KETCH MELODY

The spirit of sailing is adventure. It’s fair winds rippling across thick canvas sails, the sun on your face, calm seas, and a convivial setting with family and friends. It’s about circumnavigation, remote locations, and adrenaline-fueled thrills. But it’s not about risk – not ever. With 145 GT of interior volume and four spacious staterooms, Melody can easily accommodate eight guests. She has a large dining area and ambient saloon, yet she best lends herself to an alfresco lifestyle with large expansive deck spaces, a Jacuzzi with panoramic views and a number of casual outdoor conversational areas. She’s state-of-the-art and equipped with infotainment and audio-visual units, supplied by Bose. Safety is paramount, and when Ridas was approached by a client with a dream to ‘build the world’s safest sailing yacht to go anywhere, without sacrifice to ease of handling and onboard comfort,’ the Tallinn-based shipyard knew it had a challenge on its hands. An important one too – and didn’t shy away from the task. The saying ‘dreams are made’ is over-saturated and rarely a term fairly used. It’s a throwaway term – disposable if you will – yet in the case of the 41.54-meter sailing yacht Melody, it couldn’t be closer to the truth. Characterised by long, sweeping lines, open decks, a raised pilothouse, and more than 1,400 square metres of billowing Dacron sails, Melody strikes an impressive silhouette. She’s a yacht suited for exploring the Pacific as she is for shallows, coastal, and inland waters. And she looks fantastic sailing both. Melody is as much of a passion project for Van Meer as she is for her owner. And the team involved in her creation was purposefully kept slim to ensure that she was passion-driven. A full custom yacht, designed for world cruising and equipped with nothing short of the best. Melody is state-of-the-art, and the premium selection of equipment, fixtures, and fittings is what gives her such strong safety credentials. More than 26 systems have Type and Product Approvals from Lloyd’s Register, including her generated electricity and lithium battery banks, her freshwater sewage treatment, and her hydraulic systems supplied by Lewmar. Melody offers accommodation for as many as eight guests across four staterooms, comprising an owner’s suite, complete with an office area and ensuite with shower and bathtub, and three ensuite VIP staterooms. She can also host four crew. Equipped with a single 500-horsepower Volvo D 13 diesel engine, Melody has an impressive 2,000-nautical mile range and consumes only 18 litres of fuel per hour when cruising at 8 knots.