Imagine a yacht that surpasses the ordinary, a floating masterpiece sculpted by the waves. Kismet, a 122-meter marvel crafted by the renowned German shipyard Lürssen, is exactly that. Conceived by the visionary Italian design studio Nuvolari Lenard, led by Carlo Nuvolari and Dan Lenard, this superyacht is the perfect fusion of art and engineering.
We present Kismet, the superyacht that has redefined luxury on the sea. Through an exclusive interview with Dan Lenardo, dive into the story of its creation, design, and construction. He takes us through every detail of this maritime marvel, revealing the secrets that have made Kismet not only a symbol of luxury but also one of the most spectacular achievements in the world of superyachts.


NP: How did you balance modern trends with timeless elegance when designing the exterior of the yacht Kismet? What inspired the yacht’s unique silhouette?
The question implies that we were adapting some existing design, but our approach is completely different. We create each boat from scratch, starting from a blank slate, where the basic idea naturally transforms into a unique design through development. We do not rely on pre-defined schemes or agendas.
Although we partly looked for inspiration in several classic Lürssen boats, in order to round off their oeuvre with one boat that will remain as their reference, that inspiration was more in the subtle proportions and details, which are very discreetly integrated. So that was not our main guideline.
What was certain was that we wanted this to be an authentic Lürssen boat, with a distinctive shipyard identity. This was extremely important to us, because in such projects the design must not only be a monument to the designer or the client, but must also retain the pedigree of the shipyard.
How does your passion for the sea and sailing influence your creativity when designing?
My love for the sea and sailing probably has a subtle influence on my work, although what I do at sea is not directly related to the large vessels we design. However, in every segment of my work, I aim to ensure that the boats we create possess certain maritime characteristics. If a boat doesn’t have that, then it’s not really a boat, just something that floats and takes up space like real-estate on the water.
For me, it is extremely important that the boat really looks like a boat, with all the maritime characteristics that allow it to move freely even in difficult conditions. Furthermore, I want it to inspire professionals who live from working at sea, like captains of commercial vessels, who often “despise” yachts because they see them as toys. My goal is for such people to look at our vessel, nod their heads and say: “That’s what I call a boat!” This is probably the result of my experience at sea, because I understand what it means when the sea becomes rough and navigation requires extra caution.

NP: The exterior and interior on a yacht must be in harmony. How did you create synergy with the Raymond Langton design team, who were responsible for the interior design on this project?
One of the specific roles we have when designing boats is to work not only on the external appearance, but also on the layout of the interior spaces. We start with the platform itself, which we develop from the ground up together with the shipyard, and then go on. In our projects, I plan the interior spaces in advance, so, for example, the salon must have windows rather than being with technical volumes that hinder the functionality of those spaces. For me, the interior, even without any decorative elements, is an inseparable part of the design that develops along with the exterior appearance of the ship.
Finally, my focus is on skeleton and volumes, which are also my project. In this context, the interior designers have an easier task because they only decorate the areas that we have already defined. Working with the Raymond Langton team was easier because we’d already had a project together, Bravo Eugenia for the Dallas Cowboys, which was our first collaboration. That boat was perhaps more demanding than Kismet, because it had volumes that are not common for boats. Its hull was elongated, with a small superstructure, which required fresh solutions to harmonize with the interior.
On Kismet, thanks to our previous experience, collaboration was much easier. On the other hand, we didn’t divide the spaces on the boat too much – Kismet has huge exterior spaces that were already decorated and designed by us. It’s not just garden furniture placed according to the client’s wishes; everything is fitted and designed, from the ceiling to each piece of outdoor furniture. Essentially, the boat was designed from the outside in, and the interior was a natural result of that design approach.
Kismet is characterized by the fact that there are no clear transitions between the outside and the inside. The outdoor deck is designed so that the signature design sets the tone that flows inside the ship. From that moment on, the interior design, which was created together with Pascal Reymond, achieved an exceptional synergy. The result is a boat that not only looks perfect, but has a unique style, as a result of our shared vision.
NP: The jaguar figurehead on the bow has become one of the most iconic symbols of this yacht. What is its significance to the owner and the overall design of Kismet?
From the beginning, we wanted to place on Kismet a decorative bow figurehead, which used to decorate ships. However, as we always strive to create something new, we decided to develop a design that had not been seen on yachts before. It all started with the idea of an ornament, a sculpture that over time grew into a key point of the entire design.
The owner of Kismet, who also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars, an American rugby team, already had a jaguar sculpture on the previous yacht Kismet, placed on the deck, which he could move according to sea conditions. We wanted to integrate the jaguar directly into the line of the ship, to make it an indispensable part of the design, and not an element that would be added later. This sculpture is not just a decoration – it became an integral part of the design from the very beginning.
The Jaguar is designed to complement the style and fit into the line of the boat, and its elongated figure, with the curve of its back, portrays a real jaguar’s jump, adding a strong dynamics and character to the yacht.

NP: How involved was the owner in the design process, and how did his vision influence the final result?
The owner completely trusted our team from the very beginning. Although he had another designer for the previous three Kismet yachts, during that process the ideas began to evaporate. It was no longer about building on an existing idea, but about creating something entirely new. Therefore, we decided to start from scratch.
The owner really liked the neoclassical style, because Kismet is a classic boat in its basis and predisposition, but modernized in details. After we set the first proportions of the boat, the owner expressed his satisfaction with the line and simply supported us in the further development of the design. From that moment, we developed all ideas with his approval, without specific interventions or requests, which enabled the team to fully devote themselves to the creative process and achieve this unique result.
As for the exterior design, the owner, with his education in architecture, was able to influence the process, but in this case he was very careful in his requests. He followed the development of the project and was satisfied with the direction we were going, because he had confidence that we could achieve an exceptional result even without his corrections. He understood that design is a whole process, not just the joining of independent parts. Each component of the yacht already had its role in the design phase, so there was no need to add or take anything. When you look at the first sketches from 2019, you will see that the vessel actually looks the same as it does today in its final form.


NP: Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the nautical industry. How did you incorporate environmental considerations into the design of this yacht, and how does that affect its functionality?
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the yachting industry, and owners of superyachts like Kismet are increasingly supporting efforts to build environmentally friendly vessels. The shipyard itself invests in innovative technical solutions that reduce harmful emissions. For example, Kismet is equipped with advanced catalysts that filter out as much as 96% of emissions. These catalytic converters, which are larger than the engines themselves, are housed in spacious engine rooms. Although they take up considerable space and require large investments, they ensure maximum filtration, thereby contributing to the preservation of the environment and reducing the ecological footprint of the yacht.
Kismet is equipped with advanced graywater and blackwater purification treatment systems, which completely eliminates the need to discharge waste water into the sea. Even when looking closely, it is clear that there is no exhaust smoke, waste water or other pollution – everything is treated inside the boat. These sophisticated systems are standard only on luxury yachts like Kismet, while on smaller or series-produced vessels, due to high costs and limited space, they are often not feasible.
Special care in the design of Kismet was devoted to the selection of materials that are environmentally friendly and can be recycled. Kismet is made of steel, aluminum, wood and stone, while plastic is completely omitted from her construction. There is a minimal number of components that are not suitable for recycling, and every detail on the yacht has been carefully designed with the aim of reducing the ecological footprint. This approach differs from serial production vessels, which are mostly made of plastic.

NP: The name of the yacht, chosen by the owner, carries a profound meaning. ‘Kismet’ is a Turkish word for fate or destiny. How does this name tie into your design and vision, and how does it reflect the journey this yacht represents?
Kismet closes several cycles. It is probably the last yacht of this owner, because it is extremely difficult to build something bigger, better and more detailed than this boat. Today, none of us have a clear idea of how to create something at that level. It will take many years to surpass this masterpiece. This is, in fact, the closing cycle for the owner, but also for the Lürssen shipyard, which probably won’t be building a boat soon with this kind of budget and so much investment in details. Today, there are almost no owners who would be willing to pay such a price, because for the same size ship, with similar content, but with much less detail, you can pay 20-30% less. If we were to compare it to cars, the Kismet would be like a Bugatti, while, for much less, you could drive an S-Class.
Kismet represents the culmination of a cycle in shipbuilding and will surely remain the most exquisitely crafted boat in the world of megayachting for a long time. In the end, we all came to the point of destiny and predestination, because three paths overlapped: the path of the owner, the shipyard that completed its yacht-making cycle during its 25-30 years of existence, i.e. the period during which some of the most famous and complex boats were created, and ours, who, with 35 years of operating as a company, can say that we have created a vessel that will be a great reference in the industry for a long time.
