Yachts designed by Martin Francis are always striking, practical, with fantastic accommodation and great deck layouts and they always turn heads. The Trehard shipyard built a series of large bluewater cruising yachts in the 1980s, and DARK STAR is one of their number. Originally called CONCORDIA, her second owners renamed her BUZZY B and in 2000, she was dispatched to Camper & Nicholsons in Gosport in the UK for a total nautical makeover.
At that time everything was reviewed and replaced from machinery, to electrics and plumbing to decks, paint and hardware. Little of the original yacht remained. Even the interior was redesigned. After this, she took her owners around the world, safely and in great comfort.
In 2007/2008, her next owner sent her back to her build yard Trehard, for an extensive review. Once done and with a sailing programme complete her current owner purchased her in 2010. Since then she has been professionally maintained and fully crewed
Her programme has taken her throughout the West Mediterranean and around the French Riviera and Corsica, as well as to the Caribs for the winter season. During this period apart from sailing with the owner and his family, she has been a very successful charter yacht.
Running with a captain and chef, with a deckhand and occasional stewardess when needed she has ample room for crew as well as 5 double cabins for guests forward. There is a large owners’ stateroom forward, 2 twin bunked cabins and 2 further double cabins. All the cabins have their own en-suite heads compartments.
She has glorious flush decks together is a huge entertaining cockpit that easily accommodates 10 people. She also has a great stern platform, which is the perfect place for watersports or from which to join her dinghy.
DARK STAR is now ashore under cover, with lovely new dark blue topsides paint. She has been carefully decommissioned and awaits her new owners to awake her from her slumbers and to take her sailing.
She is perfect for world cruising or for a family cruising role. Her layout also lends itself perfectly to a charter programme to help to offset some running costs.
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She’s a truly beautiful yacht and she is mistaken by some for a Swan. For me it was always a pleasure to host guests – friends and family – and see their reactions to her. We were never short of guests and the family have loved spending time aboard her. It is fabulous being out sailing aboard DARK STAR in a stiff breeze where you can feel the yacht working beneath you and hear all the sounds of the yacht. You feel very safe whilst enjoying an exhilarating, authentic sailing experience. The large wheel is particularly enjoyable and we sometimes fly a beautiful red lightweight spinnaker, which is breath taking.
The owners’ cabin is particularly nice. It’s well set out, spacious and has a full-size en-suite shower room. It is a pleasure to wake up in the morning and just potter around in the cabin.
The setup of the sleeping cabins is very practical, as all the cabins are off a central corridor.
DARK STAR’s huge cockpit table comfortably seats 10 people. The cockpit is a nice space to sit (and sleep!) in, and to eat alfresco. It is perfect for enjoying the sunshine and views during the day and stargazing at night.
The separate crew hatchway is very practical giving the crew easy access without disturbing family or guests.
The swimming platform we love and it is a great aid to embarking and disembarking as well as for swimming and water sports.
DARK STAR attracts admiring glances wherever she goes and she’s a yacht that stirs emotions. I am incredibly proud to have owned her and take great joy in passing her on in good shape for her new owner to love and enjoy.
During our ownership we have cruised with family and friends mainly in the Northern Mediterranean, and also in the Caribbean. We even bought her back to the Solent for the Round the Island race – when we had Ellen MacArthur on-board crewing for us!
Sue Grant
Berthon Yacht Sales
Tel: 0044 (0)1590 679 222
E-Mail: brokers@berthon.co.uk
