Hawaiian ODYSSEY

STACKING THE DECK The yacht's name, Halekai, means "home on the sea," an ethos Fulk took to heart in ensuring the design felt both personal and deftly functional.

- CELIA BARBOUR

The claret and saffron striped hull was inspired by the palette developed for the interior. Subtle hints of gold dot the loungey, cushion-clad sundeck, "one of the great places to gather," says Fulk. "Everyone wants to pile on." A breezy yucca-print fabric by Holly Hunt evokes the feeling of a tranquil, floating island; the subdued neutral scheme allows the open ocean to take the stage. Pillow fabric, Christopher Farr Cloth

DESIGNERS SEEK INSPIRATION in all kinds of places. Still it's rare to find one hanging off the side of a sailboat flying through the ocean near Palma de Mallorca, Spain, for The Superyacht Cup. "It was heart pounding," says Ken Fulk, who'd joined the boat's crew "mainly as ballast" after being hired to design his clients' new sister yacht, the Halekai. "I wanted to understand the paces these boats are put through," he says.

"The wind and speed and ocean are intoxicating." He came away with powerful insight: "A yacht like this is a fiercely athletic machine that also has to be able to offer elegant, Gatsby-like entertaining. All the craftsmanship is driven by purpose." Fulk, known for layered, theatrical interiors and events (his 2022 book with Assouline is titled The Movie in My Mind), found himself studying every detail from multiple angles. He considered how a bookcase could double as an escape ladder, for example, and oversaw the design of each martini glass as well as where and how it could be stowed without breaking.

Fulk also did a deep dive into indigenous Hawaiian design. The husband attended high school in Hawaii, where he fell in love with the place and people, and wanted to honor the islands' culture and traditions.