For many years, Christensen has made its name on custom-series motoryachts that share the same hull and propulsion systems. But the Washington-based shipyard has really excelled at incorporating the “custom” into the series. It has long abandoned the cookie-cutter approach adopted by other series builders. Each new Christensen over the last five years has been unique, ranging from the extremely ornate Casino Royale, with its richly crafted interior (including glass etchings of Bond girls in the foyer) to the elegant but simple Primadonna. Both yachts recently sold for more than the owners paid for them, a testament to Christensen’s reputation in the market.
Odessa, launched last summer, is yet another departure for Christensen. Its black hull and metallic silver superstructure give the yacht a futuristic appeal, and the raised bulwark along the length of the yacht gives it a more linear profile. Christensen also widened the side decks by six feet to give the European owners more room to roam. The 160-foot motoryacht was also designed to roam the globe, with a transatlantic range of 4,000 miles and top speed of 18 knots. The series approach has allowed Christensen to work out any kinks in the engineering, so its yachts are extremely reliable.
Odessa’s interior was designed around the minimalistic furniture of Armani Casa. Christensen’s design team consulted extensively with Armani on the interior, surrounding the decor with rich, dark hardwoods, muted fabrics, and contrasting stonework such as white onyx and black obsidian. Like the exterior, the overall impression is one of residing in a luxury designer apartment in Paris or New York, though the ocean view is unrivaled. The large rectangular hot tub on the sundeck, a Christensen signature for Odessa, makes the view even more exceptional.
