The 73.7m motor yacht Ilona was recently spotted showing her new facelift on France’s Côte d’Azur after she was reportedly stationed at Amels’ yard last August for a major refit.
The Ilona was launched by Amels in 2004 and was designed by Redman Whiteley Dixon with a special helicopter garage that had other yacht owners green with envy. After worldwide cruising, the owner decided to make some changes, including the addition of a large swimming pool and a helipad so huge it could take his Agusta 109 Grand New copter.
The 10 meter by 3 meter swimming pool was created with a movable floor and a maximum depth of 1.5 meters, and replaces the helicopter garage. The 40,000 liters of sea water that fill the pool are purified, and in only one hour the water can be heated up to six degrees higher than the original temperature.
The new helipad’s addition threatened the aesthetic origins of Dixon’s design, so the owner’s deck and bridge deck were extended by 2 meters and metallic gray paint was used to reduce the visual impact of the helipad.
The refit was completed in record time due to a pre-engineering plan and manufacturing works that were completed in advance. With that, Amels’ refit department finished the job on May 16, ahead of schedule, and the Ilona arrived in Antibes a few weeks later just in time for the best of yachting season.
Source: Boat International
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