suites, plus two auxiliary suites that can be pressed into service. A total of 37 crew are accommodated in 19 cabins.
Top speed is 18 knots, and the vessel has a 6,000-nautical-mile range at 12 knots, powered principally by twin MTU 20V 4000 M73Ls, producing 3,200kW at 1,970rpm. She is flagged by the Republic of the Marshall Islands in Micronesia.
Many pioneering features include an innovative propulsion system that allows short-distance voyaging on electrical power alone, for example operating in stealth mode when entering of leaving harbours or anchorages without disturbing the neighbours. She also features a 4.9m x 1.3m pane of glass, by far the largest single piece of structural glazing ever fitted on a yacht’s transom.
Says Lürssen: “Given that this area is an integral part of the hull, regulations typically restrict such windows to a maximum 60cm x 40cm. To overcome this limitation, Lürssen invested a year-and-a-half in rigorous stress and pressure tests with the classification society Lloyd’s and manufacturers. This process included dropping steel weights onto the glass to assess its residual strength.”
The newly engineered glass plays a significant role in the design, as a great deal of the exterior is either glass windows, or the structural steel hull and aluminium superstructure is clad in glass, allowing the design to seamlessly flow from window to structure and back again.
In certain areas of the bulwark, particularly the Nemo Lounge used for underwater viewing or as a cinema, the glass has an impressive thickness of 13cm, yet maintains excellent clarity.
Apart from the Art Deco silver jaguar figurehead, a few American footballs are in evidence, and other design features, some hidden, some in plain sight, “come together to create a totally unique and personal yacht, inspired by the owner’s favourite people and places”, says Thorsten Göckes, the Lürssen Project Manager.
Carlo Nuvolari of Nuvolari Lenard said: “Kismet was a perfect project for us, because it was for an owner with considerable technical knowledge and great passion. This allowed us to make functional, stylistic and technical proposals knowing that they would be understood from all points of view. In its external design – the stairs, detailing, furnishings – Kismet is a yacht rich in shapes and choice of materials.”
Pascale Reymond of Reymond Langton told media in Monaco that the owner wanted “an exceptional interior design that makes you travel through time and space”.
“Kismet is not just a yacht or a home,” she said. “The yacht is a journey where all your passion and senses are challenged. The main idea is that, as the vessel is very large, the owners and guests should find their way and recognise each area by the design, and they should experience many different journeys.
“Kismet is a time capsule, from the glorious parties of Versailles under Le Roi Soleil, The Sun King, Louis XIV, in the La Galerie des Glaces, to the matinee theatre of the roaring ’20s and Art Deco era.”
The multi-purpose top deck, nestled below the mast, is the perfect getaway. There is a large jacuzzi forward, with a special shallow area, making it safe and accessible for young children. The largest sunbeds on the boat surround the jacuzzi and double as an outside bed and star-gazing spot on warm nights.
Directly under the mast is a stone-topped dining table which seats 14 guests. Three television screens, a bar, beer fridge and gas-fired pizza oven ensure this is a social and casual place to relax. At the top of the staircase that leads down to the bridge deck aft is a round overhang, which is set up as a DJ station during parties on the deck below.
The large party space is multifunctional and can be turned into a helipad, an outdoor cinema with a projector screen, or another relaxation area with six hammocks and various sunbeds. Shade is provided via removable sun awnings on carbon-fibre posts.
The bridge deck houses the large, dark leather-clad bridge, equipped with state-of-the art navigation equipment and paperless technology. The ship’s office and a guest-quality captain’s cabin are located aft of the bridge. Whilst there is no notable interior guest space on this deck, to service the outside area, there is another large day head.
This deck marks the highest stop for the guest elevator, which features a white leather sofa and a bespoke églomisé artwork by Miriam Ellner on the feature wall. The guest staircase begins its long, elegant curve down to the lower deck from here.
Complementing the staircase’s descent is a feature wall and art installation, made up of bronze-coloured pipe light fixtures of varying heights, with Venetian fabric panels behind them, shifting from sky blue to dark green as you descend.
The pool deck is home to an 11m mosaic-lined swimming pool. The inside of the pool glitters in a kaleidoscope of blues, with miniature tiles surrounding an artistically styled grey ‘K’. The exterior of the pool has its own mosaic, this time in cream and greys. A large waterfall feature cascades into the pool from the deck above, and there is a fixed reclining section with massage jets and a swim-up bar facing the dining area.
This deck hosts most of the onboard dining and features a Teppanyaki station as well as a barbecue grill. An unusual choice, the main dining table on this deck is at bar height, with fixed barstools, and seats up to 14 guests. LED lights throughout the space ensure everything twinkles.
One of the yacht’s standout features is a large gold and crystal chandelier. Spanning 4.5m and suspended through a three-deck atrium, it ties the guest lobby spaces on each deck together.
Forward of the pool deck is the owner’s office, with private access down to the master suite below. The office is designed to be dual-purpose, with convertible sofas that can also be used as an extra guest cabin.
It features a full-service bathroom, complete with dual sinks, a bespoke Crystal Caviar Art Deco mirror, and a large shower, all decked out in Nero Marquina marble and platinum-coloured leather-embossed walls.
A custom Silverlining desk on the port side complements the room, and the focal point is the large red L-shaped sofa, from which to enjoy both the scenery and the large TV that drops down from the ceiling.
“This is the core and the brains behind this fabulous yacht,” says Pascale Reymond. “All directed and orchestrated by the owner from his black, silver and touch of lipstick-red office. He is very much the director and producer – a Chicago 1930s film director – and his office is the heart of it all.”
The master suite, located on the deck below, occupies more than half of the interior guest space on this deck. It is opulent and ornate, with a cream merino wool carpet, high-gloss walnut marquetry, and embroidered Sabina Fay Braxton feature walls.
Adjacent to the master cabin is a recessed exterior space featuring a jacuzzi pool, along with ample private sunbathing and dining areas. A TV that folds out to face the jacuzzi adds to the luxury.
Forward on the bow is the touch-and-go helipad, certified for a Eurocopter 155. This area can also be converted into an NBA-certified basketball court and a pickleball court, thanks to removable nets and hoops.
Aft of the master cabin are his-and-her bathrooms and dressing rooms, both designed in a similar style. Dark Oriental elements, bespoke Crystal Caviar mirrors with floral details, and Silverlining bespoke marquetry walls and sliding door panels create a luxurious sanctuary.
Centre stage in the saloon is a grand piano designed by Boganyi, a futuristic self-playing piece that draws on automotive design cues. The saloon includes a large bar with a gold glass and black marble finish, and a convivial sofa arrangement with low tables provides for intimate evenings among friends and family.
Guest accommodation starts on the principal deck, with four stunning guest suites amidships, each featuring its own unique theme. Drawing inspiration from nature to the owners’ favourite fashion brands, the suites differ in style but are equal in size.
One suite boasts bespoke wallpaper with Lalique crystal dahlias and swallows, complemented by a matching Lalique headboard and door handles. Each suite has a chaise longue tucked in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows with Avodire Curl high-gloss wood elements.
The dressing rooms are spacious for guest cabins, and the en-suite bathrooms all include his-and-hers sinks. Intricate and ornate vanities, along with bold marbles, ensure each room is completely unique.
Kismet has seven cabins, including the master suite, as well as the third flexible cabin on the lower deck and the owner’s study, which can also convert into guest accommodation, allowing the yacht to sleep up to 18 guests in total.
The lower deck’s primary purpose is as a full-service wellness centre. It features a complete Technogym, a dive store, yoga lounge and juice bar, relaxation room with lounging chairs and waterfall shower, bathtub for mud baths, massage and reflexology area, firepit, dry ice room, plunge pool with waterfall, sauna, hammam, shaving station, ice and snow room, and a cryogenic chamber with a temperature that drops to -85 degrees Celsius.
The spa is themed around a Balinese sanctuary, with elements such as a gold statue, decorative glass with green reeds, and stone walls featuring recessed planters and faux plants that resemble a tropical forest.
Tender storage is located forward on the main deck and houses an 11.2m Hodgson limo, 11.8m Naiad for 16 guests, 8.24m Riva and 6.3m Fassmer. Toys stored here include jet skis, Seabobs, e-foils, slide and large floating platform. Additionally, there is a full dive storage room located aft of the spa.
See also Top 100 Superyachts of Indo-Asia-Pacific 2025.
This article was first seen on YachtStyle.Co
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