Okay, so they’re not exactly side by side, but the newly launched, 198-foot CMN motoryachts Cloud 9 and Slipstream are within about two minutes’ walking distance of one another here at the industry-only charter yacht show on Antigua. They’re among the most talked-about yachts of the show, and they have been generating quite a lot of buzz since launching this past summer. 
    On the outside, while these two motoryachts share a profile design, they couldn’t be more different. Cloud 9 has a traditional blue hull with white superstructure, while Slipstream has a black hull and silver superstructure that look right out of a James Bond movie. What I was more interested in seeing this week, though, were the interiors. I made sure to tour the yachts one right after the other, because the layouts are close to identical and I wanted to see how the team at Andrew Winch’s interior design firm had managed to make them feel different on the inside.
   As you can see in the photographs, Winch did so quite successfully. Cloud 9 is shown on top, and Slipstream below. Both yachts are of the utmost quality and elegance that nearly $400,000-per-week base rates demand in the charter industry, but stepping aboard each one, I felt entirely different ambiences.
   Cloud 9, I think, is best described as more neutral, with lots of natural-toned fabrics and rich blue highlights. I think most people would feel comfortable on this yacht, because the most noticeable design details are fairly subtle. An example would be the carpeting in the sky lounge, which has rich blue inlays made of silk. 
   Slipstream, on the other hand, felt to me as if she had more of her owner’s personal tastes incorporated. She is heavy on red accents, from woven leather paneling in the formal dining room to totem poles in the entry foyer. Some people will like this yacht, and some people will not. Personally, I thought it was quite chic. 
   The nice thing about seeing Cloud 9 and Slipstream side by side here in Antigua is that I was reminded today of just how much a yacht’s interior can affect the overall charter experience. You can truly color your world however you like with a charter, even at this top price point. 
    Cloud 9 is part of the charter fleet at Camper & Nicholsons International, and Slipstream is part of the Burgess Yachts fleet. Any reputable charter broker can tell you more.

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