The first thing that strikes you when you see DAR on the water is how decidedly different she is. Despite being a staggering 295 feet (90 meters) in length, DAR’s aggressive exterior styling by DeBasto Designs is also surprisingly elegant and sporty. Unlike the majority of white–hulled superyachts whose profiles consist of multiple stacked decks, DAR’s unique structure is comprised of largely of glass—4,198 square feet (390 sqm) of glass in the superstructure alone, not counting doors and hull windows. In total, with all of its windows and doors DAR carries nearly 24 tons of exterior glass. “We believe DAR is the first of a new generation of yachts to take advantage of recent advances in glass technology in a prominent way,” says, Luiz DeBasto, president and founder of DeBasto Designs. The glass allows for an overall innovative layout, lending maximum privacy while at the same time offering incredible views from almost everywhere onboard. While one can certainly appreciate the grandeur of DAR from afar, the immense scale and extreme attention to detail is not truly evident until it’s witnessed up close.
There are three distinct complementary exterior decks on board: social, semi-private and totally private. While the owners have their own personal deck and spa pool, there is a central outside “social” space on the Upper Deck with alfresco dining adjacent to the sky lounge, as well as a large swimming pool. A cascading waterfall flows into the swimming pool from the Bridge Deck. DeBasto made the design-based decision to have the prime living areas concentrated aft on all decks versus the foredeck. As DAR is a serious ocean-going vessel, he thought it prudent to keep guests well protected from the elements.
DAR is a 21st century tour de force, not only visually, but also technologically. DeBasto collaborated closely with the Netherlands-based Oceanco, one of the world’s premier superyacht builders, as well as with the owner’s representative and the interior design firm Nuvolari Lenard, based in Venice, Italy to achieve a truly groundbreaking superyacht that will no doubt set new standards for future yachts.
Miami is home base for the international DeBasto Designs
Luiz DeBasto, principal of DeBasto Designs, has been designing boats for over 40 years. Of Portuguese descent but born and raised in Angola until the age of 12, DeBasto moved with his family to Brazil at the outbreak of the Angolan Civil War. After earning a degree in architecture from Mackenzie University in São Paulo, Brazil, he spent his early career designing houses and buildings and also teaching at São Paulo School of Architecture. One of his students asked him if he would consult with her father who was building a yacht yard as well as a 56-foot flybridge yacht. He did so and thus initiated a longstanding relationship with that yard. While DeBasto always had a passion for architecture, art and cars, this was his first foray into the world of boats and he rapidly developed a new passion and a new impetus to his career. DeBasto met his wife Cristina in São Paulo and in 1990 the couple moved to Miami to raise their son. Cristina works closely with Luiz in his office on Brickell Avenue; she is his partner in the business and is often involved in the interior styling of the yachts and homes he designs. DeBasto has several projects in the works including a special 174-foot (53 meter) motoryacht called Tala being built at Turquoise Yachts in Istanbul, Turkey. For more information visit debastodesigns.com or builtbyoceanco.com.
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