Blind Date at 2009 Fort Lauderdale Show
The unveiling of the interior of the 161-foot Trinity motoryacht Blind Date at the 2009 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (29 October – 2 November 2), will stand as a testament to advancements in 3D virtual technology in yacht design. The Patrick Knowles Designs (PKD) interior is a mirror image of the virtual interior completed more than a year ago, right down to the effects of lighting and shadows, and the subtle textures of the fabrics.
“It’s truly remarkable,” says Patrick Knowles, president of Patrick Knowles Designs. “People who see the 3-D images now will think they are recent photographs of the completed interior, when in fact they were done in 2008.” Those fortunate enough to tour the yacht during the show will be entering a vintage Hollywood “glam” environment circa the 1940s, but complete with state-of-the-art technology as envisioned by the owner. The virtual technology not only helped Patrick Knowles Designs reach consensus early on with the owner as to the final design details, but also helped the shipyard proceed efficiently in realizing the owner’s vision, right down to the most intricate details.
“Every choice of fabric, furniture, lighting, accessory and finish was communicated to a very high degree of accuracy to our 3-D rendering artists, more than a year prior to project completion,” explained Knowles. “As a result, we were able to provide our client with 360-degree, 3-D imagery of all the main living spaces. Without prior knowledge, most people cannot tell that what they’re looking at is virtual and not actual photography.” he said.
Knowles says this is the firm’s most extensive use of this technology to date – a process he feels has raised the caliber of the firm’s design capabilities, relative to articulating a design concept to a third party in a realistic capacity. “My staff and I had to think of the design not as a concept, but an entity that already existed.”
Blind Date
Conceived as a contemporary vessel with classic lines, Blind Date features a very clean, uncluttered, yet sophisticated and elegant interior. Unusual features include leather floors, open pore wood surfaces and tumbled marble. “This wonderful juxtaposition of materials is unique to the style of her interior,” said Knowles. “Light and shimmering textiles adorn the furnishings and décor, which is reminiscent of Old Hollywood from the 1940s,” added Knowles, noting that the owner of Blind Date is a repeat customer of PKD.
The open plan of the Main Salon and Dining Salon features an aft entry reception area, perfect for social gatherings, which accommodates a bar and loose seating. The Main Salon, featuring a centralized seating group, is divided from the Dining Salon by a hand-stitched, leather cabinet. A floor-to-ceiling wine cellar serves as a dramatic divider between the Dining Salon and Main Deck foyer entrance.
Unlike many other vessels her size, Blind Date has a grand Sundeck dedicated to her owners and their guests. It is called the “Resort Deck” and features a center line hot tub with custom mosaics, flanked by lounge seating, dining areas and a wet bar. Located aft on the Resort Deck is a loose seating group more reminiscent of a South Beach resort than a megayacht. The entire Resort Deck is draped in a smart and sophisticated arrangement of canopies. These dynamic canopies allow for a lot of flexibility for sunning and shading activities.
With four Guest Staterooms below deck, a split-level Master Suite on the Main Deck, and a phenomenal Resort Deck, Blind Date features the finest amenities for luxury cruising.