Friday 10th June saw Rowell and I in Oss for the launch of Aurelia. She is the tenth in the series of 37m yachts from Heesen ( the clue is on the aft quarter..) and quite possibly the only one launched with a team of dancing girls and Gulf-liveried Le Mans cars.
The Owner was keen to explore automotive themes. Fine by us. In fact, music to our petrol-filled ears. Knurled and engine-turned custom handles; ribbed leather headboards; diamond-quilted headlining - all gently weave design cues from iconic marques into a chic environment afloat. The Guest Cabins are influenced by Bertone, Pininfarina and Zagato. That makes a change from saying you are influenced by Picasso's Blue Period.
Aurelia has a few more weeks' work at Heesen's outpost at Hellevoetsluis ( spell-checker disabled for that ) and then off to the Mediterranean for summer cruising.
