Barely cracking the first half of the world's 100 largest yachts, Aviva became the first yacht to have an indoor padel tennis court. Built for a UK billionaire, the 98-meter Aviva is also the largest yacht ever built by Abeking & Rasmussen.
The yacht is currently anchored by the Ross Dock picnic area near the New Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge. Abeking & Rasmussen’s superyacht Aviva is a winner at this year´s World Superyacht Awards which took place on May 19, in Florence.
Photo by Adam Jeffery
Launched in January 2017, Aviva was designed by British design studio, Reymond Langton, morphing into their largest creation to date. Boasting large interior volumes throughout its hull, Aviva also manages to feature some exterior space to take in the sun. Its sheer scale required Abeking & Rasmussen to create a special system to launch the yacht with a special pontoon.
Delivered within 33 months of signing the contract, Aviva was commissioned by UK billionaire Joe Lewis, currently valued by Forbes at $5 billion. His fourth superyacht named Aviva, Lewis' former yacht was a 68-meter version of his current flagship also built by Abeking & Rasmussen. Extensively used as a floating home and office by the investment mogul, Aviva's volume would be impressive for any yacht.
Photo by Adam Jeffery
The powerful looking hull is the result of new research and testing which ensures superior seakeeping abilities combined with a 20% decrease in drag. Less engine output is required, fuel consumption is reduced and the maximum speed is a full 20 knots. A very special feature is the hybrid drive system: it allows Aviva to run at up to 11 knots without the use of the main engines, using electric motors only.
Aviva's main feature, however, became an indoor, full-sized padel tennis court. Stretching across a length of 20 meters and a width of 10 meters, the court area goes up 6.65 meters high, a space that would be difficult to fit into any type of yacht. Aviva's 5,000GT of interior volume, however, allowed to blend in this space without compromises as to the size of the court.
Photo by Adam Jeffery
"It is not only a lifestyle change for the owner but also for the crew as this is also the largest gym of any yacht." the yacht's designers' commented. "The crew is encouraged to play with the owner and guests and when the court is not in use for padel, the net can be removed and the crew plays football and use other exercise equipment in the space. It is after all a sports hall."
Perfectly lit through lights on the ceiling, this indoor court sits amidst the yacht's hull and stretches down to the bottom of its draft. In addition to the padel tennis court is a small lounging and viewing area up a series of stairs. Hidden away behind a net to protect the ball from flying away, the viewing area can also be used for gym equipment whilst a game is being played. "The owner is adamant that this is the best padel tennis court in the world, period!" the studio continued.
Photo by Adam Jeffery
In terms of exterior relaxation areas, Aviva features a circular set of lounging pads up on her sun deck as well as small, hidden away lounging pads towards the yacht's bridge. Powered by an eco-friendly system, the 98-meter can reach a top speed of 20 knots and cruise at 11 knots by using only electric power. This is achieved, in part, thanks to her innovative hull design couple with an electric propulsion system.
Photo by Adam Jeffery
Apart from her sundeck, most of the areas on the 98-meter superyacht are found inside, which gives it tremendous volume required for a live onboard owner. An exterior lounging area can, however, still be found aft of the main, upper and third decks with a series of lounging chairs and sun pads. A swimming platform also opens up onto the sea, creating a beach club area, her tenders being launched through side doors.
"Featuring a fresh and dynamic contemporary exterior design, unique, highly personalized layout for the interior and a cutting edge technical platform, Aviva is intended as a home away from home, and as a result the layout moves away from current trends to maximise the spaces that will be used the most, and create a welcome, inviting atmosphere, with a combination of spacious, open social lounges alongside more intimate and discreet areas for dining, working and relaxation." commented Andrew Langton.
"The interior design features a number of avant-garde architectural elements and details, and uses a rich combination of fabric and leathers in light, warm tones."
Throughout the yacht, Aviva features a modern design with sleek shapes couple with an extensive use of glass and stainless steel. Opting for a clear colour scheme with sprinkles of vivd soft furnishings, Aviva's exterior and interior look follows that of Lewis' former 68m Aviva.
"Communication and information are critical to me." Lewis said in an interview with regards to his requirements for his floating office. "To be effective, I need reliable phones and internet, these have improved much over the past few years, but, it is too expensive, too slow and not consistently reliable. Aviva is more than an office; it is also my home for much of the year. So for me, it is relaxing working from home, wherever Aviva may be in the world."
Currently valued at $5 billion by Forbes, Joe Lewis sits as the 5th richest man in the United Kingdom. Chairman of the Tavistock Group with investments in over 200 companies, the 81 year-old started his career in the catering business in London, joining his father's company at the age of 15 in 1958.
Initially making his wealth by selling that business in 1979, Lewis moved into currency trading, switching his residence to the Bahamas. Teaming up with George Soros in 1992, the pair bet against the pound and earned exponential returns with Lewis reportedly pocketing even more than Soros.
Lewis' portfolio now includes Premier League club, Tottenham Hotspur as well as Lake Nona, a fast growing development in Orlando, Florida. In December 2016, he paid $165 million to acquire the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six hotel in Fort Lauderdale through Tavistock. In addition to this, Lewis owns stakes in UK's largest pub operator, Mitchell's and Butlers as well as luxury club resort Albany.
In a deal profiled by the Guardian, Lewis was able to back a Christie's art auction for the Ganz collection, guaranteeing a minimum sales price of $168 million and, eventually, splitting the $38 million net profit with the auction house when the sale fetched $206 million weeks later. "Being a trader means that you are wrong at the very least three times out of 10, and that is very hard." Lewis once told Fortune magazine.
Prior to taking deliver of the 98-meter flagship, Lewis' largest yacht was the 68-meter Aviva delivered by Abeking & Rasmussen in 2007. A smaller version of his current yacht, the 68-meter featured a similar focus towards interior volume and acted as Lewis' floating office with a Bloomberg terminal and several trading screens onboard.
In 1998, Lewis had taken delivery of 62-meter Feadship, Lady Aviva, which later caught fire in the Red Sea. The yacht was eventually salvaged by serial yacht owner, Dennis Washington, who transformed the yacht into Attessa III. Lewis' second Aviva became the 60-meter Oceanco built in 2004 as Alfa Four and now known as Sea Pearl.
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At the recent Monaco Yacht Show, a leading British yacht builder Sunseeker has revealed new Sunseeker 133 model. It will operate on a hybrid propulsion system developed jointly with Germany-based engines manufacturer MTU. Yacht Harbour discussed the future of hybrid propulsion engines with Darren Barnett, Marine Manager with MTU UK.Sunseeker 133Where does MTU decision to focus on hybrid systems for yachts come from?MTU has been an engine supplier for many years. The company is around 110 years old. Over that time, we have specialised in manufacturing and supplying light-weight and high-speed diesel engines.Now the time has come, when we have to be more than just an engine supplier, since the power requirements on-board yachts are getting greater. Owners of yachts want to operate them in a different way. They do not want to travel fast - they want to travel comfortably, economically and efficiently.Therefore, the best solution to that is to offer the system that can power the vessel in different ways. Thus, it would provide both propulsion and supply of all the consumes on-board, such as air conditioning, stabilisers and other hotel loads.Is that right, that speed is not the major concern anymore?Yes, that is what we say. So it is not all about having the largest, most powerful engines. It is about being able to offer better experience on-board, whilst the customers spend their leisure time there.Sunseeker CEO Andrea Frabetti and Darren BarnettWhat makes hybrid propulsion different from other engine systems?Diesel engines will remain the core of propulsion systems for boats in the future. Nonetheless, what we are doing is offering systems that can power a vessel using batteries, for example. We also deploy generators to provide power for not only propulsion, but also for conventional power needs on-board.Actually, the way all of that is linked together is a clever part, because the hybrid system itself is greater than the sum of all the components. You cannot just select components and install them into the yacht. Apparently, they need to be integrated together, so that they operate seamlessly. We believe, that there is a great future in yachting for hybrid systems.Our approach is that we will deliver the whole scope of supply. It means, not just the engine, not just a part of it but the whole system. Thus, we are also taking full responsibility for it. Customers want to have the knowledge that the complete system will be taken care of, because with complicated systems such as this one it can get difficult.Currently, we are developing a hybrid system jointly with Sunseeker for the Sunseeker 133 yacht. And we are looking into a modular and serialised system, since we want to have a portfolio of components to select from, such as different diesel engines and several types of batteries and generators. Sunseeker 133Do you think the hybrid propulsion system you are working on could be installed on other yacht models?The ideas is, with Sunseeker we have the first or pilot installation. Therefore, at the moment we are working on the scope of supply for the Sunseeker 133. In the future, the basis we have developed with Sunseeker will be available for other yacht builders with different diesel engines, different batteries and different generators. It will be possible to customise the system for any particular yacht.But is the system ready for installation yet?We are still in the development phase, but we are close to finalizing the total scope of supply. Hopefully, Sunseeker soon will be able to begin construction of the 133 yacht with the hybrid system.Then in the future, what do you think could be the largest size of a yacht to operate on hybrid propulsion?The serialized system we are developing with Sunseeker is aimed more at the production yacht market. Naturally, much larger yachts have much more specific requirements. However, we have done it in the past and that is what we will continue to do in the future.Operating as a custom service, we would develop a system to meet the customer’s requirements. That could be any size of yachts, up to the very largest ones. For instance, Sailing Yacht A operates on a kind of hybrid system, where MTU have supplied gensets.Many builders now opt for more eco-friendly engines in general. Have you noticed raising environmental awareness among yachting clients?Yes, definitely. Owners of yachts have realised that they probably could do something to more environmentally friendly. All the large yachts are the big consumers of power. What they could do, is raising awareness of where they can be more efficient. And it is obvious, that vessels running on diesels create emissions.Alternatively, with a hybrid system, all those large vessels could operate in harbours using batteries. It is a great benefit, that it is emission-free and completely clean. The only problem with hybrid is that for the moment people do not understand what hybrid is. It is a long process, and we are trying to educate people, what the capabilities of that system are.What is more, when a yacht is at anchor in a small bay and the owner of the yacht wants to swim around with family, they would not want a generator running with exhaust emissions coming on to the water. The environment would much nicer if there are no diesel engines running. We see it is a great benefit.
November 14, 2019
Delivered this summer, the 90-metre Oceanco superyacht DreAMBoat made a splash at the Monaco Yacht Show 2019 with her international debut. Yesterday, the famous vessel was photographed at the shores of Gibraltar.Photo: @DannyWheelz on Instagram via Dutch YachtingAccording to social media sources, DreAMBoat was built for US billionaire and owner of the Atlanta Falcons NFL team Arthur Blank, who is valued at $5.5 billion by Forbes. Meanwhile, Forbes valued the team at $2.6 billion as of September, 2018.DreAMBoat at the MYS 2019. Photo via Dutch YachtingThe yacht of aluminium superstructure on a steel hull features a 14.2-metre beam. Sleek exteriors by Espen Oeino come trademarked with generous overhangs from the superstructure and cut outs in the bulwarks lending her classic and strong appearance.DreAMBoat at the MYS 2019. Photo via Dutch YachtingThe vessel’s exterior also features numerous large windows offering panoramic views. Swimming pool aft at the main deck, a partially closed sundeck with Jacuzzi and plenty of seating and entertainment zones and a private Jacuzzi at the owner’s deck.DreAMBoat at the MYS 2019. Photo via Dutch YachtingDreAMBoat's interior carries bespoke surfaces and limestone floors, all decorated with sophisticated natural materials including wood, semi-precious stone, leather and mother-of-pearl all designed by Terence Disdale. Her impressive interior volume of 2,950 GT allows accommodation for 23 guests on-board, along with up to 33 crew members.Her propulsion package consists of two MTU 4,828 HP engines, with reported top speed of 18.5 knots.DreAMBoat at the MYS 2019. Photo via Dutch YachtingThe superyacht belongs on the list of the largest superyachts, ever built for sports teams owners.
November 14, 2019
Italian engineering startup company iSpace2O has offered an interesting 'craft', with no analogues as of today. Named DeepSeaker DS1, it can dwell both above and below water. DeepSeaker is a multipurpose craft. The vessel can be deployed for leisure, tourism, search and rescue, research and other utilities.DeepSeaker DS1 is capable of diving to a depth of 50 - 100 meters, depending on the mode. To go underwater, it is necessary to fill the inflatable tank that plays the role of a ballast tank.Oxygen cylinders that allow people inside to breathe are not needed, since the Oxygen for the passengers will be extracted from sea water.According to the developers, this process requires minimum energy, which is important, since DeepSeaker DS1 is a 100% electric device.On the surface, equipped with water jets and foils, the DS1 is capable of speeds up to 30 knots under the most powerful performance. With two electric motors of 40 kW each, which are included in the basic package, the maximum speed capabilities are limited to 23–25 knots.Lithium-ion batteries guarantee six to eight hours of battery life. A full recharge of batteries takes eight hours, but there is also a quick charging system that allows you to manage in no more than an hour.The small size of the four-sear Deepseaker DS1 enables her to fit easily in a garage of any superyacht or support vessel. The owner is also entitled to personalise his model opting for a colour scheme in the style of a mothership.The standard equipment on-board the vessel includes a digital dashboard, connectors for iPad, GoPro cameras and even such peculiar devices as hydrophones, with which one can listen to marine inhabitants.According to Giuseppe Carusi, co-founder at iSpace2O, the project has existed for five years, but only now they received financing. The first prototype of DS1 is planning to attend the Dubai Expo in October 2020, while the final version of the prototype will be ready by early 2021.The price of DeepSeaker DS1, according to preliminary data, will vary from € 950 thousand to € 1.2 million, depending on the version. In the future, it is planned to develop a larger and more spacious version, based on the platform.
November 13, 2019
Two months after presenting its new Espen Oeino-designed superyacht Amels 60, the Dutch yard has announced the sale of the first hull. The yacht is now under construction for delivery in spring 2022. The 60-metre superyacht with Amels Hybrid technology, Amels 60 offers cruising at up to 7 knots on electric propulsion motors. The system will deploy multiple sources of energy, working together seamlessly throughout a wide operating profile.Amels and Damen’ Managing Director Rose Damen expressed:Since we introduced our new Amels 60 design at the end of the summer, we’ve been blown away by the market’s reaction. The fast sale of the first yacht is very rewarding for everyone in our design, engineering and project teams who have worked so hard on the Amels 60 during the last few years. We’re very proud of the design and excited about building this new yacht for her owner.The model has become the second collaboration with Oeino for the yard, following the 78-metre Amels Full Custom that is now under construction for delivery in 2021. Amels 60 will stand out with a huge open sun deck, swim platform and folding owner’s suite balcony, 9-metre luxury tender, and a generous interior volume of 830 GT. As for the interiors, the team of Studio Indigo has been invited to create the design concept.The vessel’s owner will benefit from low noise and vibrations, lower fuel and maintenance costs, while reducing harmful emissions. Amels 60 will feature a transatlantic range of 4,500 nautical miles at 13 knots, while her top speed will make 15.5 knots.The news come just after Amels announced the sale of in-built 60m Limited Editions superyacht Amels 200.
November 13, 2019
The USA-based yacht builder Nordhavn presented a new project of a 45-metre research vessel Nordhavn 148. The vessel with designs from the Dutch studio Vripack was revealed at the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.The model will be the debut superyacht entirely built of metal in the brand’s history. She will also become the yard’s new flagship, displacing the 36.75-metre N120 model.Jim Leishman, Vice President of Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc., which manufactures Nordhavns, says:We’ve talked about building a larger boat for a while now. It would be something specifically meant for the most challenging worldwide conditions.The ice class explorer needs is set to come out innovative in many ways for Nordhavn itself. The project is difficult to classify to a specific category, therefore, the shipyard speaks of it as a crossover, which combines the features of commercial ships and luxury superyachts.PAE looked to Vripack, with whom they’ve had a successful partnership on the interior design of the Nordhavn 80, to mentor the project and head up engineering. Vripack has overseen the design of the most notable of Northwest Passage-exploring yachts and have a rich, successful history of building in steel. Marnix Hoekstra, co-creative director at Vripack expressed:Nordhavn were keen to tap into our explorer heritage. Nordhavn boats are renowned for venturing to remote off-the-beaten-track destinations, and so the aim was to demonstrate to owners that this significant latest model has been conceived by a design studio that has a proven track record in this arena.Not many details on N148 have yet been disclosed. Key to the design are Vripack’s reinterpretation of particular features, including a flared, rounded bow, the yard’s interesting combination of square and round windows, and an industrial chic aesthetic.It is also known that the internal volume of the new model, designed for 12 guests and 10 crew members, will exceed at about 25% that of N120 (constructed of FRP), with 495 GT against 400 GT. The yard explains rejection to use FRP by lower costs and a shorter delivery time due to greater convenience in working with metal.The new Nordhavn 148 is expected to be built in less than two years. There is also a probability that the construction will take place in Europe, and not in China or Taiwan, where other Nordhavns are built due to the cheaper cost of the Asian assembly.
November 12, 2019