Simply Abu Dhabi XXVIII

2 0 2 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I The result was the highly praised 65m M/Y Nourah of Riyad – designed by Donald Starkey and at the time the largest yacht to ever come out of Turkey. It was also the establishment of Mr Al-Athel shipyard, Yachtley. “We completed the build in good time – it only took four years to build both Nourah of Riyad and the shipyard,” he explains. “We built them together, and I then became very excited about what we could achieve.” More than happy with the finished product, Nourah of Riyad’s owner went on to request a refit a few years later, also undertaken by Yachtley, and one that would see her extended to 70m. She was also equipped with a new swimming platform, beach club, new saloon on the sun deck and given several other cosmetic changes. It was during her original build, however, that Mr Al-Athel made some crucial decisions regarding the future of Yachtley and its workforce. “I decided to hire Lloyds to certify the shipyard, and to certify M/Y Elements – the yacht that I planned to build for another client,” he says. “I also decided to go for Lloyds and SOLAS certification for Elements, which cost me more, but I wanted the experience and training for my employees. We now have a really high calibre workforce producing fantastic quality of work.” At an impressive 80m, Elements is an inspiring yacht, thanks in no small part to her notable SOLAS classification, and her naval architecture undertaken by Alfa Marine in Athens. She comfortably accommodates up to 24 guests within her expansive interior, comprising a master suite, two VIP staterooms, four double staterooms, four twin cabins and one smaller twin cabin, as well as providing accommodation for 19 crew. She features a classically-styled displacement steel hull (tested at Marin Institute in Holland) and an aluminium superstructure with teak decks,