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THE LUXURY SUPERYACHT BELLA VITA DEPARTING KENNEDY QUAY IN CORK

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THE LUXURY SUPERYACHT BELLA VITA DEPARTING KENNEDY QUAY IN CORK

On Thursday, 12 May 2022, the 60-metre luxury superyacht Bella Vita berthed along Kennedy Quay on the River Lee in Cork, drawing considerable interest before slipping her lines the following afternoon, Friday the 13th.

Built in 2010 at the renowned German shipyard Lürssen—famed for constructing some of the world’s most intricate naval vessels and bespoke superyachts—the vessel was originally christened Solemates for Reebok founder Paul Fireman. Featuring an exterior sculpted by Espen Øino International and interiors by Glade Johnson Design, the yacht later carried the name Huntress before joining the portfolio of American homebuilding magnate Dwight Schar in 2021 following a high-profile yacht swap.

Schar, who founded Fortune 500 builder NVR, Inc. and formerly held a minority stake in the NFL’s Washington franchise, renamed her Bella Vita before the vessel re-entered the elite global charter and brokerage circuit.

Across her three sweeping decks, the yacht accommodates up to twelve guests in six staterooms. Her appointment balances structured geometry with tactile organic finishes, incorporating stone and warm timber throughout. Onboard amenities include multiple cocktail bars, a grand piano, a jacuzzi, and expansive lounging quarters. One of the yacht’s defining design flourishes is a partially enclosed sundeck gym, engineered to convert into an open-air discotheque complete with integrated lighting and sound once the sun goes down over the harbour.

WHY WERE SO MANY LOGS STORED ON KENNEDY QUAY

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CORK JULY 2022

Why could I seen so many logs on Kennedy Quay in Cork when I was there in July 2022? It has taken me two years to get an answer.

Note: As my sources are not reliable in this instance I cannot guarantee that the information is accurate.

In 2022, there were a large number of logs stored on Kennedy Quay in Cork. This was due to a number of factors, including:

  • The closure of the coal-fired power station at Moneypoint in 2020, which led to an increase in demand for wood fuel.
  • The growth of the biomass industry in Ireland, which has led to an increase in the production of wood pellets and other biomass products.
  • The availability of cheap timber from Eastern Europe, which has made it more economical to import logs than to produce them domestically.
  • The storage of logs on Kennedy Quay was controversial, as it led to concerns about air quality and the visual impact of the logs. However, the logs were eventually removed in 2023, after the completion of a new biomass plant in Cork.

Here are some additional details about the controversy:

  • Residents in the area complained about the smell of the logs and the dust that was created when they were moved.
  • Environmentalists argued that the storage of logs on Kennedy Quay contributed to air pollution.
  • The visual impact of the logs was also a concern, as they blocked views of the river and the city skyline.
  • Despite the controversy, the storage of logs on Kennedy Quay was ultimately necessary to meet the demand for wood fuel in Ireland. The completion of the new biomass plant in Cork has resolved the issue, and the logs have been removed.

THE BELLA VITA SAILING FROM KENNEDY QUAY IN CORK

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THIS IS NOT MY YACHT

These images date from May 2022 but I decided to reprocess them using two different AI applications that I am beta testing.

The Bella Vita arrived in Cork on the 12th. May 2022 and departed on Friday 13th.

Built by German manufacturer Lürssen in 2010, the vessel was first owned by Paul Fireman, the founder of Reebok sportswear. Its original name was Solemates.

The current owner is Dwight Schar in 2021 who obtained it in a swap sometime in 2021.

The Bella Vita can sleep up to 12 guests in its six-cabin rooms across three decks, and comes equipped with a number of bars, a jacuzzi bathtub, sit-in shower, flat-screen televisions, a grand piano and a gym.

Dwight Schar is an American businessman. He is the founder of NVR, Inc., a Fortune 500 company that is the third-largest home builder (by revenue) in the United States. He currently serves as the company’s Executive chairman and Chairman of Executive Committee. Schar was also a minority owner of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League from 2003 to 2021, as well as the former financial chairman for the Republican National Committee.

Lürssen is a German shipyard with headquarters in Bremen-Vegesack and shipbuilding facilities in Lemwerder, Berne and Bremen-Fähr-Lobbendorf. Lürssen designs and constructs yachts, naval ships and special vessels. The company described the vessel as follows:

“A spacious luxury yacht delivered in 2010, Bella Vita features sleek, curved lines throughout. The 60-meter vessel, originally christened Solemates, was designed by Espen Øino International. Her interior by Glade Johnson uses clean right angles and strong horizontal lines, balanced by contrasting soft and sensuous natural materials like stone and wood in fluid textural patterns. Guests can enjoy warm and bright areas with ornate classical details and modern elements. Creative solutions include a partially covered gym that doubles as a discotheque at sea after sundown.”

R&H COMPLEX ON KENNEDY QUAY

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PHOTOGRAPHED MAY 2022

These images date from May 2022 but I decided to reprocess them using two different AI applications that I am beta testing

R & H Hall has been the leading supplier to the Irish feed industry of grain and non-grain feed ingredients since 1839.

The tall structure in my photographs has a visual significance beyond its intrinsic utilitarian design as a result of its visibility from many parts of the city. It serves through its height and scale to define the remaining commercial docks area of the city from some distance.

Grain store building, c. 1945, part of R. & H. Hall complex. Mass concrete walls with pilaster detail and flat roof. Metal windows to ground and first floor and to all floors on east elevation.

I visited Cork City in may 2022 and the city had not fully recovered from Covid-19 restrictions and the weather was not the best. When I visited the docklands the general are was bleak and somewhat lonely and much of what to see was in poor condition.

This was my first time to use GEO-Tagging and I also more-or-less limited myself to using a Sigma 24-105 lens as it was weather resistant.

Note: On 31 March 2022 the Health (Preservation and Protection and Other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 ended. This gave the Minister for Health the power to make regulations and introduce measures to slow down the spread of the virus.

KENNEDY QUAY SECONDS BEFORE A THUNDER STORM ARRIVED

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EVERY TIME I VISIT CORK IT RAINS

I had planned to visit and photograph Custom House Quay after visiting Kennedy Quay but when I arrived at Kennedy Quay I had to shelter under some industrial equipment for about an hour because of an extreme thunder storm.

During its 400 year history, Kennedy Quay and its associated docklands have been the seat of commerce and trade for the City of Cork however the area has been in decline for many years.

Kennedy Quay still operates commercially and has a number of interesting features including a number of old buildings but there has been a lot of demolition work in the area since I first visited about twelve or thirteen years ago.

Last month Cork developer Brian O’Callaghan announced that a major development in the docklands area will include offices, apartments, healthcare facilities and retail outlets. The plans include the repurposing of the iconic red-brick Odlums building on Kennedy Quay, dating to the 1890s and extended in the 1930s.

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