Story
The second Pendennis-built Hoek Truly Classic 128’ sailing yacht departed the Falmouth facility in October 2020. The classically styled superyacht, christened Halekai, was built to the exterior and interior design of world-renowned Hoek Design Naval Architects and with MCM as Owners’ Representative. The fourth hull in the TC128 series, known for their distinctive classic hull shape and above-water styling combined with a modern underwater configuration, brought together the same experienced build team associated with the award-winning 2018 delivery SY Vijonara. The project benefitted from Hoek Design’s vast experience in building yachts of this size, as well as the Vijonara build team’s collective knowledge and expertise.
The yacht shares the same hull lines and keel as her predecessors but other elements are extensively customised. The steering position and main sail handling are controlled in the aft cockpit, leaving vast storage for all the vessel’s toys and surf boards, and a lounge area at the sun pad. Half of the aft deckhouse is part of the owner’s cabin and the other half is a navigation station, providing a place for the crew to shelter from the elements during bad weather or long-distance sailing.
The sail configuration and deck layout is set up to give maximum use between cruise and race configuration. Some of these examples include; a removable bimini, removable domes/radar on the mast, a removable aft cockpit table and a removable pull pit. All of these features clean up the working areas of the boat, giving free space for sail use and efficiency. The sail specification has been tailored around the latest in America’s Cup related technology and sail performance giving maximum sail options and use, which is also reflected in the mast package.
The deck, caprails and varnish works are built using a combination of traditional hand-crafted boat building techniques and the latest in CNC 5 axis technology and processes. Details such as caprails, waterfall margins and window frames have been machined to give maximum quality and consistency in the end product. Traditional Pendennis exterior woodwork skills have been employed throughout the main deck installation, and for details such as hand-crafted moldings and nosing where modern technology cannot be utilised.
The yacht’s steering pedestal required a combination of CNC machine and skilled stainless steel work for construction, and is finished with a finely detailed engraving of the vessel’s name in her sweeping Hawaiian-inspired font. The wheel itself involved more handcrafted stainless steel work and a carefully thought-out teak rim manufacturing process – this has been built in a way that ensures longevity, whilst maximising the beauty of the natural timber finish.
Interior styling for SY Halekai has been curated by Ken Fulk Inc. of New York, and is designed to evoke the laidback nature of Hawaii, also referenced in the yacht’s name; Halekai translates to “home on the sea”. Ken Fulk explained; “The setting is ever-changing as Halekai circumnavigates the globe. In response to that, we chose to anchor our design narrative in a geographical place – Hawaii – so that the owners, guests and crew would always feel the spirit of their favourite place.”
Designs for fabrics and fine details reference traditional motifs of koa wood carving, ceremonial quilts and floral designs. Rich colours and tropical hardwoods are complemented by cane and embossed leather accents. There is attention to detail throughout, in the brass and leather wrapped custom hardware, the embroidered headboard design for the Owner’s cabin, which was based on a royal Hawaiian wedding quilt, and the hand-carved teak doors to the deckhouse; “designed to tell a story of travel, culture, family and nature in a combination of elements borrowed from Maori symbols, royal Hawaiian quilt motifs, and botanical shapes.”
