Axantha II

Written by Carlos Serra. Sailing photos: B. Stichebaut/ JFA. Indoor Photos: B.Muncke/JFA. Translation: Endeavour Services

On board

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Silent and shrewd
 

JFA builds an almost identical boat, just slightly longer, for a repeat client and introduces the best ideas arising from thousands of miles sailing and living onboard.

If the first Axantha, presented to our readers seven years ago, was proof of the excellent synergy between the Vripack studio and French shipyard JFA, then this model launched last spring, slightly longer and featuring hundreds of upgrades, nears perfection. Extremely satisfied with the first model, the owner decided to commission this second explorer yacht as a reward for himself and as a post-retirement occupation for his captain, a seafarer he had worked with for twenty years but who was forced to retire due to age. This man’s experience, both in sea miles and relations with the owner and his family, more than justified the initiative and made him into the ideal project manager.
There aren’t many differences in appearance between the second Axantha and the first, except for the longer tender deck, the aft swim platform accessible from the lazarette and up from the diving centre, and the distinct colour chosen for her hull.
The standard explorer yacht set-up, with an aft-placed superstructure and a forecastle reserved for supplies and crew, is the same. Also the interior layout, which shifts the engine room astern and leaves an excellent lower deck section for accommodations, has been kept almost identical.
Without a doubt, the improvement most welcomed by the owner and his family is the state-of-the-art soundproofing carried out by the firm Van Capellan, guaranteeing extraordinarily low levels of noise for a motoryacht which go way beyond the already satisfactory levels achieved on the original model. Suffice it to say that when Axantha II is at cruising speed, just forty-six decibels – a discreet purr – are recorded in the owner’s suite and guest cabins.