This 52-metre vessel has been designed and built by CRN, which also developed the entire naval architecture. The yard partnered with architecture and design studio Omega Architects, who conceived the external lines, and architects Massari Design, who created all the large outdoor guest areas and the interiors.
The architecture centres on the external areas for a sense of continuity and connectedness with the interiors. The large full-height tinted windows on the main and upper decks merge into a spatial continuum that accentuates the hull lines, flooding the spaces with light and fostering a constant direct rapport with the sea.
The main aft deck profile revels in the equilibrium of designer Frank Laupman’s signature arches, which protect the deck and assure guests’ privacy while offering arresting views from the side and stern.
At 52 metres in length, 9 metres in the beam and with a gross tonnage of 499, the yacht spans 5 decks and accommodates up to 10 guests in the spaces of the main-deck owner suite and 4 VIP cabins below. There are also 6 cabins for the 11 crew.
Custom made details
CRN M/Y CIAO reflects the character of a owner with a passion for the sea. He was particular about the social zones, requiring roomy, open-air spaces linked with precision to the large, luminous interiors.
The outdoor areas – like the two sizeable lounges with sunbathing area and pool, one on the sun deck and the other on the main deck, or the ample al fresco dining area on the upper deck – are conceived as multipurpose convivial spaces for enjoying the open-air life to the full in intimate touch with the sea.
The interiors reflect a simplicity and crispness of form with several details in an interplay of natural colour combinations. The architectural design is based on continuous lines running through the spaces, uniting the variety of natural materials like marble, leather and solid woods while lending a sense of harmony and continuity.
Warm interiors
To fulfil the owner’s express request for an informal on-board lifestyle with a welcoming atmosphere, CRN worked with Massari Design. A key motif in the interior design is the warmth of the woods, offset by a prevailing sense of lightness in a conscious style choice featuring suspended furniture in a floating-design theme.
The predominant warm, intense tones like gold, sand and orange for the finishes, furnishings and textiles in customised textures promote a cordial mood on every deck. The favoured woods are natural oak and walnut with horizontal grain, selected respectively for the floors and walls throughout.
As with the owner suite, all the guest areas and cabins come with automation technology. Thus guests can control and personalise the air conditioning system, the opening and closing of the curtains and blinds, the lighting – from the brightness to switching on and off – and all the audiovisual kit.
The interiors were created with the in-house carpenters at Zago SpA, the Ferretti Group company set up over a century ago. Zago has grown from a small artisanal woodwork shop into an internationally player on the bespoke naval-furnishing scene and an example of of Italian excellence.
MAIN DECK
At the stern, an open-air lounge area is furnished with pieces by several design brands, in a colour palette that ranges from orange to red via the black of the coffee tables. It looks directly on to the rectangular pool.
A sliding glass door leads to the main saloon – a luminous open space that further expands the possibilities for socialising on board. Here, the feeling of continuity between inside and out is underscored by the floor-to-ceiling glazing punctuated by mirrored surfaces that create a play of light and perspective for an immersive sensation of limitless space with ocean views.
Guests entering the saloon encounter a large living area with a welcoming sofa conceived as a conversational space. The dining area at the far end boasts a rectangular table seating 10. On the back wall, the eye is drawn to an hand-worked decoration with cast metal and gold-effect lacquering, which repeats on the upper deck too.
Further along the deck, the focal point of the lobby is the staircase linking all the decks. With the black backdrop and clever vertical lighting, the cascade of steps seems to float in the air, creating a sensation of gossamer lightness.
Past the lobby and the day head adorned by two Murano blown-glass basins, the full-beam owner: at the entrance, a lounge with desk, fully custom sofa and bookshelves enables the owner to work with the sea always in his eyeline.
The wallpaper is entirely handmade using a relief technique, where wood details and leather elements are woven in with the cotton yarn. Two mirrored doors open into the bathrooms, two spaces that are the mirror image of one another, complete with walk-in shower. Hand-lacquered cotton-gauze effects on the furnishings with warm Bronze Amani marble add to the sense of luminosity.
LOWER DECK
The beach club on the lower deck is a spacious multipurpose leisure zone, with a terrace extending right on to the water, where guests can dive straight in or enjoy water sports with the array of toys. The space integrates with an open-air living area featuring a bar that looks on to the wellness area, with an hammam, a shower experience with chromotherapy and a wellness zone.
Down from the main-deck lobby, there are 4 double guest cabins – two twins near the stern and two more towards the bow. The two stern cabins are separated by panelling that can be removed to create a single full-beam unit.
The crew quarters toward the bow are laid out along a central corridor, including a pantry and 5 crew cabins with bright fittings, finishes and materials. Accommodating the need for an extra cabin took an effort, requiring a continual recalculation of the volumes with precision to exploit the space without exceeding the 499 GT limit.
UPPER DECK
The spaces have a flexibility on the upper deck too, including a large outdoor area aft with sofas and a coffee table, another expression of the yacht’s convivial spirit. The space encompasses an al fresco dining zone to enjoy at any time of day.
A full-custom table can extend to accommodate up to 12 diners. Sliding glass doors lead into the panoramic sky lounge, a luminous space with huge windows for sea views. Complete with sofa and wide-screen TV, this social setting converts easily into a movie theatre.
The captain’s cabin can be found on the port side towards the bow. Further forward, the helm station designed with anti-glare materials affords visibility, offering five display screens and all the navigation technology.
The furniture in the bow area forward of the wheelhouse is very lightweight and can easily be removed to haul out and take on the two jet skis. There is also a dedicated space at the bow tip to stow a 6.32-metre Williams 625 tender and a 5.20-metre Williams 520 rescue tender.
SUNDECK
The sundeck is a multipurpose space equally suited to evening entertaining and sunbathing by day.
A lounge area aft is entirely dedicated to convivial living, with a fully custom table at the centre – the twin of the one in the upper-deck dining area – seating up to 10. It can be divided in two and anchored at the sides to create a venue for an evening party. The deck’s centrepiece is an horseshoe-shaped lounge bar, open both forward and aft, that hives off the sun area with a round hydromassage pool at the bow end.
The yacht has a top speed of 16.5 knots and cruises at 14 knots, courtesy of her twin Caterpillar C32 ACERT SCAC engines outputting 1,230 kW @ 2,000–2,300 rpm.
