waves ahead
After three years and lots of rumours, the wait is over. Dominator officially showed its new Ilumen 28m class Kalliente in the South of France. Arguably the best-designed mini-megayacht to debut this year, the 92-foot Kalliente was commissioned by an American couple that will keep the yacht at their boutique hotel on the French Riviera.
Dominator’s Ilumen sits at the forefront of the trend to distill superyacht features into 80- to 90-foot hulls without compromising on quality and, in this case, size. Kalliente’s bespoke interior includes a lavish, impeccably designed saloon with floor-to-ceiling windows for natural light. Its square footage is similar to yachts closer to 100 feet. The master suite is also the same size as many larger yachts, but extras like a retractable moon-roof over the bed and a private balcony in the bow, connected to the bedroom by weatherproof French doors, lift the Alberto Mancini–designed yacht to the top of its class. “When I saw the hull, deck, and superstructure I realised it was the beginning of a new era,” says Mancini.
That’s not just marketing hype. Dominator communicated very closely with yacht owners to create a custom interior, while engineering a robust hull and superstructure built to superyacht standards. “We work with the owners to make the interiors a bespoke design that fits them like a glove in terms of taste and preferences,” says Giulia Sigismondi, head of Dominator’s bespoke office. Among standout features on Kalliente are they yacht’s custom bar, made of stainless steel, backlit onyx and Foglizzo leather, as well as a champagne table of lacquered ebony, Foglizzo leather and stainless steel. Inside are partitions for champagne glasses. The details throughout the saloon are a testament to Mancini’s keen eye for subtle, elegant design and the skills of Dominator’s Italian craftsmen to create an interior masterpiece.
The engineering is also built to superyacht standards. Andrea Agrusta, head of engineering, says the build process for Ilumen is much higher quality than other yachts its size. “Every detail tells you that Ilumen is something quite different,” he says. “From the high-tech construction in post-cured glass and carbon fibre mixed with epoxy resin, to the full use of epoxy filler cycle and the application of the Awlcraft painting instead of cheap gel coats.”
Kalliente also employs high-tech solar-control interlayer film in the glass to lower solar heat intake by 40 percent, making the yacht more fuel efficient. The Ilumen also incorporates Seakeeper gyro stabilisers to reduce roll by 80 percent and Humphree active ride control to minimise roll and pitch while its twin MAN V8-1200 engines are propelling Kalliente across the most beautiful waters of the Mediterranean.
“We set out to challenge limitations and provide the same sensation of space, elegance, and luxury in a 28-meter format that you would expect in a megayacht,” says Mancini. Agrusta is even more emphatic about the Ilumen: “I believe we have defied the rules and created a new milestone in yacht industry.”
