“I had a precise idea of what I wanted to do. A pure, harmonious, light interior, where the light and the sea come inside; minimal but very comfortable, mixing straight lines and organic curves, as is found in nature” Remi Tessier

Remi Tessier, mastermind of the interior of the Dubois-designed and Perini-built 52 metre Squall, was initially a reluctant partner in the project because of the distance to New Zealand. However, the owners had seen previous boats from Remi Tessier, and felt he was the best person for the job. They invited him to visit their ultramodern home in Milan and asked him to translate the minimalist modernity there to the interior of their new sailing boat.

He selected a limited palette of pure materials and colours in order to achieve a fresh, natural interior. Flooring is bleached wengé with a natural finish. The walls and ceilings are bleached sycamore with a white water matt varnish, and bleaching and colour-matching of the sycamore joinery and aligning the grain as closely as possible across numerous panels took great forethought and planning on the part of the shipyard.

Stainless steel, matt and polished, was used for accessories, lines, frames, hardware, taps, counter tops, bars and furniture frames, for the most part manufactured in-house by Fitzroy, and providing a contrast to the softer woods and leather.

The result is a light, bright interior which is surprisingly spacious for a couple and their guests. It is an efficient and versatile use of space, in which not one millimetre is lost, and into which the outside world can flow.