on 5 Apr 2021
The new flagship from Golden Yachts enters the charter market and signals ambition from the Greek builder, while opening up a spectacular way to cruise the fabled islands of Greece
Among western nations, Greece holds special sway. Its ancient philosophers defined Western thought, its city-states started Western traditions of government, and its Olympian athletes created the world’s biggest sporting brand. But perhaps most significantly, Greek seafarers once ruled the Mediterranean. That tradition has not been lost to the centuries, as Greek shipowners still have a powerful hold on the world’s commercial shipping fleets, and its yachts.
Legendary Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis owned the classic motoryacht Christina O (still available for charter). He made good use of his boat, entertaining politicians, celebrities and countless others.
The Dragnis family, a Greek shipping dynasty headed by patriarch Paris Dragnis, owns O’Pari and the yard that built it, Golden Yachts. The yard is rapidly moving up into the ranks of top-tier superyacht builders, with the 95-metre O’Pari becoming the new flagship of the yard with its launch in June 2020. The “Pari” refers to Paris’ name, while the “O” references the Greek “O” or Omega, which is also used as an informal greeting.
“The precise goal was to build a yacht that is a five-star floating wellness retreat, made for people who love being near the water,” said Paris’ son, John Dragnis, referring to the onboard treats like the hammam and dry Finnish sauna.
“My favourite feature is her wellness-dedicated deck. Guests can engage in a gym session or cool off from the sun with a refreshing dip in the swimming pool. O’Pari boasts so much space for so many ideas: Pilates, meditation or yoga. Also, she really stands out for her exceptional beach club with all the amenities and plentiful space.”
After the joys of being on the bridge deck in the morning, guests can descend to the huge beach club, referred to as the ‘beach house’ on O’Pari
Golden Yachts builds yachts almost exclusively for charter, and O’Pari boasts one of the highest crew to guest ratios there is, with 29 crew tending to 12 guests. Service standards will undoubtedly be high. For Golden Yachts, 2020 was a milestone year, as the 95-metre O’Pari is the biggest yacht by the yard yet. When O’Pari was launched in June 2020, it eclipsed the 85-metre O’Ptasia.
O’Pari has now joined the charter fleet of Atalanta Golden Yachts, a superyacht charter agency specialising in superyacht tours of Greece as well as other hot spots around the Mediterranean.
Guests onboard O’Pari will have the chance to enjoy unrivalled amounts of space in an elegantly streamlined package. Start with the healthy options: there’s an enormous, fully-equipped gym that stretches across the full beam of the aft bridge deck, with full-height windows. This creates one of the best on-board fitness rooms of any charter yacht, where the gym is often in a small room on a lower deck.
Open the aft doors from the gym, guests can step onto a large swimming pool, with expansive views of the surrounding sea. This is a tremendous way to start the day.
The precise goal was to build a yacht that is a five-star floating wellness retreat, made for people who love being near the water – John Dragnis
After the joys of being on the bridge deck in the morning, guests can descend to the huge beach club, referred to as the “beach house” on O’Pari, on the lower aft deck. Here, there is massive space that opens up to a hydraulic staircase that drops into the water. The tenders and toys are stored and deployed just forward of the beach house.
Inside the beach house, there are loungers and tables, and off to the sides, the sauna, hammam and a massage room. No day on a superyacht charter in the Greek Islands is complete without a dizzying array of toys and tenders to keep guests entertained. O’Pari’s main tenders are a 9.75-metre limo tender with two 220-horsepower inboard engines, a 6.2-metre RIB with beach-lander steps, a Chris Craft 27 launch and a 4.4-metre Zodiac. In short, whether it’s going ashore in style or being towed at high speed, O’Pari has the tenders. O’Pari has a touch-and-go helipad.
The long list of toys includes Seadoos, Seabobs, towables of every kind and even a pair of motorised stand-up paddleboards.
After a day on the water, it will be time to soak up the Mediterranean night. Up on the sundeck, there is a forward-facing plunge pool, bar service and lounges. The sundeck is open plan with a built-in DJ booth, in case guests decide to have a private party. There is even an outdoor cinema on the sundeck, for a viewing under the stars.
Golden Yachts recruited Ach Art Advisory, a Greek art curation and services firm specialising in modern Greek art, to create a custom art collection for the yacht
When it’s time to cool off indoors, the aft upper and main decks house enormous salons, done with contemporary, airy elegance. The designs were handled by Golden Yachts’ long time collaborators, Studio Vafiadis.
To complete the interior, Golden Yachts recruited Ach Art Advisory, a Greek art curation and services firm specialising in modern Greek art, to create a custom art collection for the yacht.
The owner’s son, Vasilis, worked with Ach Art on the collection. O’Pari features paintings, photographs, installations and sculptures focused on boats and seascapes. Greek marble was used throughout the yacht, adding a Hellenic flourish to the yacht’s modern interior, which manages to be both luxurious and informal.
All the cabins are located on the main deck or the upper deck. The master cabin is located on the upper deck forward, taking up nearly a quarter of the interior space on the upper deck.
The master cabin includes a huge closet and dressing area, plus a massive bathroom, located opposite each other. Behind the master are a VIP cabin and two doubles, as well as a dedicated office for those needing to stay in touch with work.
On the main deck forward is the main VIP cabin, which occupies an area nearly the size of the master. There are numerous cabins that can easily be deployed to keep charter parties happy, no matter the size or composition of guests.
Crew quarters for the sizeable staff of O’Pari are located entirely on the lower deck, with the exception of the captain’s cabin and the executive office, which are just behind the bridge deck.
At the launch ceremony of O’Pari, which featured a giant Greek flag draped over the side of the yacht, Paris Dragnis said: “You cannot aim for new horizons until you have the courage to leave known shores.” Judging by O’Pari and its status as the new flagship of Golden Yachts, it looks like there is a mounting Greek challenge in the world of classic Mediterranean superyacht cruising.
Technical Specifications: O’Pari
LOA: 95m
Beam: 13.8m
Draught: 3.6m
Number of guests: 12
Guest cabins: 14
Number of crew: 29
Naval architecture: Nhellas
Hull: Steel displacement
Engines: 2 X cat 3516
Generators: 3 X cat C9.3
Cruising speed: 16 knots
Fuel consumption: 880 l/hr
To charter: www.atalantagoldenyachts.com