When Vripack partnered with trawler builder Nordhavn in 2018, it brought Dutch design philosophy to Californian long-range explorers. Driven by a design language that is founded upon comfort, safety and luxury, Vripack undertook the interior design for this new Nordhavn 80 series. When the third hull, Lady Di, delivered in 2023, it became the first unit to enjoy the Vripack designed interior. The result is an expedition wolf swaddled in Hygge’s clothing, wrapping hard-nosed capability in Scandi-chic elegance.
Lady Di’s owner, Mike Kugler, is a Nordhavn admirer through and through. He bought his previous yacht, a Nordhavn 63, for its long-distance and seaworthy credentials. When it came to sizing up to a Nordhavn 80, he wanted a change from the traditional aesthetic and Vripack’s interior design was right on the money.
“My mother was instrumental in the decision making, and she likes modern interior design,” says Kugler. “For our Nordhavn 63, we added light wall coverings to try and give it a more contemporary feel, but when she discovered Vripack had designed an interior concept for the Nordhavn 80, she said, ‘Oh, we definitely need to do that!’”
With the build taking place during Covid, Kugler was prevented from visiting the yacht during construction. It meant the first time he lay eyes on Lady Di was when she delivered in California. He did, however, make it across the pond with his wife and mother, the matriarch who the yacht is named after, to Vripack’s studio in Sneek in The Netherlands for a two-day design session.
“Welcoming the client to our studio provided the invaluable opportunity to run through all the necessary design details — the textiles, marbles, finishes, etc. — together, with samples that they could touch and hold, and get a real feel for their Nordhavn 80 interior,” says Marnix Hoekstra, co-creative director at Vripack. “We also had the opportunity to take them out for a boat ride on the canals, which rounded off a truly fantastic experience for them as part of buying a Californian boat with Dutch design.”
Lady Di possesses a heart-warming and homely environment that is intentionally far removed from Nordhavn’s classic nautical American interiors. Muted woods and neutral tones are fused with accents of daffodil yellow and midnight blue hues in the sky lounge. The main salon is family-centric with a contemporary aesthetic at its core.
The only add-on was the inclusion of a hot tub on the flybridge, which came into its own during the yacht’s maiden voyage when it joined a Nordhavn convoy to the Sea of Cortez. “We headed to Mexico during the winter last year, along with five other Nordhavns for a ten-day cruise,” says Kugler. “We were one of two new Nordhavn 80s, and on some of the cooler evenings we sat in the hot tub, which was pretty nice.”
For Kugler, who used to self-pilot his Nordhavn 63, the addition of a captain is another novelty, “Lady Di is substantially larger and definitely rides a lot better than our old boat, with more comfort and stability,” confirms Kugler, who now has the Pacific Northwest and Alaska in his sights for summer 2025.
“Lady Di’s interior is so beautiful, and exactly how I pictured it from the renderings,” says Kugler. “We didn’t even need to make any changes, we put all our effort into making sure the yacht was as close a match to Vripack’s vision as possible. And it turned out perfectly.”
The fifth hull in the Nordhavn 80 series is currently under construction, and once delivered, will become the second model with a Vripack interior.
