1. w w w. boat i nter n at ion a l.com | Oc tober 2015
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Golden Yachts’ O’Pari3
is bigger than her award-winning
predecessor in every sense, but its builders’ passion and
attention to detail are absolutely constant
Words – T im Thomas
Photography – Jef f Brown/Breed Media

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As he leads us to an Athens waffle house for dessert, the boyish
enthusiasm of shipping entrepreneur Paris Dragnis is infectious.
It’s been several hours since we stepped off his yacht, the 72 metre
O’Pari3
, but he’s still buzzing. It was no different earlier in the day, when
he talked animatedly about the engine room on his latest construction.
His passion for yachts is obvious and, as we order ice cream, the owner
of the Golden Yachts shipyard and highly experienced former yacht
owner is really just warming up.
Dragnis is a self-made man. He began his
career as an officer, reaching the rank of captain
aboard cargo ships before diverting into ship
owning and then building. As a consequence his
knowledge and experience are considerable, and
not just in big ships – he has owned and built
yachts since 1994, many of which have gone on to
be highly successful charter vessels. “I have always
built the boats for me,” he says. “I have experience
as a captain, an engineer and a ship owner over so
many years, and spent so long at sea, that I know
by heart what is needed for a yacht.”
Golden Yachts, his yacht-building division,
burst on to the scene in 1996 and quickly made its
mark with a series of impressive builds, from the 83 metre O’Mega to
the award-winning yachts O’Pari, O’Rion and O’Pati. Dragnis has a large
engineering and design team in-house, with cross-fertilisation between
the shipping and yacht divisions giving Golden Yachts a distinct
advantage when it comes to the design and construction of superyachts.
Surface finish is one thing, but key to Dragnis’s philosophy is that a
yacht should be seaworthy and safe – and it is why he offers a two-year
warranty on his vessels instead of the more standard one-year term.
For Dragnis, though, building yachts is more than just business.
“Of course I sell them after completion, but that’s not my target,” he
enthuses. “I love this – I do it for love, not for the money, and I like
to use them for a while and invite the customer to buy the boat when
everything is perfect. And more than the money, for me it’s about
gaining a friend – not to build another boat with, but a friend in life.”
One of those long-standing friends is also a familiar name with
the Golden Yachts fleet: yacht designer Giorgio Vafiadis. “I first met
Giorgio more than 20 years ago,” Dragnis explains. “I was thinking of
building a 35 metre yacht and he convinced me to make it 40 metres.”
It was the start of a collaboration that has spawned nine yachts,
including O’Pari3
.
“That was the original O’Pari in 1994,” Vafiadis continues. “For
O’Pari3
, he decided he wanted to go above 65 metres – his last yacht
was the 40 metre express cruiser O’Pati, which was a World Superyacht
Awards finalist in 2012, and which won other awards, too. After several
discussions, we ended at a size of 70 metres, and then he decided not to
have a folding swim platform aft, so we extended it to have a bigger
platform, ending up at 72 metres overall.”
The result is a yacht with impressive volumes
that manages to retain a fluid and relatively sleek
exterior line. “I wanted to create something soft
and nice without sharp edges – a modern design
that didn’t feel temporary,” Vafiadis explains.
“It had to look smooth, round and sweet.
We studied lots of aspects of the exterior lines,
and in particular how the light and shadows can
enhance the exterior styling. This was also the
first project that my son – Stefano Vafiadis –
was involved with.”
The combined experience of Dragnis and
Vafiadis also shows clearly in the layout of the
yacht. There is no guest accommodation on the
lower deck, for example: the guest suites are
spread over the main and upper decks, while O’Pari3
also boasts no less
than three owner suites, on main, upper and bridge decks. “On earlier
yachts the owner’s cabin would often be given up for very important
guests,” Vafiadis explains. “On here there is more choice and it is
also perfect for charter where more than one family or VIP guest
may be on board.”
On the main deck, the guest suites comprise two doubles and a
twin, with the addition of a large dedicated gym. The first owner’s
suite – and the largest – lies forward. It has a full-width layout and
a fixed terrace to starboard.
“I wanted to create
something soft
and nice without
sharp edges – a
modern design
that didn’t feel
temporary”
w w w. boat i nter n at ion a l.com | Oc tober 2015

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The main saloon shows off the yacht’s exceptional
2.45m headroom. The décor is in honey coloured
lati wood offset by darker woods

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w w w. boat i nter n at ion a l.com | Oc tober 2015
The second owner’s cabin is on the upper deck, with wraparound
windows forward offering a panoramic view and side doors giving
access to the side and foredecks. “This cabin could also be changed
to the wheelhouse if a future owner preferred to take the top deck,”
Vafiadis points out. “That’s why we have the balconette bulges either
side, which not only act as a sort of owner terrace but could also serve
as bridge wing stations.”
The third owner’s suite occupies the aft section of the bridge deck,
with expansive glass doors opening to a generous aft deck area – which
can switch to helipad mode by moving the lightweight deck furniture.
It’s a sizeable pad, capable of taking an Airbus EC145.
The remaining guest suites are two twin cabins located on the upper
deck behind the second master, with large windows giving impressive
views. Each features a Pullman berth, intended more for children than
adult guests, but the single berths themselves are of a good size,
measuring 1.1 metres in width. The vast array of guest accommodation
– which also includes a lower-deck staff cabin –
means that single guests do not have to share
space when staying on board.
The decision to have, effectively, eight guest
suites plus gym at main-deck level and above has
not, however, impacted on the communal guest
areas. The main-deck saloon feels vast, helped in
part by the careful placement of the engine room
ducts, which barely intrude on the space. Fendi
furniture in the saloon area contrasts with a
backlit onyx dining table forward, while a
dividing sideboard houses a 60-inch television.
The forward bulkhead – currently masked by a
large piece of art from the owner’s collection – has
also been wired for an 80-inch screen if a more
cinematic experience is desired. The upper saloon,
too, offers space for relaxing with a cocktail – a bar counter is
to port – or for enjoying the entertainment system thanks to another
large screen. With its B&B Italia furniture, the feeling here is a little
more contemporary and perhaps less formal than below.
The finish in the main saloon is intriguing, with a warm colour
palette using honey-colour lati wood as its main theme, contrasted
with the striking patterns and dark colouring of palm wood.
Panels feature an extraordinarily tactile, rubber-like lacquer – an
interesting alternative to the more common leather finishes found
on many other yachts.
The palm wood and rubberised lacquer form a recurrent theme
throughout the interior, with individual cabins and areas offering
variations that include elm burl, oxidised oak and olive wood. “I kept the
colour palette neutral because on the yacht you want a quiet and relaxing
ambience,” says Vafiadis. “When you are at sea you see a lot of blue, green
and grey, and when I’m inside I want to see something different.”
The exterior spaces, linked by wide side decks and multiple stair
routes for both crew and guests, are characterised by generous but
flexible spaces. The sundeck offers a large alfresco dining table
with a barbecue station, plus a spa pool and plentiful sunpads.
On the upper deck – sheltered from the sun by the helideck above
– is another dining option: a table that extends to cater for the
maximum number of guests aboard.
A central garage on the lower deck allows for an expansive beach
club aft, with direct access to the extraordinary swim platform. The
club itself comprises a steam room, massage room, shower and head as
well as a bar, and can be accessed directly from the main saloon via
internal stairs as well as via the aft deck.
Crew areas have been well thought through, with each deck
featuring its own fully equipped pantry station; a full-size dumb waiter
connects the lower-deck galley to each level. On the tank top there is a
large laundry and crew gym, meaning the lower-deck cabins and crew
mess are of generous proportions. Crew routes throughout the yacht –
a vital consideration not just for minimising disturbance for guests
but also for efficient charter operations – have
been carefully considered and multiple stairways
link the decks.
Each is wide and easy to negotiate, a benefit
of the yacht’s gross tonnage figure of 1,700,
which also explains the impressive headroom
throughout: the typical ceiling height is 2.45
metres. “You cannot build a big yacht with
2.2 metre interior heights,” says Vafiadis,
“even though it would make the exterior
look even better.”
The level of forethought extends beyond the
intended charter use of the yacht to potential
future owners. There is wiring built in to allow for
the retrofit of a lift in the guest lobby, for example,
and the plumbing for a foredeck spa pool has
already been installed. Moreover, the attention that Dragnis pays to the
detailing is impressive. His experience in shipping – as a captain as well
as a ship builder – is clear in the two-storey engine room, as is the fact
that he is obviously at home in the technical bowels of the yacht.
He talks freely over the drone of the generators, stopping to point
out areas of finish that he is not happy with: the unpainted floor
plates and engines, for example, or the unpolished stainless
railings. These are all elements that he intends to address at the
end of O’Pari3
’s busy summer season.
Dragnis, Vafiadis and the Golden Yachts team have created a yacht
that offers instant appeal: O’Pari3
emerged from the yard two weeks
early and, after successful sea trials and a fortnight’s cruise for the
owner, launched straight into charter. “You can imagine that for
someone to charter your yacht without even having seen it completed,
they must trust you 100 per cent,” Dragnis says simply. It also explains
why O’Pari3
was pre-booked for near back-to-back charters till late
September. Having experienced the yacht first hand, it is easy to see that
such trust is well placed. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. B
O’Pari3
emerged
and launched
straight into charter.
“For someone to
charter your yacht
without seeing it
completed, they trust
you 100 per cent”
The swim platform does not drop down, but
provides a very large space for relaxing.
Above right: lightweight deck furniture can be
moved to allow a helicopter to land
SeemoreontheiPadedition

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A view that shows not just the scale of the exterior spaces but also the impressive windows that flank the main saloon, which allow natural light to show off the warm colour scheme to its greatest advantage. The dining area itself has room for 12 to eat and great service access

6. O’Pari3
’s multitude of intelligent touches, huge social spaces and designs that put the guest first, reflect a builder with huge experience and love for superyachts – and someone who knows exactly what the charter market demands

7. w w w. boat i nter n at ion a l.com | Oc tober 2015
A guest’s journey from the
water (below) onto the aft
platform (right) and up the
stairs for a drink on the main
deck aft (opposite) is a natural
and inviting one. Below right:
designer Giorgio Vafiadis

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Even on the sundeck,
substantial alfresco dining
is available. Right: fancy a
quick drink at the counter
bar in the upper saloon?
Bottom: one of three large
owner’s cabins; this one
offers wraparound
windows and side doors
w w w. boat i nter n at ion a l.com | Oc tober 2015

9. w w w. boat i nter n at ion a l.com | Oc tober 2015
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S P E C S
10m
0m
20m
LOA 71.85m
LWL 60.5m
Beam 12.8m
Draught 3.5m
Displacement 1,400T
Gross tonnage 1,708
267,201 litres
Freshwater capacity
49,200 litres
Owner and guests 12
Crew 20
Tenders
1 x 7.8m Golden Yachts
Naval architecture
Nhellas
Exterior styling
& interior design
Giorgio &
Stefano Vafiadis
t: +39 06 5921500
e: gv@vafiadis.com
Engines
2 x CAT 3516C, 2,350kW
Speed (max/cruise)
19 knots/16 knots
Generators
2 x CAT C18, 275kW;
1 x CAT C6, 110kW
Fuel capacity
Indigo; 1 x 6m Zodiac;
1 x 4.7m Zodiac;
1 x 3.4m Zodiac
Construction
Steel hull, aluminium
superstructure
Classification
Bureau Veritas (BV)
For sale/charter
Through Golden Yachts
Builder/year
Golden Yachts/2015
Athens, Greece
t: +30 210 8910500
e: contact@goldenyachts.gr
w: goldenyachts.gr
O’Pari3
– Golden Yachts
Br id ge deck Upper deck Ma i n deck L ower deck
w w w. boat i nter n at ion a l.com | Oc tober 2015
Owner’s
cabin 3:
great views
out over the
back of the
boat
Touchdown:
lightweight
deck furniture
can be moved
to create
helideck, good
for an Airbus
EC145
Owner’s
cabin 1: can
be changed
into a
wheelhouse if
future owner
wants whole
bridge deck
Owner’s
cabin 2:
the biggest
of the lot,
offering the
full width
of the boat
and a fixed
balcony
Keep fit:
addition of
gym should
attract
charters and
does not
impact on
guest areas
Staff only: no
guest rooms
on the lower
deck. Crew
cabins are
generous
thanks to
relocation of
laundry and
crew gym to
tank deck
Tenders &
toys: big
garage
amidships
means
there’s
even more
room for an
expansive
beach club
aft
Pick of the
bunch: larger
staff cabin
on the lower
deck for PA
or nanny