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Photo: Mega Yachts Charter
Born as the bespoke pleasure craft of a creative and passionate young owner, the Italian Nonni II is an award-winning superyacht showcasing a fascinating aesthetic vision that remains innovative and out-of-this-world even more than a decade later.
Nonni II was originally named Sea Force One and was built at a shipyard known as Admiral Mariotti (a joint venture between CNL and Mariotti), based in Genoa. It made its debut in 2008, flaunting a head-turning deep black hull built in steel and a dark grey aluminum superstructure. It was the creation of one of the most acclaimed superyacht designers of all time, Luca Dini, with bespoke interiors imagined by the owner himself.
In 2009, Sea Force One was recognized as the most innovative model at the 2009 World Superyacht Awards, where it received the Jury’s Special Commendation for the Best Displacement Motor Yacht between 50-59 meters.
Even years later, after deciding to part with it, the original owner still considered Sea Force One to be the most exquisite luxury yacht in its size category. As one of the World Superyacht Awards judges for many years, he considered that there was nothing even close to Sea Force One, and as an owner looking toward new projects, he believed that he “cannot overtake Sea Force One in terms of how cool she is.”
Photo: Fraser
The Italian masterpiece is unlike any other 54-meter (175-foot) motor yacht due to its incredibly fresh and fascinating interior design. Nonni II is nothing like the typical “floating mansion” unless we’re talking about a science fiction-inspired home from another planet. It’s miles away from the classic look of regular boats, and its main emphasis is on cutting-edge, adrenaline-pumping entertainment.
Luca Dini described it beautifully as “a playground of imagination and fantasy where you can relax and escape from the stresses of the financial district in London.” That’s because Raffaele Costa, the original owner, was a London-based tycoon who had grown up in a typical Italian pizzeria. Like most serial superyacht owners, Costa started small with a 13.4-meter (44-foot) Riva boat and then moved up to the 175-foot Admiral Mariotti yacht.
Costa expresses his personal vision through the yacht’s interior styling, which also includes handpicked contemporary works of art. Some of the main ingredients in this strikingly bold approach include vibrant colors, ultra-sophisticated LED lighting, and complex audio-visual systems throughout.
Photo: Fraser
When Sea Force One was launched, it boasted 14 TV screens, 130 speakers, and a total audio power of 20,000 watts. It obtained a RINA Green Star certification and was the first of its kind to also hold a RINA Secure Yacht seal for its observation and monitoring system, which guaranteed maximum security for those onboard.
Luca Dini’s creation was also technologically advanced. Its multiple convertible hydraulic platforms that turned into terraces were based on a technology that was innovative at the time of the yacht’s initial conception back in 2004.
The ultra-sophisticated pleasure craft feels like a combination of a contemporary nightclub and a spaceship. The main salon reveals loud shades of purple and blue, dazzling lighting, and oversized artwork. The master suite is unlike anything onboard a superyacht. More like a capsule inside a spaceship, it features a textured wall with bizarre elements inspired by the maritime world. The enormous bed is framed by red neon lights, and it faces a blue wall that is also illuminated, creating an otherworldly atmosphere.
Photo: Fraser
All five staterooms boast a different color scheme and unconventional furniture shapes inspired by spacecraft. The master suite comes with its own balcony, while the other four cabins are located on the lower deck. The main salon feels more like a nightclub, but the yacht’s exterior areas take this to the next level. The upper deck is an enormous, ultra-modern party setup. The extravagant styling includes black leather floors and walls and ceilings covered in precious Barrisol fabrics.
The sundeck is another vast exterior area with a large jacuzzi, a Teppanyaki grill, and a dedicated DJ booth. Together with the professional light and sound systems, this turns Nonni II into an enormous, luxury floating nightclub. It also boasts one of the most impressive cinemas onboard a superyacht, a well-equipped gym, and an oversized sunbathing area.
It’s like the perfect vacation resort and nightclub at sea, with an added sophisticated touch thanks to the unique artwork and custom-made details throughout. Nonni’s futuristic design also includes strategic features such as floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights, and multiple hydraulic platforms that turn into terraces. All of this blurs the line between the outside and the inside. This superyacht looks and feels like a massive party oasis that brings the sea indoors.
Photo: Luca Dini
For more than a decade, this Luca Dini-designed masterpiece operated as a highly successful charter yacht. It was refitted several times, most recently this year. Costa, the creative original owner, parted with it after ten years and is on the way to another disruptive project. The yacht was delivered to an Asian owner and renamed Nonni II.
Today, Nonni II is looking for its third owner. The freshly refitted yacht is up for grabs, asking for somewhere around $20 million (€18,5 million). One thing’s for sure – its new owner must be able to appreciate its super unique, unconventional, and unapologetic spirit.