Steponenas designs Riviera superyacht

Dastinas Steponenas designed the superyacht ECTHETA as the star of Sky Atlantic series Riviera.
All episodes are available exclusively on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.

Former crowned Superyacht UK Young Designer, Dastinas Steponenas, has unveiled an eye catching superyacht called ECTHETA, designed in honour of the new Sky Atlantic series, Riviera.

The winner of the 2016 edition of the prestigious design competition was hand picked to design an exclusive yacht befitting of the new smash hit drama starring Julia Stiles (Bourne Series), Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones) and Phil Davis (Poldark).

Approached by Sky Atlantic, British Marine, through its association Superyacht UK, took the opportunity to promote this young talent.

The 10-part series is set in the opulent playground of the Cote D’azur and this spectacular yacht, with its unique silhouette, has been designed to look at home on the coastline of this superyacht hotspot.

Much of ECTHETA’s design takes inspiration for one of the show’s leading characters, Constantine Cilos (portrayed by Anthony LaPaglia, best known for his role in Without A Trace). It features an on board art gallery, helipad and a spectacular on deck infinity pool that is reflective of the lavish style portrayed on the show.

The exterior styling is contemporarily elegant, with wood panelling and bar area for entertaining, a state-of-the-art security system and a stunning glass veranda accommodating a vast art collection.

Three decks provide numerous areas for the Clios family to relax and unwind. The main deck has full width cabins for Constantine and his wife Georgina, with en-suite bath and shower room. A secret room also exists on board for Constantine to keep his secret possessions out of sight from even his family.

Should the family want to leave ECTHETA, the boat’s helicopter provides the perfect fast escape for the international family.

Steponenas quickly made a name for himself in the superyacht design world after winning the title of Superyacht UK Young Designer in 2016. The annual competition is run by Britain’s leading superyacht association, Superyacht UK, which recognises the importance of traditional hand drawn skills in yacht design and helps accelerate the career prospects of the young design talent which can be found across UK universities.

During his years as a design student at Coventry University, Steponenas also picked up 3rd place at the International Yacht Design Talent Award 2015 at the Monaco Yacht Show, 2nd place at the Steve Olney Memorial Design Award 2016 and 1st place at the International Yacht Design Award 2016 at the Monaco Yacht Show.

After completing his studies, Steponenas is now starting out on a promising career in superyacht design.

Explaining his ECTHETA design, he says: “My focus here is not the craziness of the surfaces, but the opulence, which is derived from classic designs which would, in my opinion, easily blend in a French Riviera’s environment, where the lifestyle of the rich its art and its galleries are the most important aspects.

‘With Constantine Clios in mind, the yacht is uniquely designed for him, which sees half of the deck sacrificed for art – a unique yacht feature for his yacht, his personality and attraction for other like-minded wealthy art lovers.”

Created by Oscar®-winning writer and director, Neil Jordan (The Borgias), Riviera is based on an idea by former U2 manager Paul McGuinness, with the first two episodes co-written by Booker Prize winning author, John Banville (The Sea).

All episodes of Riviera are now available exclusively on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.

Available for Sky’s 21 million customers across five countries to enjoy, Riviera will be shown exclusively on Sky Atlantic in the UK, Ireland and Italy in 2017, as well as on the Sky platform in Germany and Austria.