On board the 58m Tankoa superyacht Diamond Binta

“The owner’s requests that were deal breakers were few, but specific,” says Guido Orsi, Tankoa’s marketing manager. “One was having direct passage from the lower-deck cabins to the beach area, passing through a glass engine room.” This hallway is a guest-centric space designed to celebrate the yacht’s engineering, while also providing easy access so one can roll out of bed and pad straight to the beach club for a morning dip in the sea.

A pair of Caterpillar 3512E diesel engines are accompanied by two standard and two electric generators. As the industry hurtles towards more uptake of hybrid power, it’s a clear choice to revert to a more traditional form of propulsion. “Having cruised intensively with the previous yacht, he knew perfectly what kind of propulsion better fitted his needs,” Orsi explains.

Another element of the owner’s short but specific brief was that the yacht should be capable of long-range cruising. Cruising at a conservative 10 knots, she has a range of 5,400 nautical miles – as well as sizeable storage space for provisions and cold stores. She also has generous crew spaces for living and working, including a good-sized laundry room.

“Since the family cruises worldwide with lots of friends, having a new yacht with bigger volumes better suited their needs”

Rounding out the owner’s other must-haves were the space for two big tenders, a large captain’s cabin, a helicopter deck and at least 1,000GT of internal volume (Diamond Binta comes in at 1,013GT). All of these asks were, of course, what precipitated the owner to step up from Binta D’Or.

“Since all the family cruises worldwide with lots of friends as well, havinga new yacht with bigger volumes, especially in the common areas, better suited their needs,” says Orsi. Plans for Diamond Binta actually began percolating while Binta D’Or was being delivered. “The family liked Francesco Paszkowski’s exterior lines and how Margherita Casprini did the decor [on Binta D’Or] and wanted a bigger yacht with the same team in order to better cruise the world.”

The owner had acquired a new, larger helicopter, so the yacht would need a bigger helipad as well. “The owner is used to piloting his own helicopter, so if he has to move from one place to another he likes to do it himself,” says Orsi. Diamond Binta delivers with a long forward deck dedicated to the role of commercial helipad capable of accommodating an Airbus ACH160.

Another element of the owner’s brief was that the yacht should be capable of long-range cruising. At a conservative 10 knots, she has a range of 5,400 nautical miles

The foredeck is otherwise spartan. “For some yachts, you’d say it’s a shame to not have a place to relax on this deck – there’s no seat in front of the bridge as he didn’t ask for one – but to him it was most important to have the helipad here,” says Orsi. What the foredeck lacks in lounge space is more than made up for in the outdoor living area on the bridge deck aft, with a table that can seat 14.

The helipad is stamped with the Binta logo, a symbol with back-to-back Bs, which appears on artworks within the yacht as well. It’s a small example of the holistic nature of Diamond Binta’s design ethos, which also encompasses automotive-inspired detailing and a consistent colour palette inside and out.

“In-depth knowledge of the shipyard and previous experience with the owner have allowed us to develop a new creative process that maximises design coherence between exterior and interior,” says designer Francesco Paszkowski.

Diamond Binta’s exterior is evocative of Paszkowki’s design for the 50-metre Binta D’Or, creating a familial design lineage. Both have a sporty, aggressive profile, but Diamond Binta stands out with longer deck overhangs, a semienclosed sundeck and larger windows in the hull and superstructure. Overall, there’s more of an “upright” stance to Diamond Binta, as well, with vertical glazing around the bridge making her look the part of world explorer. Adding to this notion is the deeply cut spray rail on the hull below, ready to take on the waves.

Paszkowski refers to a “harmony of form” in Diamond Binta’s exterior design, pointing to the lateral uprights and structural furniture found in the large open-air areas. In a nod to automotive design, the brow of the deck overhanging the bridge slopes forward and is painted black, resembling the hood of a car. A glass-sided swimming pool bumps up against this feature, its watery contents seeming ready to spill over the “hood”.

At the stern of the exterior decks, views are uninterrupted thanks to glass panels that forgo stanchions or cap rails entirely. It’s a design idea that Tankoa introduced three years ago to create a more open look and provide truly unobstructed views when lounging al fresco. Another focal point of the profile is the triangular structure at the centre of the sundeck that supports its roof and encloses the middle portion of the deck, which hosts a gym.

Painted grey, this part of the superstructure stands out against Diamond Binta’s otherwise stark white paint job. Doors open fore and aft to let a breeze through to the sundeck gym, or, when closed off, the space can be a sheltered, air-conditioned sanctuary in hot or cold weather.

A custom-designed bar in this portion of the sundeck is inlaid with a honeycomb pattern that resembles carbon fibre, another subtle automotive reference. Forward of this indoor-outdoor living area, two round sunbeds are tucked into the corner of the deck house, adjacent to the pool that takes in passing views.

There’s a clear stylistic connection between Diamond Binta’s exterior and interior, which is further typified by the indoor and outdoor furnishings. Stepping on board at the aft deck, a pair of curved sofas set the tone for the unusual-shaped furniture found on board.

This “boomerang” form is mimicked on a smaller scale with a rounded L-shaped sofa in the main-deck master suite. “Diamond Binta favours sinuous, non-rigid shapes that go beyond the regular geometric lines,” says Paszkowski. “There’s an absence of sharp edges in favour of soft, rounded shapes, which characterise the vertical surfaces and custom furnishings.”

This is the first Tankoa yacht where all interior angles were substituted with curves, notes Orsi. Not only does this mean there are no sharp corners to bump into when underway, but curvilinear walls and asymmetrical furnishings add interest to the interior design.

“Coffee tables aboard, for instance, are deliberately unconventional, featuring playful, non-linear forms,” says designer Margherita Casprini, who collaborated with Paszkowski on Diamond Binta’s interior.

“One design incorporates a triangular leather band paired with a glossy surface, while another consists of three separate elements that can be combined into a single table.” Gently arched walls at the entrance to the main saloon draw the eye forward to the dining area, where a black-and-gold “Binta shield” artwork overlooks the black, round-edged dining table.

It’s masculine without being overbearingly so, thanks to the curved shapes and light colours of the walls and ceilings

Meanwhile, light grey oak walls in the owner’s office curve gracefully, creating partitions that subtly define the space. Along with the curved walls, rounded sofas and chairs harmonise with the circular carpets beneath them, enhancing the yacht’s unified design language. In the cabins, carpets are asymmetrical and offset under the beds, adding a sense of dynamism.

Most of the furniture seen on Diamond Binta was custom-designed, including the unique coffee tables, the desk in the owner’s office and the galley countertop. Bespoke items such as these are complemented by luxurious pieces from Italian furniture makers, such as Minotti sofas and Poltrona Frau stools, which perch alongside the island in the galley. “Another request was a huge galley where they can eat at the counter and where the owner’s wife can cook because she loves cooking,” says Orsi.

Photos: Courtesy of Dariel and Guillaume Plisson - Airbus

Diamond Binta has a simple grey, black and white colour palette – the “whites” ranging from beige to cream. The interior is rich in cappuccino marble, smoked glass, leather and black lacquer. Oak is used throughout in multiple tones and finishes, from glossy to brushed. Perhaps most interesting is the dark brown oak flooring, which has been texturised to give the feel of Japanese tatami mats.

All of this creates an atmosphere that is masculine without being overbearingly so, thanks to the curved shapes and light colours of the walls and ceilings. “Ceilings feature prominently in the design, blending lacquered pearl grey and grey-brown panels,” says Casprini. “Integrated LED strips run along irregular, curved beams around the ceiling perimeters, accentuating key areas like the living spaces on the main and upper decks.”

While Diamond Binta’s bridge and engine room might be an engineer’s dream, this is a yacht that can be enjoyed by all – petrolhead or not

One space that doesn’t shy away from its masculine edge is the low-lit, dramatic bridge. As the yacht’s technical hub, the wheelhouse gives an ardent nod to automotive design. Dark brown leather is accented by red LED strip lighting, highlighting the unusual shape of the bridge cabinetry, with metallic panelling below.

While Diamond Binta’s bridge and engine room might be an engineer’s dream, this is a yacht that can be enjoyed by all – petrolhead or not. With five lower-deck cabins and a maindeck master, she’s large enough to bring on a multitude of friends and family. Over the winter, the owners have been doing just that, putting the yacht to the test while cruising in the Caribbean.

In January, Diamond Binta was listed for sale, signalling the owner’s ambition to step up to an even larger yacht, hopefully getting the design and build teams back together for a third encore.

But for now, he’s enjoying using Diamond Binta – he can spend as much time as he desires admiring his glass-encased engine room while guests who are less interested in the technical side of things can simply sashay down the hallway to the beach club and dive right into the water.

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