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Clocking in at 95 meters, the recently delivered O’Pari is Greece’s largest mega yacht, a feat of design and engineering classed by Bureau Veritas.

Nicholas Brown, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore’s Head of Communications , talks to John Dragnis, CEO of Golden Yachts about the recently delivered O’Pari motor yacht .

NB: Can you tell us about how you started in the yacht sector?

JD: Over three decades ago, my father, Captain Paris Dragnis, dreamt of building a high-end motor yacht for cruising the Mediterranean. By then, he had already established an impeccable reputation in the maritime industry, and he threw himself into his new project. He managed everything from the design stage to the final touches, until his first yacht, the O’Pari , was built. He did this with Intermarine , a shipbuilding company that worked primarily on naval ships, focusing on safety, quality and engineering. It was these factors, along with the ship’s elegant design that made the O’Pari (which was later renamed JAAN ) a success with Greek and foreign charterers. This inspired my father to start his own yacht building company, Golden Yachts . Since then, we’ve built up a fleet of 14 yachts ranging in size from 40 to 95 meters.

NB: What are the unique features of this most recent yacht, the new O’Pari ?

JD: The new O’Pari is the largest mega yacht ever built in Greece, standing at 95 meters long. We had architects, engineers and other specialists design the vast internal and external lounge areas to provide guests with an elegant, comfortable and luxurious environment. We have made an effort to marry contemporary design, precious materials and handcrafted furniture with state-of-the-art technology, machinery and navigation. Add to that top-of-the-line communication equipment and entertainment systems. We are also really proud to have integrated technologies onboard that limit the ship’s environmental footprint and emissions.

NB: How did Bureau Veritas support you in developing the O’Pari , and how would you characterize your long-standing relationship with us?

JD: We have been working with Bureau Veritas for a long time now, since the shipbuilding industry first began thriving abroad. We built a creative and fruitful partnership that over the past ten years has helped us deliver three of the biggest motor yachts completed in our shipyard: the O’Pari 3 (72m), the O’Ptasia (85m) and the new O’Pari (95m). Both in terms of plan approval and on-site surveys , Bureau Veritas’ effort and support have been extraordinary and indispensable. They played a huge role in our being able to manage and deliver a nearly 100-meter yacht in less than two years. Bureau Veritas has helped us reinforce the unrivaled quality and safety that Golden Yachts is famous for.

NB: How do you see the immediate and longer-term future for yachts – particularly the sustainability challenges that everybody is facing?

JD: The Covid-19 pandemic hit just three months before the final delivery of the O’Pari. We did our best to protect our employees and managed to deliver the yacht on time without sacrificing quality. Ever since, we have had to adjust to new circumstances, updating our production processes to meet changing market demands. In terms of sustainability, requests for super yacht construction have increased in parallel with specifications for greener yachts that respect class, flag and IMO regulations . We’re partnering with another Greek company, EPE , to develop and integrate a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) system into the main and auxiliary exhaust system. This cuts waste gas emission and harmful pollutants, and limits underwater and onboard noise.

NB: What are the next projects for you?

JD: At the moment, we are completing a specially designed, BV-classed, 88-meter project, which will be delivered by spring 2022. Also in the works is the design and development of two more 72-meter ships that will follow the latest environmental standards and regulations. Photo Credit: Golden Yachts

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Spotlight – Golden Yachts’ O’Pari 

BY APB Staff on 5 Apr 2021

The new flagship from Golden Yachts enters the charter market and signals ambition from the Greek builder, while opening up a spectacular way to cruise the fabled islands of Greece

Legendary Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis owned the classic motoryacht Christina O (still available for charter). He made good use of his boat, entertaining politicians, celebrities and countless others. 

The Dragnis family, a Greek shipping dynasty headed by patriarch Paris Dragnis, owns O’Pari and the yard that built it, Golden Yachts. The yard is rapidly moving up into the ranks of top-tier superyacht builders, with the 95-metre O’Pari becoming the new flagship of the yard with its launch in June 2020. The “Pari” refers to Paris’ name, while the “O” references the Greek “O” or Omega, which is also used as an informal greeting.

“The precise goal was to build a yacht that is a five-star floating wellness retreat, made for people who love being near the water,” said Paris’ son, John Dragnis, referring to the onboard treats like the hammam and dry Finnish sauna. 

After the joys of being on the bridge deck in the morning, guests can descend to the huge beach club, referred to as the ‘beach house’ on O’Pari

Golden Yachts builds yachts almost exclusively for charter, and O’Pari boasts one of the highest crew to guest ratios there is, with 29 crew tending to 12 guests. Service standards will undoubtedly be high. For Golden Yachts, 2020 was a milestone year, as the 95-metre O’Pari is the biggest yacht by the yard yet. When O’Pari was launched in June 2020, it eclipsed the 85-metre O’Ptasia . 

O’Pari has now joined the charter fleet of Atalanta Golden Yachts, a superyacht charter agency specialising in superyacht tours of Greece as well as other hot spots around the Mediterranean.

Guests onboard O’Pari will have the chance to enjoy unrivalled amounts of space in an elegantly streamlined package. Start with the healthy options: there’s an enormous, fully-equipped gym that stretches across the full beam of the aft bridge deck, with full-height windows. This creates one of the best on-board fitness rooms of any charter yacht, where the gym is often in a small room on a lower deck. 

Open the aft doors from the gym, guests can step onto a large swimming pool, with expansive views of the surrounding sea. This is a tremendous way to start the day. 

The precise goal was to build a yacht that is a five-star floating wellness retreat, made for people who love being near the water – John Dragnis

After the joys of being on the bridge deck in the morning, guests can descend to the huge beach club, referred to as the “beach house” on O’Pari , on the lower aft deck. Here, there is massive space that opens up to a hydraulic staircase that drops into the water. The tenders and toys are stored and deployed just forward of the beach house.

Inside the beach house, there are loungers and tables, and off to the sides, the sauna, hammam and a massage room. No day on a superyacht charter in the Greek Islands is complete without a dizzying array of toys and tenders to keep guests entertained. O’Pari ’s main tenders are a 9.75-metre limo tender with two 220-horsepower inboard engines, a 6.2-metre RIB with beach-lander steps, a Chris Craft 27 launch and a 4.4-metre Zodiac. In short, whether it’s going ashore in style or being towed at high speed, O’Pari has the tenders. O’Pari has a touch-and-go helipad. 

The long list of toys includes Seadoos, Seabobs, towables of every kind and even a pair of motorised stand-up paddleboards.

After a day on the water, it will be time to soak up the Mediterranean night. Up on the sundeck, there is a forward-facing plunge pool, bar service and lounges. The sundeck is open plan with a built-in DJ booth, in case guests decide to have a private party. There is even an outdoor cinema on the sundeck, for a viewing under the stars. 

Golden Yachts recruited Ach Art Advisory, a Greek art curation and services firm specialising in modern Greek art, to create a custom art collection for the yacht

When it’s time to cool off indoors, the aft upper and main decks house enormous salons, done with contemporary, airy elegance. The designs were handled by Golden Yachts’ long time collaborators, Studio Vafiadis. 

To complete the interior, Golden Yachts recruited Ach Art Advisory, a Greek art curation and services firm specialising in modern Greek art, to create a custom art collection for the yacht.

The owner’s son, Vasilis, worked with Ach Art on the collection. O’Pari features paintings, photographs, installations and sculptures focused on boats and seascapes. Greek marble was used throughout the yacht, adding a Hellenic flourish to the yacht’s modern interior, which manages to be both luxurious and informal.

All the cabins are located on the main deck or the upper deck. The master cabin is located on the upper deck forward, taking up nearly a quarter of the interior space on the upper deck.

The master cabin includes a huge closet and dressing area, plus a massive bathroom, located opposite each other. Behind the master are a VIP cabin and two doubles, as well as a dedicated office for those needing to stay in touch with work. 

Crew quarters for the sizeable staff of O’Pari are located entirely on the lower deck, with the exception of the captain’s cabin and the executive office, which are just behind the bridge deck.

Technical Specifications: O’Pari 

LOA: 95m Beam: 13.8m Draught: 3.6m Number of guests: 12 Guest cabins: 14 Number of crew: 29 Naval architecture: Nhellas Hull: Steel displacement Engines: 2 X cat 3516 Generators: 3 X cat C9.3 Cruising speed: 16 knots Fuel consumption: 880 l/hr To charter: www.atalantagoldenyachts.com  

www.goldenyachts.gr

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• Building Bigger: Q&A With Golden Yachts' Cpt....

Building Bigger: Q&A With Golden Yachts' Cpt. Paris Dragnis

Greek superyacht builder golden yachts was thrown into the spotlight earlier this year as it delivered the magnificent 95m vessel o’pari . creeping up the ranks of bigger build with 71.8m o’pari 3 in 2015 and 85m o’ptasia in 2018, the launch of o’pari propelled golden yachts firmly into the top 100 largest superyacht builders in the world. superyachts.com spoke exclusively with golden yachts’ founder captain paris dragnis to learn more about the up-and-coming yard..

After some decades at the helm of Goldenport Holdings, Captain Paris Dragnis announced his retirement as Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2015 to dedicate his efforts entirely to Golden Yachts, the luxury yacht builder he had founded eight years earlier. 

The superyacht tycoon, whose unique business model is to build superyachts wholly for the purpose of charter, drew industry commendation as Golden Yachts launched its largest charter yacht to date earlier this year - despite the onset of global lockdown measures.  

Q. How was the launch ceremony affected by the Coronavirus? 

A. The launch of the yacht was always scheduled to be done by the end of February 2020, which was a success. 

Since in Europe at that time, it was the beginning of the coronavirus spread, we avoided any open public ceremony that could put our visitors in danger. We reserve our celebrations, until our foreign guests will be able to join us.   

Q. How long did the project take from inception to completion? 

A. Once the design concept had been finalised with Studio Vafiadis, a total period of 24 months were needed for the project’s completion. 

The whole venture became reality with Golden Yachts’ hard working team from various fields of expertise. Our professionals joined forces so as to complete the full engineering at an early stage, while steel and aluminum works had already started. Long time experience and years of collaboration throughout all production phases have facilitated and reassured the smooth progress and completion of a quality project on time. 

  Q. Can you tell us a little about the project inception and what were your requirements as the Owner?

A. Everything starts from the challenging ambition of the Dragnis family to launch in the market a new build yacht upgraded in all aspects and size, every two and a half years. Our experience so far, both in building and chartering, were the motives that let us overcome difficulties. 

The specification and design process of M/Y O’Pari had already been established before the completion of our 85 m M/Y O’ptasia. 

Rigorous and thorough research has been -and is still ongoing- by the Golden Yachts’ team, in order to keep up with the ever changing Yacht’s market demands in terms of creativity, competition and pioneering in engineering and design. 

The yacht is being conceived by the Owners but is destined for the Guests onboard. 

M/Y O’Pari is equipped with resort-style onboard amenities and technical innovation, which are geared towards providing her guests/Owners with an exclusive experience. 

Q. WIll O’Pari be available for charter?

Yes, O’Pari is available for charter. As soon as the lockdown measurements are being diminished, professional photographers will be able to come onboard and reveal more information and photos of the yacht to the market and press. 

Q.  This is the largest yacht you have ever built and a firm entry into the world’s Top 100  largest yachts. Do you have plans to build bigger? 

A.  Yes, we surely do! We are still “young” and hoping to continue a rising and successful road amongst the Mega yachts ranks. 

Golden Yachts Ltd may be younger than other well-known shipyards established in the market for more than five decades, but it has proven to be evolving continuously, creating expectations for the future. 

Every project completed, opens a new door to the next challenge and together with our fleet, we grow in experience and know-how, in terms of engineering, quality and functionality of both interior and exterior spaces.  

The absolute necessity for the highest standards in cutting-edge technology, top-class performance and unique design trends are features that define modern superyacht build, and we are certainly no strangers to the challenges faced by players in the industry today. 

Yet Golden Yachts has demonstrated an unerring determination in the face of this, coupled with a unique business plan and a constant strive to build bigger and better. If its latest launch is anything to go by, we certainly look forward to seeing what this yard already has planned for the next two years. 

Photo Gallery:

By: Jenna Mehdi Published: 13th May 2020

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Paris Dragnis honoured with shipping leadership award

Captain Paris Dragnis, founder of Greece’s Goldenport shipping group, made a rare public appearance at the Capital Link conference in Athens late last month to receive a lifetime achievement award.

“He had no network or mentors,” Diana Shipping principal Simeon Palios said in praise.

He neither comes from a shipping family nor does he hail from one of the traditional cradles of Greek shipping.

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O'Pari: Inside Golden Yachts' 95m flagship crafted for charter

The 95 metre flagship of Golden Yachts is designed to offer the ultimate charter experience, discovers Sam Fortescue

It may feel trite, but one of the first things I wanted to know about the brand-new 95-metre yacht O’Pari from Greece’s Golden Yachts is how she got her name. She is the eleventh in the O’ franchise and the largest to date, but what does the “O” mean to the Dragnis dynasty whose sprawling business empire built, owns and charters her?

“It heralds back to Ancient Greece,” explains patriarch Paris Dragnis, “where people often greeted each other formally with an “Ω” exclamation (the equivalent of the Roman “Ave”, meaning “hail”). And in truth, our clients love it: it’s a way to make our yachts really stand out. It’s been our trademark since the first O’Pari was built in 1996.”

There is an unusual business model behind the rapid rise of the Greek shipbuilder. The yachts in its O’ range are managed by Atalanta Golden Yachts , and sometimes used in a personal capacity by Dragnis before they are sold, generating income and useful feedback from clients. After the award-winning 39.5-metre O’Pati in 2011 there came 72-metre O’Pari in 2015, 56-metre O’Mathilde and 85-metre O’Ptasia in 2018 and, most recently, O’Pari . “One day we’ll be able to construct 125-metre yachts!” exclaims Dragnis. “But let’s be clear about something: Golden Yachts vessels are not all about size; they are about all-round excellence.”

The building of O’Pari certainly required all-round investment to expand capacity at Golden Yachts’ Halkitis shipyard, near Piraeus. “It was a demanding project,” admits Dragnis. And the business is in the process of equipping a second yard nearby, “so we can better segregate, organise and execute the different stages of construction,” he adds.

For all the challenges posed by growth, there is one element of O’Pari’s build that was relatively plain sailing. As with all Dragnis’s boats, the design work was done by his close friend Giorgio Vafiadis in a collaboration whose simplicity might be the envy of designers everywhere. “First of all, we’re friends,” the Rome-based naval architect tells me in lilting English. “Usually with Dragnis I know what he wants, and he knows what he can expect from me. Our brief is very, very short: such-and-such a boat of such-and-such a length; good for charter but also for private use; capable of this kind of speed – general requirements.

“Then we do a design or two. Usually they like what we present – we never have to present it twice. Dragnis is very quick – two minutes to decide and once he makes a decision, he makes it very easy. There’s no back and forth like other people do. The fact we’ve done lots of boats for the family means we know what they want.”

Dragnis says he likes to imagine how people will use the boats, scouring trade shows around the world for new equipment and design ideas. “It is never easy to please different personalities from different backgrounds. During the first design phase, we were aiming for a contemporary aesthetic all over the yacht, married with diverse details, finishes and amenities in each area so as to satisfy even the most demanding client,” he says of O’Pari . “So far, we’ve been blessed with great clients: the global business and political elite, royalty, you name it. I have no doubt they’ve enjoyed sailing in our yachts immensely.”

As well as a multiplicity of little corners inside and out where guests can relax undisturbed, charter has left its mark on the boat in other ways. There is a cavernous and well-stocked garage for tenders and toys (more on that below) and a surprising 14 cabins in various formats to accommodate the maximum of 12 guests. There are even two master cabins: a full-beam suite with an onyx bath on the main deck, and another with 180-degree views occupying the front of the upper deck. “I could not decide which is the master-master,” says Vafiadis with a smile.

Each cabin has its own range of rare or precious woods and fabrics. In a mostly darker, slightly masculine palette, they include beautifully grained wooden panelling in ebony, ash, lime and walnut burr combined with metallic detailing to beds and night-stands. Every carpet is different but, being neutral, contrast with patterned wood, wallpaper and fabrics, while en suite bathrooms showcase contrasting Greek marbles and mosaics.

“Having many colours or many woods, it takes more time,” says Vafiadis. “Instead of making the selection once, you have to do it five or six times; then match the marbles with five or six different types of wood. The balance of the interior is in the detailing: many different woods with different patterns. They are nice because many of these woods have three-dimensional textures – not just a matter of colours or looks; you can feel the materials if you touch a bulkhead or a drawer. You can feel them with all the five senses.”

The finish is flawless, with carefully designed indirect lighting drawing the eye here, or highlighting a feature there. But Vafiadis has clearly eschewed the temptation to include excessive elaborate flourishes. There is an almost northern European purity to some of the design, but the term “minimalism” seems inadequate for such a complex toy. “It is a modern interior but not the kind that is too temporary,” explains Vafiadis. “Where you invest a lot of money, you don’t want things to last for just three or four years. Many types of people can like the boat.”

The large, unfussy windows are more architectural than marine. Providing views of the anchorage from every bed, they give the sense that you are staying in a luxurious hotel by the water, rather than in a boat on the water. This bright, natural lighting effect was a key part of Dragnis’s brief, and is at its most powerful in the communal living areas of O’Pari . In fact, he describes it now as his favourite feature of the boat. “It is unmediated contact with the light and the water. When you sit in O’Pari’s upper saloon, you can see the water; you really feel you’re travelling on the high seas. I like trying to imagine what the people who will be enjoying our yachts might feel and experience on board: what would fascinate them the most?”

Vafiadis’s son and design partner Stefano took the lead on the exterior styling of the yacht. “She has strong and masculine curves but she’s elegant and timeless at the same time,” he says. “Generally, our style is cultural, so instead of making flat shapes, volumes, we try to make something that raises many emotions in the viewer, while respecting function. Balance is our secret.”

Just as the boat’s interior provides different spaces for different people and different moods, so the exterior ecosystem is broken down into lots of smaller habitats. There’s epic dining aft on the upper deck or something more intimate around a smaller, round table on the sundeck; sofas in a U-formation on the main deck, in a D-shape around a sunken firepit above that, or lounging on a large slew of sunpads around the pool on the bridge deck. Or head up another flight of stairs to the open-topped sundeck and percolate in the spa pool; perhaps watch a movie there under the stars. And we haven’t even set foot in the huge beach club with its massage room, dry Finnish sauna and Turkish hammam.

For the more active-inclined guest, there is the whole gamut of on-water entertainment. The four tenders include a 9.75-metre Onda limousine (with its own garage), a 4.4-metre Avon with a 60 horsepower outboard, a 6.2-metre Cobra Patronus and a Chris-Craft Launch 27 for watersports and a beach lander. A never-ending list of toys includes three Sea-Doos, four Seabobs, two Fliteboards, kayaks, tubes, slides, skis and boards and even a brace of four-metre Hobie stand-up pedalboards (yes, apparently that is a thing).

“Whether guests want to explore local bays, enjoy a beach barbecue or perhaps try out some watersports, O’Pari offers some of the best facilities of any charter yacht,” says captain Diamantis Papageorgiou proudly. “The guests have the ability to try something new every day.”

Papageorgiou says the new boat is more agile thanks to better handling characteristics, a turn of speed and seamless mooring operations. “It urges me to approach even the most inaccessible places – I know that, despite her length and overall size, she can follow my commands!” His enthusiasm for the yacht is clear as he describes her “grand presence”. Like the Ancient Greek empire she harks back to, she has been making waves as far east as the Red Sea. “Wherever she was spotted, she stole the show and became the Instagram star!”

First published in the February 2021 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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Golden Yachts was established in 1996 and is a trusted specialist in high-end large yacht construction and major refit projects, with its affiliated premises located in Greece. Golden Yachts is able to draw on its experience and knowledge of different sectors within the maritime industry.

The first and the second-generation owners of Golden Yachts are active in the Greek shipping industry and combine their commercial shipping experience and expertise to their successful charter business platform (taking into consideration the insights of owners, charter clients, Captains and crews) resulting to an overall evolving the Golden Yachts brand.

Golden Yachts is proud to have successfully delivered to date, the 56-metre O’Mathilde (refit), the 46- metre My Eden (refit), the 51-metre Jaz by Amels (refit) and the 56-metre O’Natalina by Picchiotti (refit), all forming part of the shipyards first batch of refit projects.

The company invested in its own project and engineering teams, gearing up for refit projects but also working towards bringing new yacht construction in-house. This came to fruition in 2007 with the launch of the first GY 50 series yacht, O’Ptasia (now Vertigo), O’Neiro and O’Rama.

New shipyard facilities followed in 2010, and in 2011 the award-winning semi-displacement 39.5-metre O’Pati emerged. The 2010s marked a change of pace for Golden Yachts which upped its rhythm with the construction of the 71.85-metre O’Pari3, launched in 2015, the 85-metre O’Ptasia (2018) and the 95-metre O’Pari (2020), all of which confirm the company’s push to significantly larger builds. After the delivery of the 88m PROJECT X (2022) new build projects include the 78m yacht O’REA, the 60m O’EVA and the 35m O’NEIRO.

“Therefore, it takes a really special beach club to impress the judges. And on that score, Project X did not disappoint. It is an innovative space that simultaneously showcases a museum-quality tender, serves as a launch pad for watersports, a lobby lounge for the spa, a games area and provides a lounge experience in its own right. The key element of the warm and welcoming space is a circular seating area the designer describes as a “spinning nest”.

Wooden slats rise up from the backrests and integrate with the haloed ceiling to act as an architectural backdrop. But far from being confining or static, the sofas and their backdrop rotate and split into sections to provide various views through opening hull doors or, alternatively, to allow the stunning bar to be the focus”.

Panel of Judges, Boat International Design and Innovation Awards 2023 BEST LIFESTYLE FEATURE AWARD FOR PROJECT X

We recently completed the construction of our new shipyard. This includes integrated state-of-the-art technology such as underground gas welding pipes and incorporates a special infrastructure for new building projects. What sets us apart from our competitors and attracts new clients is our experience, our enthusiastic team of specialists and our advanced infrastructure. Our location is the largest superyacht facility in Greece specifically constructed for yachts ranging in length from 40m to 140m.

PARIS DRAGNIS Founder, Golden Yachts

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Greek Charter Yacht O'PARI 3 Named As Finalist For Superyacht Award

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By Oliver Pearson   10 February 2016

Making her way through to the final stage of the prestigious award for best Displacement Motor Yacht 1,300GT – 2,999GT, the distinguished 72m/236ft superyacht 'O’Pari 3' is in good standing to impress the discerning  judges reviewing this year’s shortlist.

Recently announcing the finalists for the Superyacht Awards 2016, the organisers of the event revealed that O’Pari 3 was one of six yachts in contention for the title of best displacement motor yacht 1,300GT – 2,999GT.

Delivered from the highly praised team at Golden Yachts in 2015, there’s no doubt that she possess all of the necessary qualities of an award winning motor yacht .

From her expansive and generously stocked flydeck to her refreshingly unique interior, everything about O’Pari 3 is a testament to the ambition and expertise which went into making her.   

Paris Dragnis, the man behind Golden Yachts, has routinely produced vessels which succeed in being both modern and timeless -Previous releases such as the 40m/130ft charter yacht O’PATI  and the 53m/173ft motor yacht O'NEIRO both showcase the enduring success this team is capable of delivering.

Luxury yacht O’Pari 3 is no exception to this rule, and her outdoor deck areas perfectly blend style and comfort. Featuring huge sunpads and a Jacuzzi surrounded by bright loungers, it’s clear that every last luxury has been thought of.

The al fresco dining option is equally impressive, with a large table benefiting from just the right amount of shade to keep guests warm but unexposed.

Showcasing the very best of Greek craftsmanship, O’Pari 3 is a luxury yacht wholly deserving of such a prestigious prize

With large windows flanking the main salon, it’s evident that the same attention has been provided to the interior as the exterior.

This consideration for natural light spilling in to illuminate the bright furnishings is carried over to the dining room, with a table capable of hosting all 12 of the available guests.

For those lucky enough to enjoy her recent season in the Mediterranean, it’s easy to imagine how few could rival such comprehensive excellence.

With all of this in mind, there’s no doubt that she will be a strong contender at the Superyacht Awards 2016.

In order to make inquiries regarding a charter with M/Y O’Pari 3, please get in touch with your preferred charter broker .

Alternatively, take a look at all luxury yachts in the Mediterranean .

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Πάρης δράγνης: η ιστορία του «βασιλιά» των luxury yachts, εχει το βλέμμα του στον ουρανό, μα τα πόδια στο κατάστρωμα και - σε πείσμα της κρίσης - απογειώνει τον ελληνικό θαλάσσιο τουρισμό με τις υπερπολυτελείς θαλαμηγούς της golden yaghts που ναυπηγούνται στο πέραμα, προσφέροντας δουλειά σε έλληνες και τιμώντας τον υγιή πατριωτισμό του, μηνασ τσαμοπουλοσ.

© Απαγορεύεται από το δίκαιο της Πνευμ. Ιδιοκτησίας η καθ΄οιονδήποτε τρόπο παράνομη χρήση/ιδιοποίηση του παρόντος, με βαρύτατες αστικές και ποινικές κυρώσεις για τον παραβάτη

Εχει το βλέμμα του στον ουρανό, μα τα πόδια στο κατάστρωμα και – σε πείσμα της κρίσης – απογειώνει τον ελληνικό θαλάσσιο τουρισμό με τις υπερπολυτελείς θαλαμηγούς της Golden Yaghts που ναυπηγούνται στο Πέραμα, προσφέροντας δουλειά σε Έλληνες και τιμώντας τον υγιή πατριωτισμό του

Του Μηνά Τσαμόπουλου

Η μόνη σχέση της οικογένειάς του με τη θάλασσα ήταν το σπίτι τους στον Βόλο. Ηταν χτισμένο κοντά στην παραλία με θέα το απέραντο γαλάζιο. Με ρίζες από τη Μικρά Ασία και έχοντας μεγαλώσει ακούγοντας ιστορίες του ξεριζωμού και της προσφυγιάς, ο Πάρης Δράγνης έφτασε ύστερα από δυσκολίες να σκαρφαλώσει στην κορυφή της ελληνικής και παγκόσμιας ναυτιλιακής βιομηχανίας.

Είναι ο ιδρυτής της επιτυχημένης Golden Yachts που προσφέρει luxury θαλάσσιο τουρισμό σε προσωπικότητες του διεθνούς τζετ σετ, πάνω απ’ όλα όμως είναι ο εφοπλιστής που όχι μόνο πιστεύει στην Ελλάδα και στον θαλάσσιο τουρισμό της, αλλά από το 2008 επέλεξε να επενδύσει στο Πέραμα, ναυπηγώντας υπερπολυτελή γιοτ και δίνοντας δουλειά σε εκατοντάδες εργαζομένους, δηλαδή ακριβώς όταν ξέσπασε η κρίση στη χώρα. Οπως έχει δηλώσει, «σήμερα που η πατρίδα βρίσκεται σε δεινή θέση, προσπαθούμε να συμβάλουμε διατηρώντας μέρος της επιχειρηματικής μας δραστηριότητας στην Ελλάδα. Είμαι βέβαιος ότι με τον ίδιο τρόπο σκέφτονται όλοι οι Ελληνες εφοπλιστές – έχουν στην καρδιά τους τον τόπο όπου γεννήθηκαν».

Αρχισε την καριέρα του ως καπετάνιος, όπως πολλοί Ελληνες πλοιοκτήτες, σπουδάζοντας με κρατική υποτροφία ως άριστος μαθητής, και έφτασε σε νεαρή ηλικία να δημιουργήσει τη δική του εταιρεία, την Goldenport Shipmanagement (1982). Ομως πολύ νωρίς δέχτηκε ένα γερό χτύπημα. Στα 33 του χρόνια λόγω της διεθνούς κρίσης στη ναυτιλία καταστράφηκε: έχασε και τα 17 πλοία μεταφοράς εμπορευματοκιβωτίων που διέθετε. Ξεκίνησε πάλι όμως από την αρχή, συντηρητικά και με βήματα αργά. Ηταν το μεγαλύτερο μάθημα ζωής που πήρε, όπως έχει εκμυστηρευτεί ο ίδιος, και βάσει αυτής της εμπειρίας προτρέπει τους νέους να στραφούν στο υγρό στοιχείο «Δεν έχει σημασία από πού ξεκινάς αλλά ο δρόμος που θα διαλέξεις. Με πειθαρχία και θέληση μπορείς να πετύχεις ό,τι θέλεις. Δεν με έκαμψε ποτέ η ανέχεια, αντίθετα μου έδωσε κίνητρα εξέλιξης», τονίζει.

Πάθος με τον θαλάσσιο τουρισμό

Πέρα από την ποντοπόρο ναυτιλία το μεγάλο του πάθος είναι ο θαλάσσιος τουρισμός. Είναι μέτοχος σε ναυπηγείο στο Πέραμα που κατασκευάζει mega yachts με ελληνική τεχνογνωσία δίνοντας δουλειά σε Ελληνες τεχνίτες – και μάλιστα εν μέσω κρίσης. Στα μέσα του περασμένου Φεβρουαρίου ο καπετάν Πάρης Δράγνης βραβεύτηκε ως «Πρόσωπο της Ελληνικής Ναυτιλίας για το 2019» («2019 Capital Link Greek Shipping Leadership Award») στη διάρκεια του 10ου ετήσιου Forum της Capital Link, σε αναγνώριση της μακροχρόνιας συμβολής του και των επιτευγμάτων του στη ναυτιλία. Oπως τόνισε ο κ. Συμεών Παληός, πρόεδρος της εισηγμένης στην αμερικανική χρηματαγορά Diana Shipping Inc., «ο Πάρης Δράγνης είναι ένας άνθρωπος που τον ενδιαφέρουν η προσφορά και η παραγωγή έργου, όχι η στείρα προσωπική του ανέλιξη. Κατά τη διάρκεια της κρίσης κατασκευάζει πολυτελείς θαλαμηγούς και κότερα στην Ελλάδα, προσφέροντας απασχόληση σε ελληνικές οικογένειες και διατηρώντας παράλληλα τη μέγιστη ποιότητα. Ποτέ του δεν φοβήθηκε την ευθύνη και η πορεία του είναι αξιοθαύμαστη. Η παρουσία του στο Χρηματιστήριο του Λονδίνου μιλά από μόνη της. Τέλος, εκτιμώ τον τρόπο με τον οποίο μετέδωσε τις αξίες του στα παιδιά του».

Είναι από τους πρώτους Ελληνες που κατάλαβαν την αξία του «γαλάζιου χρυσού» που περιτριγυρίζει τη χώρα μας και δραστηριοποιήθηκε σε αυτό τον κλάδο επενδύοντας σε υπερπολυτελή yachts. Το 1996 ίδρυσε την εταιρεία Golden Yachts, η οποία ναυπηγεί πολυτελείς θαλαμηγούς και τις εκμεταλλεύεται. Οραμα του Πάρη Δράγνη είναι η ενίσχυση του ελληνικού θαλάσσιου τουρισμού, προσφέροντας όλες τις ανέσεις που απαιτούν οι ανά τον κόσμο celebrities. Η πρώτη επενδυτική κίνηση που έκανε ήταν να ναυπηγήσει το γιοτ «O’Pari». Δύο χρόνια αργότερα αγόρασε το «O’Rea», το οποίο μετασκεύασε πλήρως. Το νερό είχε μπει στ’ αυλάκι. Στο ναυπηγείο του Περάματος ο Πάρης Δράγνης κατασκεύασε κι άλλα super yachts, όπως το «O’Rama» μήκους 54 μέτρων, και το «O’Pati» (το 2011), το μαύρο γιοτ των 40 μέτρων που κατέκτησε το πρώτο βραβείο στον παγκόσμιο διαγωνισμό ΙSS 2012 Design & Leadership Awards και αναδείχτηκε σε «Ωραιότερο Σκάφος στον Κόσμο».

Αυτή την περίοδο ναυπηγεί ένα mega yacht μήκους 96 μέτρων. Οι εργασίες ξεκίνησαν το καλοκαίρι του 2018 και αναμένεται να πέσει στη θάλασσα την άνοιξη του 2020. Πέρσι ολοκλήρωσε τη ναυπήγηση ενός ακόμη mega yacht μήκους 85 μέτρων, του «O’Ptasia». Ο σχεδιασμός των γιοτ φέρει την υπογραφή του διασημότερου designer σκαφών, Τζώρτζη Βαφειάδη: οι καμπίνες θυμίζουν πολυτελείς σουίτες ξενοδοχείου, ενώ άνεση και πολυτέλεια κυριαρχούν ακόμη και στους κοινόχρηστους χώρους. Ο Ελληνας πλοιοκτήτης έχει πάθος με τη σχεδίαση των σκαφών, καθώς συμμετέχει και ο ίδιος στο δημιουργικό κομμάτι, αποτυπώνοντας τις εμπνεύσεις του στην αρχή στο χαρτί και μετά στον υπολογιστή. Στη διάρκεια όλων αυτών των χρόνων έχει πουλήσει κάποια από τα μήκους 50 μέτρων γιοτ που κατασκεύασε, μιας και στόχος του είναι να επενδύσει τα χρήματα σε νέας τεχνολογίας γιοτ.

Ο αθόρυβος πρέσβης

Ο Βολιώτης καπετάνιος αποτελεί το πιο τρανό παράδειγμα των δυνατοτήτων που έχουν οι Ελληνες να σχεδιάζουν, να ναυπηγούν και να εκμεταλλεύονται υπερσύγχρονα σκάφη σε πείσμα όλων αυτών που έχουν καταθέσει τα όπλα. Είναι η απτή απόδειξη ότι όταν υπάρχουν θέληση και συνεργασία μεταξύ των Ελλήνων μπορούν να γίνουν ναυπηγικά θαύματα που θα αναστήσουν την ελληνική ναυπηγοεπισκευή, θα δημιουργήσουν νέες θέσεις εργασίας και θα συνεχίσουν τη ναυτική παράδοση του τόπου. Είναι επίσης η απτή απόδειξη ότι, εάν είσαι ποιοτικός και προσφέρεις σωστές υπηρεσίες, τότε θα προσελκύσεις τουρίστες με υψηλά εισοδήματα και θα χτυπήσεις στα ίσα τον ανταγωνισμό.

Με το πέρασμα του χρόνου ο Πάρης Δράγνης μέσω της Golden Yachts εξελίχθηκε σε έναν από τους σημαντικότερους, πλην αφανείς, πρεσβευτές της Ελλάδας στο εξωτερικό. Διάσημοι ηθοποιοί, αθλητές παγκόσμιας κλάσης αλλά και αρχηγοί κρατών από κάθε γωνιά της Γης επιλέγουν τις υπερπολυτελείς θαλαμηγούς που διαθέτει για να περάσουν ξέγνοιαστες διακοπές στην Ελλάδα, ενώ στη συνέχεια γίνονται οι ίδιοι οι καλύτεροι διαφημιστές της ελληνικής φυσικής ομορφιάς. Με τα luxury yachts του στόλου της εταιρείας Golden Yachts έχουν κάνει διακοπές διασημότητες όπως η ηθοποιός Ντέμι Μουρ, ο Αμερικανός τραγουδιστής Τζον Μπον Τζόβι, ο διάσημος Γερμανός πιλότος της Formula 1 και τέσσερις φορές παγκόσμιος πρωταθλητής Σεμπάστιαν Φέτελ.Το Πάσχα του 2013 οι αδελφές Καρντάσιαν απόλαυσαν τις διακοπές τους πάνω σε ένα από τα υπερπολυτελή σκάφη του Πάρη Δράγνη και οι εικόνες έκαναν τον γύρο του κόσμου.

Ναυτιλία σημαίνει πατρίδα

«Ναυτιλία σημαίνει να αντιλαμβάνεσαι τι συμβαίνει σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο, να αντιλαμβάνεσαι τι συμβαίνει στην παγκόσμια οικονομία, να μπορείς να δεις τις ευκαιρίες εκεί όπου οι άλλοι αδυνατούν, να ανοίγεσαι σε καινούριους ορίζοντες και να συνεργάζεσαι με άτομα που ζουν σε διαφορετικά περιβάλλοντα και αντιλήψεις. Να διαβλέπεις τα καινούρια πεδία, τους νέους παίκτες και να έχεις την ικανότητα να συμπλεύσεις μαζί τους. Προερχόμενος από τη μήτρα του προσφυγικού ελληνισμού, ο πατριωτισμός ήταν μια αξία που διδάχτηκα νωρίς από την οικογένειά μου»: με αυτά τα λόγια περιγράφει τη δική του κοσμοθεωρία μα και τη συνταγή της επιτυχίας του.

Ο Πάρης Δράγνης γεννήθηκε και μεγάλωσε στον Βόλο. Η αγάπη του για τη θάλασσα τον οδήγησε στις Σχολή Εμποροπλοιάρχων. Οταν αποφοίτησε είχε προτάσεις από τις τρεις μεγαλύτερες ναυτιλιακές εταιρείες της εποχής: του Ωνάση, του Νιάρχου και του Ανδρεάδη. Αποφάσισε να μπαρκάρει σε μία εταιρεία με πλοία μεταφοράς εμπορευματοκιβωτίων και φορτηγά, τη Hellenic Lines. Στο πρώτο του ταξίδι το πλοίο, που ήταν ένα liner, έπιασε 10 λιμάνια της Μεσογείου και 10 της Αμερικής. Πήρε μάστερ από το Maritime College. Το 1982 ιδρύει την Goldenport Shipmanagement. Τα πρώτα πλοία που απέκτησε ήταν τύπου «multi-purpose twin deckers», που αποτελούσαν τον πρόγονο των σημερινών containerships. Ηταν ένας από τους πρωτοπόρους Ελληνες πλοιοκτήτες που αποφάσισαν τότε να επενδύσουν στα πλοία μεταφοράς εμπορευματοκιβωτίων.

Σημαντικός σταθμός στην ιστορία της εταιρείας ήταν η είσοδος της Goldenport Holdings στην Κύρια Αγορά του London Stock Exchange τον Απρίλιο του 2006, απ’ όπου άντλησε 115 εκατ. δολάρια. Ηταν ο πρώτος Ελληνας που κατάφερε να εισαγάγει ναυτιλιακή εταιρεία στην αγγλική χρηματιστηριακή αγορά. Κορυφαία επενδυτικά ονόματα της Βρετανίας έχουν εμπιστευτεί την Goldenport – η εταιρεία έχει βγει πλέον από το χρηματιστήριο και είναι ιδιωτική.

Σήμερα διαθέτει στόλο αποτελούμενο από 24 πλοία, εκ των οποίων 14 είναι φορτηγά και 10 μεταφοράς εμπορευματοκιβωτίων.

Ο Πάρης Δράγνης έχει δύο γιους, οι οποίοι έχουν αναλάβει πλήρως το τιμόνι του ναυτιλιακού ομίλου. «Είναι σπουδαίο να ετοιμάσεις από νωρίς τη διαδοχή, να δώσεις την ελευθερία στα παιδιά να διαμορφώσουν την προσωπικότητά τους, να βρουν τον δρόμο τους και την αυτοπεποίθηση να πετύχουν όποιο σκοπό έχουν στη ζωής τους», επισημαίνει και προσθέτει:

«Οι γιοι μου είναι ικανοί και εργάζονται σκληρά. Είμαι πολύ χαρούμενος επειδή συνεχίζουν με επιτυχία την ιστορία της οικογένειας». Ο ίδιος έχει ρίξει όλο του το βάρος στην Golden Yachts.

Ο Πάρης Δράγνης στον λιγοστό ελεύθερο χρόνο του κολυμπάει -είναι και χειμερινός κολυμβητής-, ασκείται καθημερινά και απολαμβάνει την παρέα των αγαπημένων του φίλων, με τους οποίους συζητούν -τι άλλο;- τα νέα και το μέλλον της ναυτιλίας.

Δείτε επίσης

Diddy’s dreamy American gloss in ruins

It was stunning to see: law enforcement rolling up to the Los Angeles and Miami homes of Sean “Diddy” Combs in tactical vehicles, wearing olive drab military gear and wielding very large guns. In Los Angeles, officers from Homeland Security situated themselves on a stretch of street surrounded by expensive landscaping and stately houses. In Miami, men in chinos and baseball caps did their investigative work under the shade of towering palm trees. This contrast between the verdant and the villainous could stir all sorts of emotions: shock, anger, satisfaction over a possibly righteous comeuppance. Those feelings are all rooted on shifting ground. Combs has been accused of sex trafficking, sexual assault and physical abuse. He has denied those accusations and has not been arrested. But the sad drama has played out as publicly as Combs has lived his professional life.

There is always a distinction, sometimes slight and sometimes expansive, between a person’s private self and the character they present to the world. But Combs has worked mightily to construct a public-facing facade that has him in the starring role of an American success story. Combs began his journey as a hip-hop producer and performer but then did his level best to take the resulting money and fame and refine it, using the mythology of the American Dream, the glories of self-made men and the idea of wealth as synonym for racial justice.

As much as any of the early players in hip-hop, Combs mainstreamed the money that came out of a new kind of music and the culture that surrounded it. While others might have emphasized their tough-guy bona fides, their experiences in prison or the dangers of their childhood, Combs painted a picture of arriviste hero. He put a Gatsby-esque sheen on whatever he touched. And he had his hands on everything.

In 2001, Combs was on trial for illegal gun possession and bribery, for which he could have been sentenced to a 15-year prison term. The precipitating incident happened two years earlier and involved a protégé who went by “Shyne” and a bodyguard known as “Wolf.” Back then Combs was known as “Puffy” and was dating “J-Lo” and the entire trial sounded like it was inhabited by cartoon characters. But it was serious business and so Combs had attorney Johnnie Cochran on his team and presented himself to the jury in an oversized suit that made him look straight out of the waif-fashion era. He was also clutching a green Bible that he made sure was cracked open. Combs was acquitted. But the trial was a reminder of what all that soft focus gloss could be obscuring.

In fashion , he broke down barriers with his Sean John line that put Black men on the runway in suits, furs and cashmere, and forced the industry to ask itself why it insisted on referring to his collection, which launched in 1998, as “urban” when it had more in common aesthetically with the world of McMansions, golf courses and yachts. He received encouragement from Tommy Hilfiger — whose runway show he once walked in. He cuddled up to magazine editors. He confronted the issue of race in fashion by simply persisting in what he was doing until the industry’s leading trade organization named him menswear designer of the year — marking the first time the award had been given to a Black person.

Combs threw parties in the Hamptons to which guests, Martha Stewart, Paris Hilton, Al Sharpton, and countless entertainers, were instructed to wear pristine white — and only white. Beige could get one turned away. He styled himself in the spirit of a cinematic leading man from the black and white era, appearing in advertisements for Ciroc vodka and in the pages of Vogue dressed like a rakish suitor to an haute-couture clad Kate Moss.

He helped to launch a charter school in Harlem. He pledged $1 million to Howard University. Combs used tuxedos and tailored suits as placards of protest. Lawn parties were a statement of Civil Rights. Walking up the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a guest at the Costume Institute’s Met Gala was a revolutionary act.

He led the way in turning hip-hop into a gold rush. Hip-hop wasn’t bootlegging, but it needed some polishing; it needed meaning. And Combs was the man for the job.

Like his contemporaries, Combs worked hard to make his way into boardrooms and build corporations of his own, but he also dabbled in acting on the Broadway stage as Walter Lee Younger in “A Raisin in the Sun” in 2004 and on screen three years prior with “Monster’s Ball.” He was terrible in the former and satisfactory in the latter. But mostly the two performances painted Combs as a man who believed himself capable of succeeding at anything on which he set his sights.

There’s something distinctly American in that: an optimistic belief that anything is possible, a reckless propensity to declare oneself qualified for any endeavor.

Over and over Combs is described in the public sphere as a hip-hop mogul or producer or rapper. He is those things but he’s something more, too. He is a testament to the faith that green is the only color that ultimately matters in an America where being rich can sometimes make people look invincible. Is the road to great wealth inevitably strewn with the wounded, the disappointed, the cheated and the disillusioned? Is philanthropy simply a way of trying to make amends for all the pain?

The sight of law enforcement officers raiding Combs’s homes is startling because of the horrible allegations that brought them there — allegations that have caused businesses and organizations to sever their relationships with Combs. But the show of force also disrupts a revered idyll. Combs worked hard to cast his success as part of a sweeping American story, to have it considered in the same light as the titans of the Gilded Age whose names are carved on enduring institutions and the great inventors who changed our mode of transport and the ways in which we communicate.

Tactical vehicles ripped through the gloss. They executed search warrants. So the world could see exactly what kind of hurt might lie below.