When Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders launched Zaphira in June 2023, the vessel represented the clearest demonstration yet of how the company's design philosophy has matured across more than 26 years of building Elite Motor Yachts. Custom-built to a high specification, Zaphira balances technical accomplishment with a quietly confident aesthetic that sets it apart the moment it comes into view.
The finish that first catches the eye is Aurora Gold, a topsides colour that refuses to stay fixed. Depending on the angle and quality of light, the hull shifts between a cool metallic silver and a deep, luminous gold. Against the white and grey superstructure, the contrast is both purposeful and striking.
The pilothouse sits above the saloon, reached by stairs from inside or directly from the cockpit, and it serves a dual purpose that reflects the thinking behind the whole vessel. Beyond functioning as the command centre, it has been fitted with built-in settees along both sides, giving it genuine credentials as an entertaining space. Three-panel stacking sliding doors connect it to exterior seating on the tender deck, making the indoor-outdoor transition seamless and natural.
Navigation equipment centres on three 16-inch Furuno multifunction displays arranged in a bank, providing thorough system integration across the helm. Close-quarters manoeuvring is made more manageable by a joystick docking station mounted on the port tender deck.
Weather is rarely a limiting factor aboard Zaphira. Both the tender deck and the cockpit can be fully enclosed with clears, broadening the conditions in which the boat remains comfortable and extending the seasons during which the owners can make full use of it.
The interior styling takes a sophisticated but restrained approach. Dark-stained oak cabinetry runs through the galley, dinette, and heads, paired with oak flooring to produce an aesthetic that feels considered rather than conspicuous. Personal touches are woven through the build in the way that only custom construction allows, among them button-actuated footrests built directly into the saloon seating.
Twin MAN i6 engines, each rated at 800hp, drive Zaphira to a top speed of 29.5 knots under full load, with a comfortable cruising pace of up to 25 knots. The no-compromise approach that underpins the entire build means the result is a boat shaped precisely around the owners' vision.
Zaphira will be on display with Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders at Marina 27.
