Originally built in 2003 by Trinity Yachts and named Seahawk, the vessel was refitted in 2005 and christened My Iris. The original designer was Claudette Bonville while Marc Thee oversaw the refit. Many of the original features were retained, and indeed, both designers continue giving input for new interior touches. Both act in fulfillment of the owner’s exquisite good taste.
My Iris is 150-feet long with a 28-foot beam and an 8-foot draft. Her hull and superstructure are aluminum, while her engines, generators, stabilizers and other seagoing essentials are of the very finest. Charter guests will not want for diversionary playthings; My Iris stores a 19-foot Nautica tender, two kayaks, complete professional-level scuba gear for four, water skis, snorkel gear, fishing gear, and the enticing list goes on.
The most seductive feature of My Iris, though, is without question her soothing if jaw-dropping interior design. Many yacht interiors have a distinctly masculine or feminine feel, but that of My Iris avoids those leanings to make all who enter comfortable. As a matter of fact, comfort of every sort was so important to the owner that she mandated a look of “barefoot elegance,” the creation of glamorous spaces conducive to stylish informality. Because the owner wanted to be able to hold festive parties spread over various areas, an emphasis was placed on achieving flow from space to space. Marc Thee says: “Soft but dramatic backgrounds were our goal. We accomplished this by choosing clean classic lines, soft blues and peachy neutrals as the common colorations.”
Cameron Zentz of Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc. affirms that the owner was conscientiously involved in the refit process. Beyond wanting to achieve “barefoot elegance,” she wanted and procured the finest custom furnishings and fabrics. The owner also envisioned a gentle color palette marked by watery blues, creams, and peaches to convey a spirit of relaxation. Visual unity was assured throughout My Iris by the frequent repetition of subtle tonal nuances.
In the main salon one finds the same sumptuous mahogany wood used throughout the yacht. Champagne-toned silk draperies by Schumacher with a “Fascination Seaside” accent by Rodolph grace the windows. The bar has quilted-leather bar stools, while the custom-made sectional is magnificently complemented by a custom-made coffee table in macassar ebony with walnut accents. On the other side of the coffee table from the sectional are two custom-made, extra-large swivel bucket chairs in a gray paisley gaufrage leather. The lovely J. Robbins Scott pillows on the sectional are done in silk tapis with an ice-blue ribbon fringe.
George Schipper is the master chef aboard My Iris. I asked him about the outfitting of the galley and he told me that it is supplied with every manner of equipment: a full double oven, a salamander, a full grill, a stove with six burners and a flat top as well as many first-class food processors, mixers, and molds. Yet he also made a statement that will seem particularly auspicious to all who relish gourmand preparations. “The most important tool in any kitchen is the chef’s heart. When the chef has his heart in his work, as I do in mine, that passion is evident in the fine results served from his kitchen.”
Chef Schipper certainly knows how to make a diner’s mouth water. Asked to name two of his most elegant specialties, he says: “An appetizer of a basil-infused corn broth over a Pacific white prawn gallette served with crispy shallot and fresh baby corn. And a main platter consisting of a spinach tian in a ginger-soy mirin sauce, and grilled portabella mushrooms and grilled yellow heirloom tomatoes around a coriander-crusted loin of lamb.” He adds with pride that he does not often repeat himself. “I start off with an outline of what I’m aiming for and as the day progresses, the dish evolves.” Chef Schipper feels that besides fine ingredients and a strong conception, the success of a preparation depends on timing and coordination.
His scrumptious cuisine may be served in any of My Iris’s gracious dining areas. The main dining salon boasts a custom, hand-cut marble mosaic floor border by New World Ceramic, Mosaic and Stone of Orlando. The central carpeting is inlaid to the mosaic. A fine wood dining table is surrounded by Italian scroll-back chairs, which the present owner had reupholstered in a blue-topaz-gold fabric known as “Florian Silk.” The same Schumacher/Rodolph window-dressings employed in the main salon adorn the dining salon.
Aft of the main salon, meanwhile, is the aft deck dining area, exceedingly consistent with the concept of “barefoot elegance.” Teak chairs with a creamy waffle fabric and a custom banquette provide plush seating while the color scheme of Wedgwood blues and light champagne tones soothes the eye. Off the sky lounge is the upper aft deck dining area, where rattan chairs in a wonderful rich brown are upholstered in a beautiful cream chenille with a taupe tape border.
Chef Schipper reports that in the past, he has had flown into St. Lucia in the Caribbean delicacies such as fresh frogs legs and giant guey duc clams. Asked what he would prepare if requested to include cognac as an ingredient in a dish, he said: “Ah ha! I love this question. I would make a foie gras, apple and white-truffle terrine with baby frissé, marinating and poaching the terrine in Louis XIII Grand Champagne Cognac and using the run-off to make a cognac-caper vinaigrette.” One could cry from reading the description without being presented with the dish.
Each of My Iris’s five staterooms has an en suite bath. The Master Stateroom is favorable to deep, restful sleep. The color palette is a calming blend of praline, cream, platinum, and tones from the champagne family. The bed is dressed in silk and printed velvets. Most of the fabrics are from the acclaimed designer Nancy Corzine; they include the coverlet, which is of Ms. Corzine’s “Empire Medallion” fabric. Also present in the Master Stateroom is a gorgeous, highly-stylized desk made of a lacquered, tiger’s eye maple. The appreciative eye will notice that My Iris sports many a sublime throw pillow. The owner is attentive to the design scheme down to the smallest detail; as happens, Marc Thee personally designed many of the remarkable pillows seen throughout the yacht.
Everywhere aboard are opulent details worthy of the HGTV show Extreme Yachts. My Iris was in truth recently shown on that program. There is a custom-made, slant-legged game table with 24-karat gold inlay and 24-karat gold capped feet. The fly bridge Jacuzzi is surrounded by the most inviting, custom-made sunpads, while the teak floor of the fly bridge is topped by teak chaises in a “Spangle Sapphire” chenille with white borders, a broad, light bright blue center stripe and graceful white skirts.
Gillian Gething, RSA is the head stewardess for My Iris. She informs that there are various Jay Strongwater and Lalique pieces featured on board, and that with entertainment being a high priority, she selects daily from an array of table linens and accessories, including many eye-catching items from Neiman Marcus’s Kim Seybert Collection. Tableware offerings include the elegance personified that are Christofle and Lennox. “For myself,” says Gillian, “working onboard My Iris has been a wonderful experience through which I have learned a tremendous amount, and both been to amazing places and met delightful people.”
Gillian’s satisfaction in her work doubtless stems from Captain Mike O’Neill’s thoughtful and results-getting management style. Asked to describe it, he says: “I believe that I am only as successful as the people I surround myself with. Thus I make every effort when hiring crew to find the best and most professional folks available, and then look after them as best I can to keep them happy. Of equal importance, I try to give each crewmember as much latitude as possible, allowing each person to really show off their talents and take pride in their work. I believe that in this way, charter guests are guaranteed a fantastic, professional, yet personal experience aboard My Iris.”
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