Vela began on land, with the team behind Nirjhara, a hotel in Bali built around a waterfall. Nirjhara was conceived to sit lightly on its surroundings, and its owners wanted a phinisi yacht that carried the same thinking out to sea.
Her design came from an American engineer, and her hull from the Konjo boatbuilders of South Sulawesi, whose families have built Indonesia’s sailing ships by hand for generations. Ironwood and teak were sourced locally and shaped in the traditional way. The lines, though, were drawn to sail, not simply to motor, and on the right wind Vela does exactly that.
Inside, she is closer to a small hotel than a ship. Contemporary Indonesian art hangs alongside finishes from Hermès, Dedar and Philippe Starck. There is a spa on board, with treatments each day, and an outdoor gym for those who like to begin the morning moving.
That hotel instinct shapes the rhythm on board. Meals are planned with each guest before the charter, Indonesian and international, served in the salon or out on deck as the day suggests.
Vela has been in our Ultimate Collection since her launch. She follows the seasons, sailing Komodo from May to October and Raja Ampat from November to April. Between them, she makes the longer crossings through the Spice Islands, the Alor archipelago and West Papua.
She suits families and friends who want a yacht with real character, and who care as much about how the days feel as where they lead.
