Angela Pernsteiner: Diamonds are born under pressure
This year Dominator Yachts celebrates its anniversary. What has the company achieved in 20 years?
We are a boutique shipyard creating yachts that reflect the individuality and lifestyle of the owners. There are now more than 160 Dominators at sea. For two decades we have been building yachts based on designs by leading engineers and designers such as Alberto Mancini and Luca Catino. With each new model, we take our products to new levels of comfort, style, design, and technology. Customers can be confident they are getting the best the industry has to offer. The main achievement, without a doubt, was the creation of the Dominator Ilumen line of yachts. This 28-metre yacht was designed from scratch using not only computer modelling but also pool testing, which is unusual for the size. Other shipyards resort to this method when it comes to projects of 40 m or more. Several buildings have already been built. The Ilumen 28M is unique in that it provides the living space and level of customisation consistent with large yacht standards while at the same time being able to be registered as a pleasure craft up to 24m in length. This is made possible by the fact that the stern platform and bow section of the yacht are designed as separate, removable elements. If they are lost in the event of a collision with another ship or berth, the yacht remains moving. Since the register does not take into account removable non-floating elements when determining the length of the hull, the formal length of the Ilumen is 23.95 m.
The customisation options for this yacht are limited only by class requirements and general dimensions. The owner can order any layout, interior design, decorative details, propulsion system, characteristics and cruising speed, furniture, equipment, and so on. This is either impossible for serial manufacturers or would be very expensive.
Ilumen 28M is a good investment. We chartered this yacht extremely successfully from February to September. Obviously, charter clients will prefer to pay €70,000 per week for a 28m yacht rather than €150,000 for a 40m yacht if that 28m yacht has the same five cabins, a striking design that will attract attention in any marina, and superyacht-level finishes and equipment. We offer a custom semi-planing yacht of European quality at a starting price of 7.2 million €, the annual charter income of which will easily cover the cost of its maintenance and which will pay for itself in 5-6 years.
In September, at the Cannes Yachting Festival, you presented a project for a 42-metre yacht. How did his idea come about, and what will be remarkable about this yacht?
I was flying home from Australia and started thinking about how we could really decorate for our anniversary. We needed a breakthrough, something that we had not done before and that was not yet on the market. As soon as I landed in Vienna, I called our chief engineer and said that we needed an Ilumen that was 42m long, would do 19.5 knots, like the 28 m, and could take me from London to New York (my two favourite cities) on one fill-up. We have developed a high-tech, lightweight design using carbon fibre, fibreglass, sandwich panels, and vacuum infusion, with increased-volume fuel tanks integrated into the body. The Ilumen 42M Tri-Deck will be the only yacht of this size capable of sailing the Atlantic, thanks to its 4,500 nautical mile range. At the same time, it will be able to reach a speed of 19.5 knots. In addition, M/Y Peppermint (the name of the first hull) will be the only vessel in the class with a touch-and-go helipad. Unique interior features include a shower between the bed and the window in the master cabin. All areas of the yacht are inspired by different countries and continents. For example, a Middle Eastern theme was chosen for the flybridge, and a hookah lounge is provided there. Other spaces will embody a penthouse in New York, an office in Milan, and a spa in Asia. We are currently selecting production facilities for this yacht with a wet dock and a Travelift lift in order to be able to launch it directly at the shipyard – our existing facilities do not have direct access to the sea. I can't wait to get on board and sail to New York!
What does it mean to be an Austro-Italian company, and how does this affect business?
We tied together two different cultural codes, and what may seem like an explosive mixture turned out to be our “superpower”—a” fusion of structure and creativity, rules and emotions, Northern European composure and Southern European passion. I usually say that our team works in two styles: Lederhosen [lit. “leather pants”, short “Tyrolean” trousers, which are an element of the traditional Austrian men's suit—approx. ed.] and in the style of Prada. Lederhosen Mood is sober thinking, rationality, and enterprise, multitasking as is often required by working in a small, close-knit team.
We use Prada Mood when we demonstrate our creations at international exhibitions, invite world-famous artists to perform at our events, or brainstorm with clients in their luxurious villas while working on new projects.
What know-how is used in the construction of Ilumen?
All Dominators are certified RINA CE Category A+. The engine room is equipped with a control post, like on a megayacht. Specially selected insulation materials (D-Bond, perforated boards, Mascoat, and foam) provide very low noise and vibration levels. To ensure maximum safety, our naval architects and designers developed a hull with a double bottom and integrated fuel tanks, which has the lowest possible centre of gravity. The underwater part of the hull consists of two layers of composite, the space between which is filled with foamed PVC. In the event of a grounding, this significantly reduces the likelihood of water entering the hull compared to monolithic structures. Even if all three layers are damaged, water is more likely to end up in one of the integrated fuel tanks, divided into 36 compartments by partitions, rather than in the interior of the yacht.
What current market trends would you highlight?
The principle “the more, the better” is no longer so relevant – today owners want to pay for quality and not for extra metres. They don't want a large crew on the yacht. The heads of large companies are already surrounded by subordinates at work, so they want to relax on a yacht with a narrow circle of close people.
Even owners of relatively small yachts are looking to reduce the cost of ownership and manage their yacht as a business asset by chartering their boat. Another global trend is the desire of customers for a more adventurous vacation format. People want to travel to exotic places and discover new things. This requires roomy yachts with a shallow draught, allowing entry into unexplored bays.
One of the important issues for yacht owners is reducing fuel consumption, but most clients don't like displacement hulls because they want to be able to go fast when they need to. The semi-planing hull is a good compromise, providing greater range and allowing acceleration when necessary.
What do your marketing campaign slogans mean?
#BeBold and “Combine Extremes for Unique Results” are the quintessence of our brand’s philosophy, the principles on which all our activities are built, no matter what they consist of. Indicative of this again is the Ilumen line, born from a combination of opposites: for example, an aggressive appearance, more typical of planing ships, and a displacement hull. We added innovative technologies to the Dominator traditions, united a team of tireless young entrepreneurs on the one hand and honoured masters of their craft on the other, and managed to realise the characteristics of large yachts in a relatively compact, convenient format. I myself am, in a certain sense, a product of contradictions. My parents are complete opposites of each other. Dad is an entrepreneur to the core and my biggest critic; he constantly forces me to move forward and grow above myself. Mom devoted herself to charity and persuaded me to work less. So contradictions are in my blood.
In an industry as patriarchal as yachting, there are few companies led by women. What challenges do you face, and what can women bring to the industry?
I like to remind myself and my employees that diamonds are born under pressure. I have never been an ardent supporter of the feminist movement or emphasising the role of women in this or that matter. In any multi-million-dollar industry, only facts and results matter. But it is definitely more difficult for women [in business] due to the need to meet more demands and juggle multiple roles, to be both bold and decisive and strong and aggressive, and to be sharp and clear-headed. And we also need and want to be feminine, beautiful, and caring at the same time. The ability to demonstrate and maintain all these qualities under constant pressure is the unique approach that women bring to the industry. Sometimes I have to act in 20 different roles, quickly switching between them, to comply with this approach because to obtain a diamond requires rough cutting, fine cutting, and careful polishing.
Chimamanda Ngozi [Nigerian feminist writer—approx. ed.] writes, “If a man is confident in himself, then a woman is arrogant; if a man does not compromise, then a woman demonstrates a tough temper; if a man is a strategist, then a woman manipulates; if a man is a leader, then a woman wants to control everything; if men have authority, then women are annoying.” The same character traits and actions are interpreted by people depending on their gender, and this gives rise to inequality. I'd like to change that. I am sure that the industry needs more women, but only if they are able to withstand pressure and are not inferior to men in professionalism. If a woman wants to be treated like a princess and expects male respect, this industry is definitely not for her. We need women who are courageous, determined, willing to endure failure, and who are not ashamed to ask questions. I am grateful for the harsh lessons that allowed me to develop the masculine qualities and skills needed in this industry, because only by responding to challenges can you grow above yourself.
