THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

””

IN A WORLD OF RAPID AND CONSTANT TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, THE HIGH-END AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT ABOARD A SUPERYACHT CAN DO SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST PLAY YOUR FAVOURITE MUSIC OR MOVIES. AUDIO-VISUAL AND IT GURU MIKE GIBBONS EXPLORES THE POTENTIAL OF A FULLY INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM.

Yacht owners want the same standard of entertainment and control on board, as they have in their own homes.

The high level of interactivity and personal choice expected by owners

and guests depends on a reliable Ethernet network.

Imagine an exclusive outdoor cinema, with a giant screen you can watch from the jacuzzi. Imagine a mirror over the bar transforming into a high definition TV so you can catch the Ryder Cup coverage. Imagine plugging your iPod into the sound system in your cabin, and having the music follow you around the yacht, from the sun deck to the beach club. Imagine a dining room ceiling where the constellations are picked out in glittering lights that track the movements of the stars currently overhead. These things are already reality in the world of superyacht audio-visual design.

Not so long ago, the major yacht systems such as audio-visual, CCTV, lighting, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning were all entirely independent. A multitude of different companies were responsible for design and installation. Gradually, they all converged: HVAC is now considered as a single entity, and as owners came to expect more functionality from their audio-visual systems, integration became the key. While as yet few companies can deliver all the necessary specialist systems, more large superyacht projects are building integration into the process. This ensures compatibility between equipment and systems whilst also facilitating service and support functions (a major factor for the crew when things go wrong). More importantly, an integrated system delivers a seamless user experience – lighting works in harmony with the mood music; the soundtrack for the gym can be linked to the pace of the treadmill; you can enjoy the view from the bridge or chart the yacht’s passage on the TV in your cabin.

OFF-BOARD COMMUNICATIONS

The advent of streaming media from services such as Spotify, iTunes and Netflix has also highlighted a growing dependency on the speed and quality of off-board communications. Charter guests and owners no longer expect to be limited to a ‘catalogue’ of pre-selected movies or music – if they can download anything at will at home, why not on board? Whilst services such as VSAT are improving their download speeds, they still struggle to come anywhere near what is achievable via 3G/GSM let alone 4G. In fact, many superyachts now switch to 3 or 4G connection when close to shore within useable range. For those aiming to work on board, or planning a long-range cruise, the options available for off-board communications form an important part of the decision about which yacht to buy or charter.

THE APPLE EFFECT

The prevalence of Apple products around the world has directly influenced the design of yacht audio-visual systems. iPod docking stations have been typical for some time, but people now carry a great deal of content with them on iPad and MacBook. Apple’s AirPlay feature makes it very easy to view content from your iPad, iPhone or MacBook on a large screen Apple TV connected into the audio-visual system. This provides a simple and inexpensive way to allow guests on board to connect their own devices wirelessly and enjoy their own movies and music in the comfort of their cabin. The desire to connect wirelessly highlights an element of the system that has become the backbone of any superyacht audio-visual solution: the network. Typically, many other on board systems will use one common network, so there is a need to install enterprise-level equipment with the ability to manage and segregate network traffic. This avoids conflicts between systems and devices and ensures that fast network connections are always available for the entertainment of owners and guests.

LOOKING AHEAD

The art of integration is central to a pleasurable on board experience. For this reason, audio-visual needs to be considered along with all the other yacht systems, at the very outset of the design process. Over a three or four year new build programme, technology changes dramatically: the network design needs to be robust and flexible enough to allow for regular upgrades. Audio-visual specialists are working more closely with interior designers too, integrating systems into the fabric of the yacht, hiding speakers and TVs in the panelling and the furniture. Should the cinema screen drop from the ceiling, or emerge from the console table? Today’s superyacht audio-visual systems are a highly sophisticated collection of different sub-systems. Guests are already using a single, easy to operate remote control or touch screen panel to create their own environment. They can listen to music, watch movies and TV, control lights and HVAC, check up on CCTV, play computer games and browse the internet. Tomorrow’s solutions will be even more sophisticated, intuitive, personalised and flexible. Expect more voice controls and movement sensors, as your audio-visual system becomes ever more assimilated into an intelligent, integrated yacht environment. Watch this space!

60technology { }

The imagination of owners and designers is driving dramatic improvements

in yacht audio-visual systems.

”

61{ }Superyacht Living & Style Magazine 2013

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HIS PERSONAL SET OF ECLECTIC, ATMOSPHERIC, MOOD-ENHANCING PLAYLISTS FO

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62lifestyle { }

THIS IS

HIS PERSONAL SET OF ECLECTIC, ATMOSPHERIC, MOOD-ENHANCING PLAYLISTS FO

R THO

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...OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

Out of this world music, for global explorers, by some of the world’s most amazing artists. These are all beautiful, atmospheric tracks that create a relaxed and mellow mood.

Candlelit dinner in the South Pacific, anyone?

...A CARIBBEAN BEACH BBQ

For that desert island setting, you need something with vibrancy and beat. Roots reggae is a touch predictable, so mix it up with a little funk and contemporary soul –

check out The Dynamics’ remix of Led Zeppelin.

DUB COLOSSUSSTRETCH

BUGZ IN THE ATTICTHE BAMBOOS

DIANA BROWN & BARRIE K. SHARPETHE DYNAMICS

THE BLACK SEEDSESCORT

DAVID LOWE’S DREAMCATCHERTHE NEXTMEN

WEY FIKIRWHY DID YOU DO IT?MOVE ASIDETURN IT UPTHE MASTERPLAN (12” MIX)WHOLE LOTTA LOVEMAKE A MOVECAMÉLEON CHAMELEONSO HOT (VOCAL MIX)LET IT ROLL

MELODY GARDOTGEOFFREY GURRUMUL YUNUPINGU

NATACHA ATLASANOUAR BRAHEMALBERTO IGLESIAS

FATOUMATA DIAWARAMADREDEUS

TUCARAYAEL NAIM & DAVID DONATIEN

LURA

AMALIABAYWARRAYOU ONLY LIVE TWICEL’ARBRE QUI VOITHABLE CON ELLAMAKOUN OUMOUGUITARRANO PUEDO QUITAR MIS OJOS DE TIPARISTABANKA ASSIGO

GIORGIO MORODERGEOFFREY ORYEMA

TALK TALKMANUEL GÖTTSCHING

WHITE ELEPHANTPETER GREEN

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

BUBBLE CLUBBJORK

THE MYTHTHE RIVERTHE RAINBOWE2-E4SIR JOHNSLABO DAYCOME SMOKE MY HERBI’M ON FIRE (COUSIN COLE’S BAD DESIRE REMIX)EX-VOTOALL IS FULL OF LOVE (MARK STENT & MARIUS DEFRIES WITH ADDED STRINGS)

...SUNBATHING IN THE MED

Loafing on the sun deck, but tired of generic Café del Mar chill out sounds? Dive into more interesting musical waters. These tracks drift from blues guitar to 80’s

electronics and ethereal vocals. Cool Balearic vibe, with a twist.

TOP 10 TRACKS FOR...

FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOODYELLO

PRINCEGRACE JONES

MR FOXRITA LEE

ELTON MOTELLOHOT CHIP

DJ KAOSPNAU

WELCOME TO THE PLEASURE DOME (FRUITNESS MIX)PART LOVEI WANNA BE YOUR LOVERNIPPLE TO THE BOTTLE (LONG VERSION)PARTY TRACKCORISTA DE ROCKJET BOY, JET GIRLNIGHT AND DAYLOVE THE NITE AWAYWITH YOU FOREVER

...THE ON BOARD PARTY

Forget heavy nightclub dance tracks, this is your top DJ at work. From Latin rock to pop disco, it’s groovy and sexy – a genre-hopping and decade-hopping party playlist

that jumps around all over the place. Watch the dance floor do likewise.

MACEO PLEXHENRIK SCHWARZ & AMAMPONDO

MARTIN DAWSONSONNY FODERA

LAZLOPSYCHEMAGIK

TIGER & WOODSPOOLSIDE

SOFT ROCKSDUBTRIBE SOUND SYSTEM

VIBE YOUR LOVEI EXIST BECAUSE OF YOU (HENRIK SCHWARZ LIVE VERSION)THINK ABOUT IT (FEAT. NRG) (MACEO PLEX REMIX)THE ONESTOMPING AT STUDIO 54RUNNIN’ PART 2GIN NATIONBETWEEN DREAMSPEN 15 CLUBWEDNESDAY NIGHT

...THE BEACH CLUB

These are your ultimate beach club dance tracks, with that house music feel that sounds so great on holiday – only way cooler and more underground. Maceo Plex is

one of the hottest producers of the moment. Warm, accessible, melodic.

Rob Wood is a DJ, music writer and creative director of Music Concierge, which designs, supplies and maintains bespoke playlists for the world’s top luxury environments, from hotels, spas, restaurants and bars to members’ clubs and retail brands. Current clients include: The Savoy, Harrods, Mulberry, Dunhill, Mr & Mrs Smith, The Arts Club, Huvafen Fushi, One&Only Cape Town, and COMO Hotels & Resorts.

www.musicconcierge.co.uk

63{ }Superyacht Living & Style Magazine 2013

You’ve been out on the water all day, or partying hard all night, now you just want to chill out. Kick back in front of the state-of-the-art, surround sound screen in your suite, or take up position in the dedicated media lounge or on board cinema. Perhaps you’d like to recline on deck as the film is projected supersize onto an outdoor movie screen or curl up in your favourite armchair with your iPad and headphones. With the film lists and sophisticated entertainment systems on board superyachts these days, your options are virtually unlimited.

Dan Borgonon is a film festival judge and editor for feature films at Channel 4, the UK TV broadcaster and sponsor of great British cinema. He has selected his top 30 films for essential on board viewing, picking them for their spirit of adventure, cinematography and variety. With locations ranging from the Caribbean and Mediterranean to Australia and beyond, you’ll find something to suit every age and every mood in this selection.

THE FILM LIST 1AFRICAN QUEEN (1951) Humphrey Bogart and

Katharine Hepburn sizzle in this classic war romance set on the backwaters of German-occupied Congo.

2THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996)

Anthony Minghella’s epic romance with Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas expertly captures the spirit of adventure with both its dramatic narrative and breathtaking Saharan and rural Italian locations.

3SOME

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003)

Tropical family adventure on the high seas as Johnny Depp stars as the eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow in the first and best of the box office-friendly film franchise. Filmed on location in the Grenadines and the Dominican Republic.

4DR. NO (1962)

Set on the tropical Island of Jamaica, the original and arguably one of the best Bond movies stars Sean Connery and Ursula Andress turning up the heat as they attempt to foil the planned sabotage of the US space programme.

5MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (2003)

Filmed around the beautiful Galapagos Islands, this classic tall ship drama set during the Napoleonic Wars stars Russell Crowe as the bold British captain pursuing his French nemesis across the high seas.

6SOME

BIG BLUE (1988) The stunning

underwater photography is the real star in this beautiful tale of friendship and love set against the backdrop of Sicily, Greece and the Virgin Islands. By notorious French director Luc Besson.

7THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2011)

A heart-warming film in which the Rajasthan region of Northern India shines and a group of pensioners in their twilight years seek adventure, escapism and a new lease of life. Starring a stellar British cast including Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

8SOME

WHALE RIDER (2002)

A contemporary update of an ancient Maori legend, this beautiful coming of age drama is entwined with the breath-taking scenery of its New Zealand North Island setting.

64lifestyle { }

9RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

Nothing quite captures the spirit of high action adventure like Spielberg’s classic WW2 blockbuster starring Harrison Ford as the archaeologist on a quest to find the infamous Ark of the Covenant.

10SOME

FINDING NEMO (2003)

This wonderful Oscar-winning aquatic tale from the ground-breaking animators Pixar Studios follows a timid clownfish and his quest through Australia’s Great Barrier Reef searching for his lost son.

11SOME

CASABLANCA (1942)

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman star in the classic WW2 love story set within the backstreet bazaars of Morocco’s Casablanca.

15BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012)

A hit in all the key film festivals of 2012, this stunning debut tells the tale of 6 year-old heroine Hushpuppy battling fantastic creatures and the threat of modernity as her remote Louisiana community is swamped by rising tides. A fresh and unique take on the adventure story.

16SOME

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

Watch one of the best sci-fi films ever made from directly beneath the stars: on deck is the optimum environment to appreciate Stanley Kubrick’s epic cosmic masterpiece.

17SOME

LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1947)

Irish seaman Orson Welles falls for Rita Hayworth’s femme fatale on a yachting cruise across Mexico’s Acapulco, agreeing to murder her wealthy husband with tragic consequences in one of the all time great films noirs.

13IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000)

Acclaimed international film-maker Wong Kar-Wai uses the streets of Hong Kong as the dramatic setting for a couple drawn together through fears of infidelity in this visually stunning masterpiece.

14SOME

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000)

Ang Lee’s epic Chinese action adventure simply mesmerises, with breathtaking landscape cinematography and martial arts choreography creating a bona fide international Oscar-winning hit.

18INTO THE WILD (2007)

Nothing embodies the spirit of adventure quite like Sean Penn’s remarkable true story of a top university student who renounces his substantial savings in favour of life in the Alaskan wilderness. A thoughtful and breathtaking modern classic.

19SOME

THE DESCENDANTS (2011)

The tropical island of Hawaii proves an unlikely setting for George Clooney as he struggles to reconnect with his younger daughters in this moving Oscar-winning comedy drama.

20SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) The affluent and beautiful

Coronado Island on the Californian coast proves an appropriate setting for the glamorous Marilyn Monroe as she stars alongside Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in Billy Wilder’s classic screwball comedy.

26AVATAR (2009)

James Cameron’s multi Oscar-winning visual extravaganza transports a wounded marine to the exotic fantasy world of Pandora where he forms an alliance with the local community to protect its indigenous people.

27SOME

CINEMA PARADISO (1988)

Shot entirely around the sumptuous island of Sicily, this tender tale of a young man’s love affair with the cinema and his life-changing relationship with the local cinema projectionist is rightly regarded as a heart-warming family classic.

28SOME

MOBY DICK (1956)

Filmed around Madeira and the Canary Islands, this classic high seas adventure stars Gregory Peck as Herman Melville’s obsessive Captain Ahab, hell bent on catching the notorious white whale Moby Dick.

29THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004)

Part parody, part homage to France’s intrepid naval explorer Jacques Cousteau, Wes Anderson’s eccentric and playful tale stars Bill Murray as an oceanographer hunting the mythical shark that killed his partner. Shot on location in Naples and the Italian Riviera.

30SOME

CHOCOLAT (2000)

Making delicious use of the Burgundy region of France, Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche shine in this tender romantic drama.

21THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY (1999)

Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow star in this sophisticated thriller set throughout the sublime scenery of rural and coastal Italy.

22SOME

CITY OF GOD (2002)

This kinetic, electrifying coming of age drama of two boys growing up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro proved an international crossover hit due to its strong performances and stylised visual aesthetic.

23SOME

THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN (2011)

Steven Spielberg’s wondrous computer-animated adventure follows Hergé’s intrepid young reporter on a thrilling treasure hunt across the continents.

24I AM LOVE (2009)

Filmed in Milan and on the magnificent coast of Italy’s Liguria, this visually stunning drama focuses on one woman’s overwhelming passion and subsequent rejection of her comfortable lifestyle.

25SOME

THELMA AND LOUISE (1991)

A road movie with a difference. Ridley Scott subverts the genre by casting Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as his heroines, who ditch their failing domestic circumstances and hit the Californian highways in a ’66 Thunderbird.

12MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL (2011) The best film of the action adventure

franchise, Tom Cruise stars as the globe-trotting undercover agent who is forced to go rogue to clear his agency’s name, featuring stunning action sequences filmed in Dubai, Prague, Moscow and Mumbai.

65{ }Superyacht Living & Style Magazine 2013