W
hen an invitation came through to attend a black tie event on a luxury superyacht in Monaco, rearranging the calendar was a no-brainer. Especially since this was the launch night of an as-yet-embargoed audio product from the Bavarian hi-fi makers Loewe and the New York-based jewellers and watchmakers Jacob & Co.
We arrived in the Cote d’Azur on a balmy August evening. There was no mistaking the 55m yacht — the letters spelling out Loewe were emblazoned in a permanent aft-facing lightbox greeting arrivals. While embarking, tepid late-summer swells were nipping at the hull. The not completely calm water meant the passage from dry land to the boat deck was a little precarious. It wasn’t helped by our hosts insisting that we ditch our evening footwear and trade it in for deck slippers — the yacht had only been delivered from its maker the day before. The four levels of teak decking were not going to take a battering on day one.
Both Loewe the yacht and Loewe Technology (which has no connection to Loewe the Spanish fashion brand) belong to Aslan Khabliev, who is also the CEO. The Russian entrepreneur, now based in Switzerland, also helms the investment company Skytec Group and formerly ran Sharp’s European consumer electronics arm. The marine architect Luca Dini, meanwhile, was the designer of the sleek Tankoa T55 Sportiva. Taking its inspiration from motorsports, it features a beach club, waterline spa and several outdoor lounges. It can accommodate 12 guests in six luxury en suite staterooms and provides quarters for 10 crew members. There’s an infinity pool and large surrounding deck and Aslan’s “owner’s suite” has a dedicated private terrace and hot tub. Loewe can be chartered for a cool £350,000 a week.
