Magnificent Mirabella
July 1, 2005
After seven years of planning, Joe Vittoria was ready to sail his fantasy 
boat:
the 247-foot Mirabella V. The 740-ton, $50-million beauty, the largest single-masted sailing vessel in the world, was scheduled to take her maiden
voyage across the Mediterranean to last summer’s Monaco Grand Prix. But there
was one obstacle—and it had nothing to do with technical dilemmas, bad weather
or personnel problems.
Luciana Vittoria, Joe’s Italian wife and the interior decorator of Mirabella
V, was unhappy with the floral arrangements in the public areas of their new
yacht. “I wanted orchids, mostly white, and they had to look just right,”
explains Luciana, who handpicked each item for the interior, from custom Bagni
Volpi bed linens to Christofle table settings. “I am very selective, and when
the flowers weren’t what I wanted, I asked Joe, ‘What would three more days
matter after seven years?’ ” Eager to sail the high seas in his fantastic toy,
Joe was not thrilled about postponing a week in the name of interior design.
“But Luciana knows best about these kinds of things, so I let her make the
decision,” says Joe, who has been the CEO of both Hertz and Avis car rental
companies.
Above: The Mirabella V, the largest single-masted sailing
sloop in the world. Left: The helm, which is frequently occupied by owner Joe
Vittoria. After successfully building Mirabella and Mirabella III (two 40-meter sloops by Bruce Farr and Concorde Yachts that are now under charter in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean), the soft-spoken sailor wanted to create a fast, luxurious sailing ship that would perform like a motor cruiser over many miles, while minimizing noise and fuel costs. The boat would also eventually be available for charter.
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From his oceanfront Palm Beach mansion, Joe spent four years coming up with ideas and discussing them with experts. He finally approached naval architect Ron Holland in Ireland with a detailed design of Mirabella V. Holland’s response was positive, and Joe spent much of the next three years at VT Shipbuilding, the British shipyard, overseeing Mirabella V’s creation. “The sails are the largest ever stitched and are made with the most advanced synthetic fiber and textile technology available,” Joe says. “It was fascinating to learn about new materials like carbon fibers, Kevlar and S-glass that build strength, then watch them come together in the finished product.” He was there for the installation of each entertainment system, including a centralized music system and plasma TVs with surround sound and satellite connections; an indoor-outdoor cinema projector system that plays DVDs for the sky deck; electronic and board games; and intercom and Internet connections. Through sophisticated Praxis software, Australian boat captain Robert Johnston and his crew can check all yacht systems, functions and rig loading from various onboard locations. Joe also witnessed the creation of the couple’s favorite social areas: the saloon, cockpit and sky deck, and was there when they constructed the 250-bottle wine cellar, 21-foot swimming pool, spa, gym with sauna and the three radio-controlled mini racing replicas of Mirabella V. For daytime recreation, he personally ordered Laser dinghies, Mistral windsurfers, Jet Skis, kayaks, ski boats, a rowing scull and an inflatable trampoline. Architect Holland, who created the yacht’s interior plan, was fascinated by the size of the boat and by the challenge of how to design a private home for the Vittorias and a boutique hotel for the charter guests in the same space. “It was quite unusual,” he says. “I did it by making the social areas much larger than ever created on a private yacht.”
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To increase privacy, Holland tried something never before attempted on a sailing vessel. He arranged Joe and Luciana’s 1,020-square-foot master suite stateroom on the main deck above the hull and the six guest staterooms on the lower deck. “This gives the owners their own space, and the entire yacht an amazing sense of openness,” says Holland.
When it came to the interior design, the couple volleyed ideas back and forth before deciding. Joe wanted a more traditional interior, and Luciana wanted to meld the architect’s simple lines with style elements borrowed from their homes in Palm Beach and Greenwich, Conn. “I didn’t think antiques and Oriental rugs belonged on a boat,” Joe says. “But I was wrong. They look beautiful.”
Her ItineraryMirabella V is cruising in the eastern Mediterranean this summer and returns to the south of France in early September. Next winter, the sloop will cruise the Car-ibbean and will be available to sail in the Virgin Islands, St. Martin and the Grenadines.
Luciana pushed to mimic the style of their homes because she wanted their four children, 10 grandchildren and close friends to sail “with the best of everything.” In March, with Mirabella’s crew of 13, the family celebrated Joe’s 70th birthday by sailing through the Caribbean; the family has plans to sail Sardinia in September.
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