‘Navigare necesse est – vivere non est necesse.’ This is the credo of yacht design superstars Carlo Nuvolari and Dan Lenard. Its meaning: ‘We have to sail – we do not have to live’ is a fine introduction to what drives the duo, who have salt in their veins, having been mad about boats since boyhood.

Slovenian Lenard was just 22 when he met Italian naval architect Nuvolari at a boat show. They had shared priorities that drew them together: “We both had a passion for navigation, for the sea, and for boats,” says Lenard. “Dan and I love the sea,” confirms Nuvolari. “This is the first thing to remember; I am very surprised when I see that our main competitors are not going to sea: I can’t understand it. My passion is the sea – it is a way of life.”

And so, in 1992, their collaboration as Nuvolari Lenard (NL) began. As their success grew, so did the range of their projects, garnering them a slew of awards for flair and elegance.

These days, of course, NL is one of the biggest names in yacht design, famous for unique superyachts with features like heliports, onboard pools, hammams and submarines.