On board Columbus Yachts' 50m yacht Anjelif

Her no-compromise approach to the hull colour extended to other parts of the boat too, and it’s paid off by creating a yacht with winning features that charterers tend to love and others that I’ve not seen on a superyacht before.

One example of the latter is the cocoon-style seat carved into the teak transom below the pool, designed to solve the perennial problem of not having a permanent seating area on the swim platform where you can kick back after a dip in the sea.

A smart choice, implemented by an owner who knew how her yacht would be used – but it also speaks to something else about the boat, which is that almost everything has a double use. On a yacht, “you don’t have all the space in the world”, Angelini points out, “and I think it’s a duty to optimise everything in the best way possible.”

The upper-deck saloon, therefore, is a dining room whose “real role is a games room”, says de Carlo. Here, the space is dominated by a table inlaid with mother-of-pearl that seats 12 guests, but the central slab that forms the tabletop can be whisked off and hidden within a small sofa. That leaves you with two separate round tables that have an up-down mechanism, so they can be used for coffee or cards at their lowest or cocktails and conversation at their highest.

“You don't have all the space in the world [on a yacht]... it's a duty to optimise everything in the best possible way”

Elsewhere, the main saloon has a pair of Armani Collection silk sofas sitting opposite each other, which can be transformed into a single aft-facing sofa. “You can do it by yourself,” explains de Carlo, demonstrating how a hidden button makes the sofas spin and join together with the help of a discreet circular rail in the floor.

Finally, the touch-and-go helipad on the bow doubles as a dance floor or as a fully fledged al fresco cinema that’s accompanied by a crescent of sunpads where guests can stretch out and enjoy movie nights at sea. You can also appreciate the cinema screen from up on the sundeck, which covers 87 square metres and features a Corian bar, forward-facing dip pool fringed by sunpads and low-slung furniture dressed in hand-knotted fabric.

Daniela De Marco, Fraser’s head of charter management for Europe, says the commitment to al fresco space is one of the reasons she thinks the Anjelif will fare so well on the charter market – along with all the amenities. “For sure the infinity pool and the open-air cinema/dance floor on the bow will be popular,” she says (noting the helipad isn’t commercially certified for charter). “[Anjelif] is excellent for wellness retreats.”

One of the most arresting spaces on board is the terrace attached to the master cabin. It’s more practical than a foldout balcony, since it can be used while the yacht is underway or anchored and doesn’t require any crew set-up. It’s a “special touch, very private, where you can enjoy a beautiful sunset, for example”, says the owner, and one of the “most inviting and peaceful private balconies I have seen in recent years”, says de Marco.

The silent and smell-free hybrid technology complements the al fresco areas well, and that tech was another big reason the owners chose Columbus. “We were the first in Italy [to have hybrid],” says de Carlo. Andrea Greco, vice general manager at Palumbo Superyachts, explains that the shipyard worked together with RINA to define the class rules for hybrid vessels back in 2016. “We were pioneers,” he says.

Greco explains that the yacht can cruise at eight knots in all-electric mode with minimal noise and vibration. The three cruising modes – diesel, electric and shaft generator – are “complex”, he says, but “the functionality is very easy for the captain, because everything is gathered from [within] an automated system. So by simply pushing the button, you can change the mode of use of the system.”

Both the interior and exterior design of the sub-500GT yacht were executed by Marco Casali working in collaboration with the owner. For Casali, it was interesting to match his “architectural point of view” with the more “feminine” design requests from the owner.

Francesca Angelini’s attention to detail made for “challenging work that we loved”, says Casali, and “the passion of the owner was a clear reference” for many of the design choices. To that end, there’s a good equilibrium between crowd-pleasing details and personal touches.

The owner is fond of crystals and precious stones, so the yacht is awash with cream coloured and durable lecce stone, glowing backlit amber agate and dark, green-veined labradorite, which changes colour in the light like the hull. “I’ve always been attracted to [labradorite]. It’s a big protector of good energy,” Angelini says.

She looks at me and asks directly: “Don’t you feel a pure energy?” Perhaps it’s the heat of the Monaco Yacht Show getting to me, but as I’m walking around the boat, I do get a sense of energy on board – a fizzy, sparkling sensation that’s hard to put a finger on.

For Angelini, one of her pet peeves on board yachts is being too cold. That’s why, together with the engineers, she developed a gentle air conditioning system, that makes guests feel “as if a soft caress is touching their skin”, she says. The system also uses cold plasma, which sanitises air from outside, claiming to “supress viruses and bacteria”.

Part of this thinking comes from the fact that the yacht was commissioned during the Covid-19 pandemic, and Angelini started to think of the yacht as a sort of purified Noah’s Ark where she could escape life on shore with family and friends. There are also filtered water taps on every deck, placed in communal spaces (both inside and out) where guests can help themselves, and she has a ban on single-use plastic throughout the vessel, which helps position the boat as eco-conscious on the charter market.

Another attraction for charterers may be the fact that three per cent of charter revenue is given to Medialthea Charity Association of Monaco, which provides financial support and donates equipment for underprivileged children and their parents around the world. “If you have some good to share,” says Francesca Angelini, “share it.”

She is a big believer in philanthropy and is conscious of the privileges she’s had in life. “I’m from a big dynasty (and) every day I try to respect I have a big heritage on my shoulders,” she says.

A seriousness – beneath the fun – is certainly visible in her approach to this yacht’s creation. With Anjelif’s efficient use of space and embracing of the latest technologies, its design is far from a champagne-infused spree. It is the product of a scientific approach – a carefully measured recipe for success, born out of a crystal-clear vision.

First published in the April 2025 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.