When the world shut down, superyachts represented freedom and safety for the top one percent.
While the pandemic has drastically affected the travel and hospitality industries, sales of superyachts have boomed among ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Superyachts differ from their smaller cousins in more than sheer size and scale. They offer degrees of luxury not found in standard yachts.
According to Boat International’s Global Order Book, 1,024 superyacht projects were being built or on order in 2022, a rise of 24.7% from 821 in 2021. Research by shipyard Rossinavi and the International University of Monaco indicates that the rising demand for superyachts is due to a new wave of millennial owners representing a younger breed of wealthy boat enthusiasts. While only 20% of today’s billionaires are under 50, the average age of super yacht owners will be between 35 and 45, down from today’s 45 to 55 range, within the next 20 years.
Stepping Onboard the Galaxy
I recently had the opportunity to explore the luxurious world of superyachts on board the Galaxy, a refitted 184-foot Benetti Superyacht. I was invited to attend Miami’s Art Basel onboard the Galaxy from Island Gardens Marina, where attendees got to admire a private viewing of the stunning NFT artwork collection by HOFA (House of Fine Art) displayed throughout the vessel.
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Although I’ve been on yachts before, being on a superyacht is an entirely different experience. It felt like being teleported to space. The Galaxy is a sustainable and customized floating spaceship in the middle of the ocean, a destination in itself. The refit was performed by Monaco Marine and GM Group at the La Ciotat yard in France, and the interior was designed by award-winning London-based Njord by Bergman Design House, known to be the movers and shakers trailblazing the movement toward sustainable yacht design, construction, and operation.
A Cosmic Experience
The first, most obvious thing that struck me about the Galaxy was its sheer scale. Superyachts typically range from 130 ft. and up, but Galaxy is a 184-foot-long behemoth featuring a sleek futuristic GALAXY nameplate and black painted mask with line accents.
Once onboard, I was given a private tour by yacht designers Marie Soliman, founder and creative director of Bergman Design House and Njord by Bergman (the yachting arm of Bergman Design House), Sarah Colbon, co-founder of Njord by Bergman Design House, and Galaxy owner Dave Hagewood’s partner, Danielle Hill.
Dave Hagewood, a first-time yacht owner and an American video game developer, is one of the new wave of younger superyacht buyers. Hagewood founded Psyonix LLC, developers of the successful video game Rocket League, which he sold to Epic Games in 2019. The son of a NASA scientist, Hagewood, always wanted to own a spaceship. After selling Psyonix, he and his partner Danielle wished to enjoy the freedom of traveling around the world while living on a yacht.
The yacht’s redesign was inspired by the couple’s love for music and arts festivals, particularly the annual Burning Man festival held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. The event encourages self-expression through creativity, innovation, and cultivating positive energy, which perfectly emulates their lifestyle.
“Dave is very much into outer world experiences,” says Sarah Colbon. “It was important for us to interview them and their representatives, and we try our best to delve into their personal lives and do our own research on where they eat, how they shop, what they like, and so on, so we can come up with a creative vision.”
The refitted Galaxy is an extraordinary alternative universe unto itself, featuring an unconventional design that depicts cosmic islands of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter. All materials used in the refit were sourced from natural elements and are made from fully sustainable fabrics, a reflection of Njord by Bergman Design House’s strong ethos to keep environmental impact top of mind.
Its bespoke futuristic interior design engages the senses like no other, providing an out-of-this-world affair. Everything seems to have a special purpose on Galaxy, right down to its floors. The wood flooring was designed to mimic the sensation of waves beneath one’s feet.
The expansive main deck features the first floating private member’s club ever built inside a superyacht. The nightclub-like vibe features moody décor, colorful RBG LED lighting, and 17 healing crystals valued at $2 million carefully curated by Fine Minerals International, displayed inside a secured glass wall. Artwork graces the club, including one-of-a-kind contemporary paintings by Camille Hannah and The Thinker, a sculpture of an astronaut by Joseph Kilbansky. The main saloon’s wallpaper was crafted by Dylan Cole, who has worked on Disney’s Avatar and Maleficent. A close look in just the right light reveals alien creatures hiding in the wallpaper, echoing Avatar’s Pandora. It also features backlit rock formations that add to the extra-terrestrial ambiance.
The heart of Galaxy’s main deck invites guests to the upper deck by way of a staircase and a cylindrical glass elevator. The upper deck was designed for relaxation and reflection. A spacious lounge area decorated in bright blue and grey tones to help evoke the emotions of calmness and tranquility. It features a white grand piano, a mini-bar, and a circular marble dining table that seats twelve. A chandelier made of chakra crystals with carefully handcrafted gold circular accents dangles above the table, helping to balance positive energy throughout the yacht.
As I stepped into the space-themed master bedroom suite, I felt as though I was being pulled into orbit. The bronzed brass metal headboard is dotted with tiny LED lights, and alabaster bedside lights are carefully crafted to replicate the full moon; together, they reminded me of a starry night sky. More tiny lights form constellations on the ceiling and behind the bed frame creating a more magical effect, only adding to the relaxing ambiance. The patterns represent the star signs of Hagewood, Danielle, and their close friends.
The extravagant amenities and futuristic designs left me speechless, including an outdoor jacuzzi, touch-and-go helipad, private party deck with a DJ booth, and private music studio. The vessel leaves little to be desired, providing everything anyone could ever want in one living space.
Galaxy comfortably accommodates a crew of 10 and up to 14 guests in six suites comprising one VIP, one master, two double, and two twin cabins.
An Ambitious Design Project
The larger-than-life yacht design is the work of award-winning London interior designers Bergman Design House. The powerhouses behind the brand are husband-and-wife founders Marie Soliman and Albin Berglund, who partnered with superyacht industry expert Sarah Colbon, and founded Njord by Bergman Design House, which focuses on designing superyachts.
Galaxy is precisely what the designers envisioned during the retrofit phase: a youthful, aesthetically pleasing space that breathes new life into those who experience it. Constructed in a record-breaking five months instead of 18, the Galaxy takes luxury to a new level while offering a more contemporary look and feel.
But of course, a project of this massive scale comes with some challenges.
“First, it was during the pandemic,” remembers Colbon. “The second challenge is you are going through France, in addition, it was during the holidays in France, Spain, and Italy, and then there were supply chain issues with Brexit.”
She ultimately credits a solid team from the shipyard, designer, owners, crew, project managers, brokers, surveyors, and others for getting the Galaxy refit past its hurdles. She says having the right clients, such as Dave Hagewood, who completely trusted the design team to make quick and sound decisions throughout the process, enabled them to deliver the refit in record time.
The Future of Superyachts
The future of millennial owners of superyachts is expected to continue to rise.
“You look at how Silicon Valley dramatically shifted with crypto-currency; ultra-networths are getting younger and younger,” says Marie Soliman, founder and creative director of Bergman Design House and Njord by Bergman. “Yachting became so popular during COVID, we never sold so many boats.”
Millennial superyacht owners are also taking the lead in shaking up traditional yacht designs. They tend to care more about experiences and adventure. New owners are looking for designs that reflect their lifestyles and enhance their experience by focusing on outdoor space and adding fitness centers, dance floors, water sports, and plenty of places to socialize.