Marble, Mahogany  and Modern  Art.

It was one of those glorious moments in life. After a sweltering day at the Monaco Yacht Show, a brief shower had cooled the air and the clouds had cleared to reveal a familiar blanket of stars over Port Hercule. As I traversed the passe­relle to board [Mondo Marine][] ‘s new offering, the 135-foot motoryacht Nameless, the party was well underway. I crossed the aft deck, entered the salon and was alarmed to see a discomforting number of glasses of red wine being clutched uncertainly by the crowd of guests circulating and frequently bumping into one another. “Oh, no,” I thought, “red wine and white carpet!” Then came the realization: “That’s not white carpet; it’s white marble.”

The entire main deck sole is polished white Carrara marble specified by designer Luca Dini and quarried just southeast of Mondo Marine’s location in Savona, Italy. Once the crowd cleared a bit, it was easier to appreciate the white-on-white decor that accentuates the owner’s collection of modern art (see “A Cardinal in the Snow”). Elsewhere, the same neutral background is punctuated by panels of onyx in various shades including canary yellow, imparting an aura of childlike playfulness that will further brighten any day at sea.

Nameless‘ interior features works of modern art, but her exterior is a work of modern art.

This yacht’s superstructure lines, penned by Cor D. Rover, feature just the right balance between sharp corners and rounded edges. Sophisticated without being pretentious, the black-and-gray profile is a perfect counterbalance to the interior.

Of course, yachts are about more than good looks, and Nameless delivers on ­performance too. She has a 19-knot top speed and a 3,400-nautical-mile range at 12 knots. Nameless is the eighth and last of this 41-meter series from Mondo Marine, benefiting from the subtle tweaks learned along the way.

I still recall my first visit to Mondo Marine’s shipyard in northwest Italy, just east of the border with France. In those pre-recession years, Mondo Marine, like most yacht builders, was bustling with activity. A half-dozen yachts were under construction with more coming, but what struck me more than the number was the broad variety of vessels by a wide selection of designers.

Mondo Marine could build anything from expedition vessels and displacement motor-yachts to fast sport cruisers. That’s still true, as evidenced by a look at its current order book and project drawings. Rover is a strong presence, but others such as Francesco Paszkowski bring a different style for different clients. As a result, it’s impossible to point to a signature style for the builder. Instead, the yard has prospered by giving clients whatever they want, even if it’s polished-marble decks.

With her high bow carried aft into the pilothouse deck level, Nameless features a full-beam owner’s suite on the main deck. As in the two VIP staterooms belowdecks, the master’s king-size berth is offset from the center of the stateroom, leaving more free deck area to the opposite side, creating the illusion of a much larger space and allowing room for a sitting area. Abaft the master are a guest lobby and day-head to starboard, with the galley to port.

In addition to the two VIP staterooms, guest accommodations belowdecks include a twin-berth stateroom with pullman to port and a double-berth stateroom to starboard. Just as in the master suite, the VIP heads are not full-beam his-and-hers arrangements, but rather are moved to the side opposite the berth for an open arrange­ment and a spacious feeling.

Perhaps, we can hope, Nameless will be a trendsetter in the demise of disproportionately large top-deck bathing areas. A full spa is one thing on a 300-footer, quite another on a 135-footer, something the owner of this yacht discovered in her original topside arrangement, in which a huge whirlpool dominated the forward end of the top deck. Its size diminished the number of party guests who could enjoy dancing under the stars, and it has since been swapped out for a smaller unit. In the name of outdoor entertaining, the tender and toys are stowed belowdecks aft, allowing for a bar wrapped around the whirlpool plus lots of open area aft under the fixed hardtop that’s part of the mast base.

On the second deck, dining and conversation areas are both forward and aft, and a large sun pad sits forward above the master stateroom.

The main deck carries a large, shaded, but open deck with dining aft. Just forward, inside curved sliding doors, are an entry foyer, salon and dining area, the last with an impressive crystal chandelier to add both light and sparkle to formal meals. Other objets d’art line the bulkheads and top the side tables throughout the three contiguous areas.

Without something to soften the overall effect, this space might be in danger of having the cold appearance of a museum. It is anything but, however, thanks to the inclusion of lots of colorful soft goods to lend a relaxed ambience. The lush fabrics are from Antico Setificio Fiorentino, a craft supplier that utilizes six manual looms from the 18th century and six mechanical looms from the 19th century.

Mondo Marine is once again enjoying a healthy order book, with four custom yachts under construction from 131 to nearly 200 feet, and others under negotiation. The largest yacht is reportedly being built for the owner of Nameless. If you’d like to share in the experience that has left him so satisfied, Nameless is available for charter, accommodating 12 guests through Camper & Nicholsons International at about $204,000 (at press time) per week, ready to host your soiree in the Mediterranean under the stars. And red wine? No problem.

A cardinal in the snow

At our mid-Atlantic home, my wife and I have the opportunity to enjoy only a few days of snow each year, so we usually take the time to walk a bit and grab a few photos. The images seldom capture nature’s full beauty, invariably looking like old black-and-whites, mostly a muted gray with no color whatsoever. That changed this winter, as a single male cardinal, decked out in his magnificent scarlet glory, sat on a bare branch against the white blanket outside our window. It was stunning that such a little bird could utterly dominate so vast a view, but it was the contrast that did it. To a great extent, the same is true of Nameless‘ interior, designed by Luca Dini. White Carrara marble and white leather by Foglizzo, broken only by a few pieces of stainless-steel and mahogany trim, create an understated backdrop that forces you to focus on the spectacular ­examples of modern art that the owner has chosen to display aboard. Even the furnishings are stark white, with just a few brightly ­colored pillows for contrast. It’s a fantastic plan, allowing a complete change of decor simply by changing the art.

What’s in a Nameless?

I’m not a fan of those word scramble puzzles, the ones where you rearrange the letters to form new words, but sometimes my mind wanders. As I stared at Nameless, the letters started to rearrange themselves. Soon, “maleness” emerged from the chaos, and I realized that this term of masculinity somehow seemed apt in describing this yacht. Yachts often have a distinct set of qualities that give them a tilt toward the feminine or masculine, clearly present, but defying precise definition. Both exterior stylist and concept designer Cor D. Rover and interior designer Luca Dini are men, but it goes well beyond that, as I’ve seen in their work at both ends of the gender spectrum. In a statement, builder Mondo Marine says, “Her black hull and gray superstructure enhance her fierce and sporty lines.” That’s it! Add the black mast and domes, and yes, there is definitely an overtone of the fierce and sporty to Nameless‘ appearance, a bit like James Bond in black tie and gray vest.