The $110 million boat of a German billionaire just won the Oscars of superyachts. The 246-foot-long Kensho is so elegant that the elevator buttons are made of mother-of-pearl, the master room has a leather ceiling with louvres, and the bathtub is made from a block of Carrara marble.
Meet Kensh, the winner of the World Superyacht Awards 2023 for Motor Yacht of the Year. The ship’s name in Japanese means “seeing one’s true nature,” and it took her six years to show hers. The ship’s owner, millionaire Udo Mueller, gave the boat a plan and a team that did a great job of carrying it out. As a result, the boat won an award for being a luxury vessel. After seeing some of the most famous boats in the world, the owner knew exactly what he didn’t want and chose the charming Kensh instead. Let’s look at this project that was started by the owner:
Kensh, the winner!In 2022, the 246-foot Admiral boat was first shown at the Monaco boat Show. One look is all it takes to remember this ship, with its smooth lines and metallic green-blue paint, for the rest of your life. Mueller’s idea for a boat that stands out from the rest was brought to life by the Parisian design firm Jouin Manku.
Both the inside and the outside have a theme that is inspired by nature. For example, the shapes of a pebble were made by the forces of nature over time. The four-decker is well split into seven guest cabins and a large owner’s suite.
The main bar seems to be missing from Kensh. It will be replaced by the only eating room inside. The owner also made sure the deckheads were high and the side decks were small. “I wanted to do something really new and, from my point of view, better, and I knew that I could only do that by making a big change,” the owner said.
He lives in a kingly owner’s suite in the front half of the main deck. It has a luxurious cabin, a bathroom, a stately dressing room, and a private sitting room.
Because of Asian influences, the room has beautiful wood cabinets, glass-covered metal panels, a leather ceiling, and sliding doors. Still, the en suite is the most luxurious part of the main room. The bathtub is made from a single block of Carrara marble and looks like a work of art. “It had big, beautiful veins running through it, like Japanese calligraphy,” Manku said. “They haven’t found blocks like that in a couple of generations, but we were able to convince the yard’s owner that we were the project he was waiting for.”
The right amount of care is paid to each detail. Unique door handles (the lift has buttons made of mother-of-pearl) and paintings on the silk wall panels in the heads will be noticed by people with good taste. The details change as the decks do. Every simple part has a lot of style in it, from the brass handles to the leather and stone straps.
As you go up, the top aft deck has full glass and open railings that let you see amazing things in all directions. Even the outdoor chairs don’t have backs so you can see everything.
The sundeck is full of places to hang out, like a pool, lounge areas, an eating area, and a spa pool with a sunbed in the shape of a manta ray. Kensh can cruise at 13 knots thanks to her diesel-electric power system. Kensh’ can be chartered for a price of $950,000 per week.
What does Udo Mueller do?61-year-old Udo Mueller is worth $1 billion. He is the biggest single shareholder and co-CEO of the marketing company Stroeer SE. He was born in Rüdesheim in 1962. At 19, he ran his first printing house. In 1985, a man with a degree in medicine started the advertising agency Lunenburg & Partner, which quickly became one of the best in Berlin.He joined forces with Heinz W. Stroer to open up new areas for outdoor advertising. Stroeer SE went public in 2010, and it now has more than 10,000 employees in 100 sites around the world. Each year, it makes about $2 billion in sales.