The Gluncic family story begins almost 100 years ago when their great-grandfather decided to build a wooden ship on the island Korcula. At a time when most were emigrating, their great-grandfather had a stubborn dream and built the first family ship named Andjeo (Angel); this launched the Gluncic family into life at sea. In 1956, their grandfather – having grown up aboard Andjeo, built the family’s second ship called Bijela Vila (the White Fairy). Bijela Vila worked as a cargo ship in winter and tourism during summer doing daily trips. Naturally, their father also worked on this ship, and eventually, from a young age, brothers Niksa and Tomislav joined – which instilled their passion for tourism and the sea.
In 1987, their grandfather retired, so their father took over and converted the ship to do 7-day cruises. The entire family crewed the ship – father as captain, mum as a chef, Niksa and Tommy were bartender and deckhand. This was a challenging period to be involved in tourism. After the war, finding guests for 7-day cruises was next to impossible; in their first season, they only sailed one week. However, with determination and faith, the Gluncic family persisted and by the end, they were sailing 23-week seasons. More impressive still, is that 95% of their business came from repeat clients. Many groups returned for more than a decade and their longest-standing clients returned every year for 17 years.
In 2005, Niksa and Tomislav brought Andjeo, a 27 m gulet from Turkey and finished it to perfection. The brothers were excited to have a yacht of their own and tend to every detail. Andjeo quickly became a symbol of impeccable maintenance and excellent service. With the brothers crewing Andjeo, plus a chef, it was an intimate setting that guests enjoyed. The brothers’ passion was to create memorable experiences and exceed their guests’ expectations in every way. Their hard work and dedication was rewarded with a long list of return clientele – loyal guests who could travel anywhere in the world but instead chose to holiday year-after-year aboard Andjeo.
Regardless of Andjeo’s success, the brothers always had a dream to build a sailing yacht. Niksa and Tomislav imagined a perfect sailing yacht to meet their guests’ every need, immaculate design and details, and a yacht which could sail the world. In their spare time, they designed this yacht but never imagined it would become a reality. As chance (or fate) would have it, a strong-willed buyer appeared. Originally, the brothers had no intention of selling but they slowly warmed to the idea as their dream of building their luxury sailing yacht persisted. The final decision to sell was less of a business decision and more – a matter of the heart.
“On the business side, it was not a great idea to sell. We sold a yacht that had a well-established business to start a costly and unpredictable venture. This decision was completely driven by desire, passion and emotion – we had to go with our hearts and work on this dream project. Thankfully, we have our entire family backing us up, otherwise, this would not be possible. As always, our family is ready to meet any challenge, just as our great-grandfather did 100 years ago.”
Acapella is being built on island Korcula; it has been an ambitious undertaking from the beginning and is one of the most anticipated new-built yachts in modern shipbuilding in Croatia. The design was created from scratch and the majority of the works have been done by the Gluncic family. Being the perfectionists they are, there is no detail of Acapella that has not been personally designed, built, or overseen by Niksa and Tomislav.
“The emotion and desire to build on Korcula following in our great-grandfather’s footsteps was strong. The build has been a challenge, to say the least – I just might write a book one day but here we are, standing on the edge of a dream come to life and we couldn’t be prouder. Acapella has our heart and soul.”
From a charter perspective, there are many reasons to be excited about Acapella. Sleek lines, modern interior design, and luxury in every sense of the word – no expense has been spared in regards to quality, design, and comfort. Acapella has also been built to truly sail; guests will love sitting on the flybridge beneath the sails while a dedicated crew tends to their every need. Three generous Master cabins are another standout feature, as well as every modern comfort expected aboard a luxury yacht.
The Gluncic brothers have spent their lives at sea and 15 years aboard gulet Andjeo delivering exceptional service that kept guests returning year after year. Now, they have poured themselves into the build and launch of the sailing superyacht Acapella. When it comes to experience, passion, and attention to detail, we can say without hesitation that there is no comparison to Acapella on the Adriatic.
The entire story of Acapella and the Gluncic family sits especially close to our heart as it represents everything, we stand for at Otium – to promote unique yachts with family tradition, passion, and excellent service. We are committed to highlighting the best of Croatia and the charter industry, and Acapella does just this.
In a market that is becoming increasingly saturated, this package of excellence, tradition, and passion is extremely rare – which is why we are so excited about the launch of Acapella.
For more information and details, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to seeing you all in season 2021!