| Royal Huisman | 90.00M | "ATHENA" |2004/19/24 |

and indeed it is a truly excellent feature. dont miss....

GLORIOUS

Terrific vessel! Great review. Thanks.

#57 Absolutely beautiful under sail. I actually felt genuine envy. I want to be in that crowsnest!

For once "amazing" seems inadequate

Kelly Cook

Indeed a true new classic with a state-of-the-art-beating-heart.

Only a happy few can imagine what it feels like living/working on this vessel.

Though, I do hope they have good sanding-machines and enough varnish along to maintain the exterior furniture and exquisite teak decks...

What I do not see on this yacht (or they are very well hidden for the eye in the shots) are the telecommunication-mushrooms and radar-domes ... That's a very strong point imho ...

S.

Completely stunning. She really does take you back to different era. Shame there aren't more new builds like her. Quality of workmanship is also unbelieveable.

Thanks for another outstanding thread.

Athena's finishing touches

Man o man Carl, you keep surprising me; what a gorgeous collection of pictures from Athena!
Best collection ive ever seen and a great illustration about the mindboggling complexity a project like this presents

For those who cant get enough of her; i made about 80 pictures of her when she was in the Cacaohaven in Amsterdam where they did the finishing touches and from where she did her seatrials.
This is the link;
http://community.webshots.com/album/167903161GJvIYS

Great review

What I like at athena is, that you can`t be headed by the mast.

Terrific job Carl. I've seen a couple of magazine reviews on Athena but nothing compares to this!

Bahia Mar is throwing us out to make room for the big boys. I'll be in Lauderdale next week to move the boat. If you can get free, come join us for a cruise.

I luuuuuuuuuv her! She's what Patrick O'Brian would want to own if he were still alive.

Much appreciated Carl, great job on the article and upload! Long may she grace these wonderful seas!

Thanks carl! I know that took a long time to get that all together. Now I have something else to take my time away from work

Here is a neat shot of Athena being rolled out of the shed

Wow! that is an amazing shot Dave! There must of been a lot of nervous people watching that happen.

Was she lowered into the water on a sinking platform - is that what that is on the bottom left of the picture?

she wasnt lowered into the water there; they used the platform to transport her through the canals

Thanks guys! How on earth did i miss those pics! I've practically lived here lately and they snook right past me!

Athena

I have just reviewed the specs for Athena and there is no doubt that the technology and craftmenship that went into it's design and construction are awsome. However, I am wondering if it is big for big's sake and designed more for stopping traffic than roaming the Seven Seas in safety and comfort?

Close examination of the deck shows, to me, a cluttered and "busy" design devoid of the sleekness for which clipper ships were famous. There are protrusions jutting out of everywhere. Nothing seems cohesive.

As I said, the specs and design mechanics are awsome. However, I can't shake the feeling that there has been little regard for class and understated elegance that, I believe, a vessel of this magnitude should be.

But.................that can be said for many of the superyachts being built today. Flash beats couth most of the time.

The chaos that Royal Huisman went through can only be imagined. Clark, being the world class screwball that he is, undoubtedly drove them all crazy. I forget the gentlemens name at Royal Huisman, but I am sure, when he took on this new assignment, he ordered a large supply of Valium and it became a side dish for his breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why, after all the travails of Hyperion, would anyone want to go through again having Clark sitting on your shoulder day after day, is a total mystery to me. The gentleman in charge certainly has a facility for pain.

No doubt Athena will cause a stir at any port of call that it makes. Methinks for all the wrong reasons. Elegance has given way to bombast and purity of purpose has been shoved aside in order to attract a crowd.

I agree with that, I would even say that I don't like her design at all...

She looks like an old sailing boat without having the charm and class of those, which is a real shame, as the length of such a ship should allow to create a real beautiful retro design.