Each week we place a spotlight on one of the world’s finest superyachts for charter. This week, BOAT steps on board 88-metre Project X in Antigua to discover why she exists in a category of her own aimed at the discerning charterer looking to indulge.
She’s the result of a project that spanned the globe, yet 88-metre Project X continues to command attention wherever she cruises. Well-proportioned, flooded with light and packed full of exciting features, Project X has earned a rightful place at the top of the charter market. BOAT takes a closer look at her charter credentials ahead of her summer cruising Italy, the South of France, Croatia and Greece.
Designed by British studio Ken Freivokh, her exteriors are defined by a striking triple-X design down the waist of the superstructure, which conceals a staggering three-deck atrium, with internal balconies and a circular glass elevator that connects the decks. Despite her length and huge volume of 2,974 gross tonnes, her profile is remarkably well-balanced, emitting elegance and opulence.
Project X’s interiors – created by designer Alessandro Massari – are awash with vast open spaces festooned with whimsical artwork (including a 7.5-metre sculpture that sways with the gentle movement of the yacht), a library, award-winning beach club and elegant dining areas. But despite her unmistakable elegance, quirky bars decorated with bottles, artistic chandeliers and a huge 7.5-metre swimming pool with a tumbling waterfall inject a touch of eccentricity and fun into the yacht.
Key Features
LOA: 88m
Guests: 12
Cabins: 9
Crew: 28
Year: 2022
Wellness: gym, spa, Hammam, Finnish sauna, two Jacuzzis
Tenders: 10m limousine, two 6.25m sports RIBs, and a 9m classic chase boat
Summer 2024 Cruising: Italy, the South of France, Croatia and Greece
Delivered in 2022, Project X was completed by Golden Yachts, although her credentials are far more collaborative with construction beginning with Marco Marine in Chile.
Stepping on board, directly into the beach club, the superior level of outfitting and layout is immediately apparent thanks to the circular seating area enclaved in slatted oak timbers. The entire structure, which is connected to the ceiling, rotates so that when the hydraulic garage doors (which also serve as balconies) are open, the space offers unobstructed views at water level.
Covered in emblematic X’s, the beach club peers into the 7.5-metre swimming pool though the glass sides, which is surrounded by a large, lit-up bar, decorated with fresh lilies and an ice-cool decanter of fruit-infused water. Light dances though the currents of the pool into the space, contributing to its calming atmosphere alongside the indirect lighting. The space also includes Finnish sauna, Turkish Hammam and a hair and nail salon.
"Her award-winning beach club is certainly one of my favourite features," says Camper and Nicholsons’ charter manager, Sylvia Katsamaki, Project X’s central agent. "It’s a wonderful place to relax, and spend all day connected to the sea."
Her social spaces are vast, yet not dauntingly open. The main saloon is filled with colour thanks to her contemporary Greek art, which was carefully curated for the yacht. Walking into the space, the self-playing grand piano sets the convivial tone, while the sprawling chandelier, comprised of illuminated circles, clings to the ceiling above the cream furniture and contemporary lacquered circular black coffee tables.
There are over 150 materials making up the design, including deeply textured leather on the walls made from the skin of pirarucu, a fish from the Amazon. Elsewhere, black Sahara noir marble, light woods, cream leathers and mirrored finishes make up the spaces. The owner insisted "no boring hallways" in the design process, and Massari certainly made it so.
Each of the decks are connected by a circular glass elevator, which is in fact the largest glass lift ever to be installed on board a yacht – at 2.5-metres in diameter, it can hold up to 15 people. The stairs are only supported where they touch the wall, and so appear to float. Glass panels are also set between polished spokes that stem from the lift, allowing a cascade of light to fall through a skylight on the uppermost deck.
Accommodation on board is for 12 charter guests across nine large cabins. Most of the cabins are on the main deck, including a full-beam VIP suite forward. The master suite has its own private deck with a Jacuzzi and an impressive external staircase that winds down onto the upper deck.
Entertainment on board
Concealed within her otherworldly interiors, Project X is jam-packed full of entertainment. The upper deck lounge doubles as a cinema, while a statement bar festooned with illuminated bottles can also be found in the space.
Project X’s toybox is also brimming with action, including two Sea Doo GTX limited 300 Jet Skis, two Sea Doo Wake Pro 230 Jet Skis, three Sea Bobs, a Fliteboard, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, wakeboards, water skis and towable inflatables.
Quieter spaces can also be found on board, including a library and a forward-facing office and conference room.
Dining on board
Dining spaces on board are extensive. The most common area for the full compliment of charter guests is on the upper deck aft, which has a large round table, with an impressive Lazy Suzan spinning glass inlay.
The main interior dining room is home to a large rectangular table and crowned with another geometric chandelier. Here lies an impressive wine cabinet that takes up the entire back wall. There is also a smaller, intimate dining room through double doors, which lies below another impressive cascading chandelier.
Sample Menu
Japanese Dinner
Spicy Cassava Crackers With Nori Salt
Miso Soup with Tofu, Seaweed, Enoki Mushrooms
Soba Noodle Salad with Miso Lime Dressing
Wakame Salad
Sashimi
Himalayan Salt Stone Wagyu
Pork and Shrimp Steamed Dumplings
Shrimp Nigiri, Inside Out Crab Roll Volcano Roll
Matcha Sponge and Coconut Sorbet
Italian Dinner
Caprese Burrata, Tomato, Basil, Olive Oil and Pine Nuts
Grilled Peaches with Prosciutto, Cherry Tomatoes, Basil Elderflower Dressing
Whole Sea Salt Crusted Sea Bass
Veal Milanese
White Asparagus with Parmesan and Truffle Oil
Spaghetti Vongole
Tiramisu
Limoncello Baba
Project X is available to charter with Camper and Nicholsons with a weekly rate from €1,200,000.