Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Robb Report

Mark Thornton, a retired army staff sergeant working as a defense contractor in the Middle East, was thrown 35 feet in the air when the fuel tank he was inspecting suddenly exploded. He landed on a string of barbed wire with life-changing consequences. A spinal injury in his mid-thorax left him paralyzed from the chest down. Thornton’s challenges are, to varying degrees, shared by thousands of injured American veterans. His therapy, however, is not. Thornton decided to pursue surfing, using a specialized board for his disability. He credits his time in the ocean, more than anything else, for giving him a renewed sense of accomplishment. “Surfing is actually one of the most effective therapies we’ve ever found for combating depression as well as post-traumatic stress,” says Kyle “Buck” Buckett, CEO…

NEVER MIND THE miles of trails in the secluded rainforest. Nor the world’s second-largest boiling lake. Forget the country’s year-round resident deep divers—sperm whales. Can a guy get mollycoddled amid Middleham Falls? Yes, yes he can. Dominica has long been the underdog of the Caribbean—even confused with that homophonous island to the north—but Hurricane Maria’s aftermath has brought a renewal of interest to this sparsely populated Elysium. Cradled between Guadeloupe and Martinique, Dominica is a land that stays true to its terrain, with developers taking much care to preserve its hot springs, cliffs and waterfalls galore. Opening in October is the five-star Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, from Europe’s oldest luxury hotelier, Kempinski Hotels. Perched in Dominica’s Cabrits National Park, the resort offers guests a nature-inspired design in its 151…

Crack an old viticulture textbook from UC Davis, and it will tell you that the Coombsville region, in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley, is too cool to ripen Bordeaux grapes—Cabernet, Merlot and their cousins. A newer primer would have quite a different message about what is now the newest of Napa’s American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), the valley’s 16th. Despite the ironic fact that there are few actual wineries in Coombsville, just east of the city of Napa itself, its fruit has become highly sought-after for the elegant, almost old-world-style reds it can produce. “Coombsville’s fruit has become highly sought-after.” From the miniature crushpad of his Favia winery (possibly the tiniest in Napa), Andy Erickson, who has the likes of Screaming Eagle, Harlan and Dalla Valle wines on his résumé,…

WHEN YOU SIT down at Saint Peter, chef Josh Niland may hand you a fish’s eyeball. More surprising yet, you’ll gladly eat it. “Eyes are sludgy, and stringy and gross, and like what the fuck do you do with it?” Niland says. At his 34-seat seafood restaurant in Sydney, Australia, he’s searched for how to make eyeballs and all the other nasty bits delicious. In the process, the 30-year-old has turned himself into one of Australia’s most innovative seafood chefs. And now he’s ready to spread his message around the world. Niland started at 16, in a professional kitchen in Newcastle. By 17, he was 100 miles south in Sydney, working at restaurants big and small before heading to one of England’s Michelin three-star restaurants the Fat Duck. In his…

When designer Charlotte Perriand applied for a studio job in 1927, she was rejected outright, told only: “We don’t embroider cushions here.” Not one to be discouraged, she landed the role only a month later with her breakout piece, Bar Sous le Toit, a design of a bar setup that’s an homage to the aesthetic potential of chromed, tubular steel. A 60-year career followed, spawning many a now classic piece: a modular bookshelf, sling-back chair, chaise longue and kitchen-bar concept among them. But while her contributions to contemporary design were undoubtedly numerous, today only a select few know and attribute them to Perriand. “Her pieces are still very much a part of our landscape.” In the spirit of finally giving credit where credit is due, Fondation Louis Vuitton (fondationlouisvuitton.fr) will…

COMPETITION BETWEEN hypercars continues to redline when it comes to power, performance and price, but one automaker seems to remain above the fray. “If it is comparable, it is no longer Bugatti,” once quipped Ettore Bugatti, founder of the French marque (bugatti.com). That claim of dominance was renewed with the recent debut of the Centodieci, a model that traces its design DNA back 28 years to the Bugatti EB110 built to commemorate Ettore’s 110th birthday. “The second era of our history, after Ettore Bugatti, was the one in Campogalliano [Italy], in the 1980s and ’90s. That’s when the EB110 was developed, which was ahead of its time,” says Bugatti’s president, Stephan Winkelmann. “Now we have a good opportunity to speak about this Italian intermezzo without neglecting the fact that we’re…

Ducati Panigale V4 R Ducati claims 234 hp for the Panigale V4 R. In an industry first, the V4 R is so powerful that the World Superbike race version has a lower rev limit than the production bike. Ariel Ace British sports-car company Ariel uses the stout 173 hp Honda VFR1200 V-4 wrapped in an avant-garde tubular chassis and girder fork design. One for the oddballs and a fine example of British engineering. Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR The 201 hp Ninja ZX-10RR is the company’s special race-approved model. The bike is understated compared to the Ducati V4 R, but it’s easily the best Japanese sportbike when converted to race trim. KTM 1290 Super Duke R The Super Duke boasts 174 hp, but it’s the 104 ft lbs of torque that gets…

“The windows are exceptionally large, but they aren’t just picture boxes directing your view. You don’t just look out—you look forward, aft, up and down.” AS OF PRESS time, the environmentally sensitive 262-foot superyacht Artefact was undergoing sea trials before its scheduled, much-anticipated end-of-summer delivery. Silent operation and maximum stability are the goals for the vessel from German shipyard Nobiskrug (nobiskrug.com), which unveiled the concept at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show. The yacht’s steel hull and composite superstructure, designed by Gregory C. Marshall, are noteworthy because of the 248 feet of sundeck-mounted solar panels and large battery storage system, both of which allow Artefact to operate silently for short bursts without any combustion engines. Its DC-bus diesel-electric variable-speed Azipod-propulsion and dynamic-positioning systems are almost equally noteworthy, eliminating the need to…

WHILE LITERATURE and cinema might romanticize pirates on the high seas, in the world of superyachts the threat of pirate attacks is all too real. And in some areas, such as along the coast of Africa, in the Gulf of Aden, and in the Indian Ocean, it’s now expected, shockingly enough. Even Latin America and the Caribbean experienced a 163 percent increase in recorded attacks in 2017. But boat owners can arm themselves with a new raft of nonlethal anti-piracy tools, most designed for early detection and preventing pirates from boarding. For experienced yacht captain Michael Schueler, at the top of that list is the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), a sonic weapon that delivers earsplitting, high-volume acoustics via a tight beam (so neither the LRAD’s operators nor others nearby…

Zean Nielsen recently took over as CEO at Cirrus Aircraft (cirrusaircraft.com), and while new to aviation, he’s certainly not winging it. He previously led teams at Tesla Motors and Bang & Olufsen, so fliers can expect an emphasis on tech. D.C. Coming from outside of the industry, how do you see private aviation? To me private, or general aviation, as it’s more widely known in the industry, is summed up best by what our team calls “personal aviation.” It transforms lives by erasing boundaries and redefining time—opening access to more than 5,000 airports in the United States alone and allowing you to travel on your own terms. Do you see any trends right now? Safety and convenience are always front of mind—and now new technologies will further advance those areas.…

True concept cars are the lightbulb moments of the great car designers made real: sketch-pad doodles rendered in steel, carbon fiber and glass, displayed at auto shows looking like they’ve been time-warped there from 20 years into the future. The very best can influence the looks of an entire generation of cars from a marque, as Cadillac’s Sixteen concept did in 2003, or inspire an entirely new breed of car. In 1976, New York’s Museum of Modern Art asked designers to create the checker cab of the future. Giorgetto Giugiaro proposed a taller, shorter vehicle that created more space in the cabin. He developed the idea in his Megagamma concept of 1978, which in turn inspired every minivan now on the road. The US has always been a rich source…

A decade ago, I was invited to judge a three-day international wine competition known for taking blind tasting to the extreme. Not only were we clueless about the varietals, but we also weren’t told where the wines were from. All we knew about each flight was what we could see—red, white, pink, sparkling. I was utterly stumped by one of the elements we were asked to evaluate: typicity. Did the wine fall into the profile it should, given the place it came from? I’m guessing that only a handful of judges in that room were capable of nailing the origin of each flight. The rest of us were hopelessly shooting in the dark. Yet it struck me that “place” went to the core of something really important about wine, something…

FALLINGWATER by Frank Lloyd Wright (1937) A modernist weekend home built over a waterfall in the mountains of Pennsylvania, Fallingwater was defined by three floors cantilevered from a central stone—an idea inspired by pine branches. “The cantilevers were not merely structural explorations, but in service of a larger idea about the creation of an open plan, a seamless relationship between the interior and exterior and subsequently between architecture and nature,” says Nader Tehrani, dean of Cooper Union’s Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. What’s the problem? After its completion in 1937, humidity and sun exposure led to mold and cracks. Yet the greatest challenges consistently revolved around the cantilevers. By 2001, the landmark was on the verge of collapse, with the topmost beam bearing down on the floor below. Wright’s…

As the head of Colorado-based Vail Resorts for well over a decade, Katz has presided over a period of tremendous expansion, acquiring more than two dozen resorts and outdoor-sports destinations—from properties in California’s Lake Tahoe to those in Vermont’s Green Mountains—and boosting the share price by more than 600%. What’s the news from Vail Resorts? We recently announced plans to acquire Peak Resorts, which owns 17 ski areas in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and Midwest, including Mount Snow, in Vermont, and Hunter Mountain, in New York. We’re excited many of our season passes will include unlimited, unrestricted access to these spots when the transaction closes, expected this fall. What does conglomeration like this mean for travelers? We can provide unprecedented benefits. For instance, we have reinvested more than $1.2 billion to…

Sure, you can make a decent compound butter with a smattering of tarragon. That’s old news. Auguste Escoffier, the great codifier of French cuisine, wrote about the virtues of beurre blended with other ingredients more than a century ago. But as the dining public has lost its fear of carbs, chefs have gotten creative with not just their bread, but also what gets slathered all over it. At the hip new L.A. restaurant Yours Truly, in Venice, chef Vartan Abgaryan serves his fluffy Parker House rolls with seaweed butter. Across town, Eric Bost’s rustic bread course at California contemporary Auburn comes alongside butter whipped with avocado and drizzled with herb oil. And in NYC, at elegant French restaurant La Mercerie, chef Marie-Aude Rose features multiple variations, including vanilla. From kimchi…

When he was 13 years old, Ian Callum submitted designs to Jaguar for consideration—an early example of his talent. Though he didn’t land a job back then, the 65-year-old has been the marque’s chief designer for the past 20 years. But now he has taken the plunge and set up his own, eponymous design firm (callumdesigns.com ). And with that change comes a renewed focus (and, presumably, more sketches). What vehicle design themes do you see for the coming decade? We are about to go through some of the biggest changes ever. The electric power train will allow more flexibility in the aesthetic of the car. Shorter front ends, like in the Jaguar I-PACE, are possible, but that is all offset by the barrier crash testing. That won’t change in…

ZORA ARKUS-DUNTOV, the General Motors engineer oft referred to as the “father of the Corvette,” tried for decades to convince his employers that the best-performing Corvette would have a mid-engine layout. To prove his point, Duntov created a number of mid-body prototypes, beginning in 1960 with the CERV-1 (Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle), but his efforts repeatedly fell upon deaf ears on the upper floors of Detroit’s West Grand Boulevard. “This is not merely a new chapter in Corvette history, it’s a whole new book.” With the introduction of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (chevrolet .com), also referred to as the “C8” for being the eighth iteration, the late Duntov finally gets his due. “This has always been Corvette’s destiny and is the supercar that we’ve all wanted to see for…

1 Pershing 8X You can tell the Pershing 8X (pershing-yacht.com) is an evolutionary leap beyond the last-generation Pershing 82 because of its music-infused hull. Ferretti Group shipbuilders and Videoworks, an Italian supplier of sci-fi-style helm stations, fitted a high-fidelity audio speaker inside the hull to provide underwater music for swimmers and divers around the yacht. The 83-footer has several other quirky but beautiful features. Its side wings, for instance, define the Pershing’s profile and provide the unique architecture for matching curved stairs (painted-black steel, covered in teak) that deliver a grand entrance from the cockpit to the upper helm area. Designed by Fulvio De Simoni, with input by Piero Ferrari (yes, that Ferrari), the 8X’s interior is generous, with a full-beam master suite, three more large staterooms and cabin space…

Global superyacht company Burgess was founded in 1975 by Nigel Burgess, a pioneering sailor and ocean racer. Today, it has its hands in every aspect of the yachting world, helping clients buy, build, manage, charter or sell their vessels. Robb Report interviewed Tim Wiltshire, the usually media-shy executive who joined Burgess (burgessyachts.com) as a broker in 1996 after a career in the Royal Marines, where he specialized in amphibious warfare. He became a company director in 2000 and an owning partner in 2005. D.C. How stable is the market right now? It’s actually in very good health. Following a three-year hiatus after the global financial crisis, the market has been on an upward trend since about 2013. That said, there are headwinds on the horizon generated by nervousness over trade…

Heydar Aliyev Center • In the wake of the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991, Azerbaijan found itself a new country—with all the stark, brutalist architecture of the old regime. In an effort to give the nation a more contemporary makeover, governing bodies appointed architect Zaha Hadid to design a new cultural center in the heart of Baku, the capital. Completed in 2012, the curvaceous building pays homage to the fluid forms found in traditional Azeri architecture, with equally twisty interiors housing exhibitions that celebrate both the nation’s history and its future. “The center embodies the future-looking direction of Azerbaijan and pushes what a building is capable of achieving. The way the interior, exterior and location all blend together is nothing short of miraculous. It’s a contemporary classic—a true testament to…

Early auto manufacturers focused on functionality over aesthetics, but it wasn’t long before marques and their customers valued the automobile as much for its emotional allure as for its practicality. Before and after World War II, formal courses of study on the subject began to emerge, drawing from the disciplines of fine art, architecture and industrial design, each reflecting the culture and character of its environs. Today, transportation design is more global than ever, and with many aspiring artists in the field vying for so few coveted spots, top students flock to the handful of institutions that have produced some of the biggest names in the business. There is no denying the influence these programs have on the automotive world. ArtCenter College of Design Pasadena, Calif. • Founded in 1930,…

Just 18 months after taking the helm of a flailing sailing-yacht company, its new owner has not only met every benchmark toward getting it back in the black; he’s launched the first of a whole new line of boats in the brand’s portfolio. The new 565 range, plus increased annual production and two new classes of yacht, should help to fully right the ship, says rescuer-in-chief Richard Hadida. In the past, Oyster Yachts built a mere 15 boats a year, and Hadida, who made his fortune in casino gaming software, is betting on bringing that number up to about 25. “The business will be very healthy if that happens,” he says. Though his three-year turnaround plan is on track, the details got more complicated than anticipated. For example, Oyster used…

When Triumph dubbed its motorcycle the Rocket, it wasn’t kidding around. The third-edition bike comes equipped with the world’s largest production motorcycle engine—a 2,500 cc beast that generates an industry-best 163 ft lbs of torque, which is 71 percent higher than the competition. It’s an added bonus that the Rocket 3 looks good, too. The trio of exhaust headers add an architectural flare and deliver a satisfying growl as you hit the road—but you’ll have to wait until December to experience it.(triumphmotorcycles.com)…

IT USED TO BE that a safari meant sharing. Private game vehicles were scarce and communal dining tables common, which meant spending time in the company of other guests was the norm. But a different type of stay is attracting seasoned safari-goers—the private villa, an accommodation that’s a rare find in the bush. From South Africa to Zimbabwe, the safari experience is moving toward exclusivity. After all, what could be more luxurious than having the bush to yourself? “If you’ve got a villa to yourself, you own the experience,” says Deborah Calmeyer, CEO of luxury tour operator Roar Africa. Her pick? The new Kubili House, a private residence owned by South Africanborn, New York-based Julian Koski and his wife, Aida, where guests can be masters of 26,900 square feet in…

STEWART IS ONE of just about a dozen master distillers in Scotland creating the majority of scotch that will be consumed by the rest of the world. His newest release, the Balvenie DCS Compendium Chapter Five: Malt Master’s Indulgence, is the oldest whisky ever released by the brand. Its golden-amber liquid was put into an Oloroso sherry hogshead 56 years ago, commemorating Stewart’s first year at the distillery, in 1962. Fragrant and sweet with honeyed marmalade, brown sugar and toffee, it still has a spicy nose and finish. Only 50 sets will be available, at $80,000 each. Stewart remains the guy every young distiller aspires to emulate: a craftsman whose experiments are so long-lived they’ve made the leap from innovations to icons. Fifty-seven years in, he still treats that role…

BALLY Bally’s calf-leather boot marks a fresh, colorful take on a classic style.($1,050, bally.com) SCAROSSO This suede from Scarosso adds a cool-toned pop for fall.($265, scarosso.com) TOM FORD Kick things up a notch in this sleek leather shoe with its Cuban heel.($2,150, tomford.com) JOHN LOBB Chelsea boots go casual with this breezy suede pair, cast in a saddle-brown hue.($2,000, johnlobb.com) CHURCH’S Polished leather and brogue detailing give this version top marks.($830, church-footwear.com)…

SAVOIR savoirbeds.com The world’s most luxurious bed for those wanting to push the boundaries of bespoke. Showcasing Savoir’s pursuit of the extraordinary, The Three Sixty features turntable technology to rotate 360 degrees, allowing the user to select their view from the comfort of a Savoir N°1. SKY-FRAME sky-frame.com Living with Sky-Frame means living in your own special dream home. The Swiss-made frameless sliding windows are the key to exceptional architectural creations. The flush transition between indoors and outdoors is an unbounded spatial experience with spectacular vistas. PASSIONATE PROTEST COLLECTION passionateprotest.com Introducing the Passionate Protest Collection by Sandi Miller Burrows, an activist since the 1960s, and a proponent of equality. A provocative gender-neutral collection of bronze and enamel pins, pendants, keychains, and bracelets, designed as a reaction to issues of the…

Since its establishment in 1885, British shirtmaker Turnbull & Asser has become known worldwide—the patronage of Prince Charles and many a James Bond incarnation hasn’t hurt in that regard. Under co-owner James Fayed, the appeal has only broadened. Alongside his father and two brothers, he’s made T&A as relevant to a younger audience that craves tie-dye or silk shirts as to those who stock up on bespoke business shirts by the dozen. Even though he’s the face of a renowned luxury brand, Fayed is not much for formality—his business cards are without a proper title, his wardrobe a distinct blend of vintage finds. Even his New York office bucks tradition, adorned with taxidermy, neon and the many irreverent photos he’s snapped throughout his travels. From his gallery at the top…

“The Radial V8 ushers in an all-new golden age. It is just the beginning of what we are capable of with our new technology.” ALABAMA-BASED Curtiss Motorcycles (curtissmotorcycles.com), the start-up that rose from the ashes of now defunct Confederate Motorcycles, is amped up on its new identity and direction. Named after Glenn Curtiss, an avid motorcycle builder and racer of the early 1900s, the manufacturer is solely committed to all-electric bikes, and its Zeus Radial V8 will soon be leading the charge. Taking aesthetic inspiration from Glenn Curtiss’s raucous, 4,410 cc eight-cylinder cycle, in which he set an unofficial land speed record of 136.36 mph in 1907, the Zeus pays tribute to that innovative machine with a contemporary twist. The leading design feature is the arrangement of batteries, which are…

McLaren has always had its eye on the road, but now it also has its sights set on your eyes with its high-tech sunglasses collection. The sleek line is an optical first with its custom, 3-D printed titanium frames and newly developed Leica lenses made for specific environments. Orange lenses, for example, maximize contrast on the golf course, while urban lenses offer a graduated tint ideal for outdoor environments but sans polarization, so you can still read your phone’s screen. The collection includes skiing, yachting and, of course, driving sunglasses (from $323). For the custom range (from $2,008), wearers can have their faces scanned in 3-D, so the frames, when printed, should fit: Edward Beiner opticians (edwardbeiner.com) in Miami will be one of the first in the US to offer…

SCAVOLINI scavoliniusa.com Scavolini introduces the new DeLinea kitchen, design by Vuesse: a sophisticated offering boasting a strong scenic presence. The model is an emblem of the concept of lifestyle, and it stands out for its utmost sophistication where details make the difference. NEHA DANI nehadani.com Known for her unique, sculptural artistry, jewelry designer Neha Dani’s one-of-a-kind designs are shown at New York’s Macklowe Gallery. Sourcing rare gemstones for their exquisite quality and vibrant, complementary color combinations, Neha creates pieces with an intricacy of elegance and imagination. NOBISKRUG nobiskrug.com At Nobiskrug, custom rules as unique dreams are built – one single yacht, for one single client at a time. The result is an exclusive fleet of luxury superyachts, each with a completely individual design and personality. While many of the advanced…

BACK IN MAY 2018, Gulfstream (gulfstream.com) announced that the new G600 was well on its way to certification, having taken its first flight on December 17, 2016. To the disappointment of those anticipating the aircraft, it wasn’t even type certified until the end of June 2019. But Gulfstream junkies, rejoice: The first G600 business jet has been delivered. The company announced the good news on August 8, about a month after the Federal Aviation Administration awarded the aircraft its type and production certificates, lifting the last barriers to delivery. The FAA bestows type certification after an aircraft’s design is deemed compliant with US aviation regulations, and it grants a production certificate when the manufacturer can ensure that its manufacturing facilities and quality-management system meet the FAA’s super-strict safety and reliability…

The Kenner toy company clearly didn’t know what it was getting into when it promised a Star Wars Boba Fett action figure that fired rockets from its backpack. In early 1979, Kenner tempted kids with a toy based on the bounty-hunter character, who was slated to appear in The Empire Strikes Back, the 1980 sequel to Star Wars. The rocket-firing Fett couldn’t be bought in a store. Fans had to wrangle four proofs of purchase from other Kenner toys, mail them to a post-office box in Maple Plain, Minn., and wait six to eight weeks for it to appear. When the blessed package finally arrived, it contained a Boba Fett toy, sure, but not the promised version: Its rocket was fixed in place, unable to fly. Kenner had struggled for…

1. 35 mm Film From the advent of 35 mm cameras in 1914, it’s a straight line through “Kodak moments” to the ubiquity of digital cameras and Instagram. “The most unsung invention of the 20th century—one that changed the world—is 35 mm film. While photography was invented in the 19th century, it was largely a cumbersome and specialized undertaking until Oskar Barnack invented the [35 mm camera] as the predecessor to Leicas, setting the frame for reportage that would change society’s understanding of the world. Without it we wouldn’t have had war or fashion photography, or have been able to capture candid milliseconds that led to the idea of cinema verité. As a consequence of this extraordinary little invention, we have a much deeper knowledge of time and space with…

THE MAN JUST CAN’T SIT STILL. Scotland), considering its ability to regulate and maintain temperature, keeping everything at the same level. “Janteloven is a social thermostat that keeps everyone on an even keel.” He pauses. “I think I would have cabin fever if I were to stay in Copenhagen.” Nothing about his early life suggested that Ingels, the middle child of a dentist mother and an engineer father, would leave Denmark, let alone become a worldwide architectural wunderkind. Growing up in a modest, single-story home just outside the capital, he played with Legos like any young Dane (though, unlike his peers, Ingels went on to design the new Lego House interactive museum, which opened at the company headquarters on Denmark’s west coast two years ago). His early goal didn’t involve…