Spotted

After her technical launch in August 2019, the 182.9-metre Research Expedition Vessel (REV Ocean) has arrived at the Vard Brattvaag shipyard in Norway for the next phase of construction. The vessel ordered by Norwegian 4th richest man, Kjell Inge Røkke, is set to become the largest yacht in the world, beating out the current record holder, the 180-metre Azzam by 1.6 metres.Photo: Lawrence Hislop via REV OceanREV Ocean earlier departed the Vard Tulcea shipyard in Romania, being pulled by the tugboat Kamarina.Nina Jensen, CEO of REV Ocean, said upon the arrival: Today is one of the most exciting moments in the development of our research vessel. We now watch with great anticipation as she will develop into a full-fledged and operational vessel with state of the art scientific equipment to be installed by the talented team at Vard Brattvaag. This is a major milestone towards achieving our mission of achieving one healthy ocean.Photo: Lawrence Hislop via REV OceanREV has been commissioned by Norwegian ocean research company Rosellinis Four-10, owned by Norwegian industrialist billionaire Kjell Inge Roekke. His real-time net worth is estimated at $3.2 billion (Forbes). Meanwhile, REV Ocean is a not-for-profit foundation established and funded by Kjell Inge Røkke together with marine biologist Nina Jensen, former CEO of WWF Norway (Verdens naturfond).Photo: Espen Gjelsten / Fuglefjellet via REV OceanThe superyacht was designed by Espen Oeino for expedition activities has been built by commercial shipbuilder VARD. The renowned designer also worked on the world's largest expedition superyacht at the moment of writing, the 125-metre Lürssen Octopus.Photo: Espen Gjelsten / Fuglefjellet via REV OceanHer robust exterior lines and modern features ensure she is able to cruise in arctic and tropical areas alike, with a hull built to ICE PC6 for navigation in ice. Two helipads can host drones and helicopter, while overhead cranes can lift and launch equipment weighing up to 20T over the side. Photo: Lawrence Hislop via REV OceanREV Ocean will be equipped for conducting missions that cover the entire global marine ecosystem and will be an inclusive global vessel for testing and proliferating ocean solutions. The vessel will be used by scientists and innovators for solutions-oriented research that explore issues such as the impact CO2 emissions have on the ocean, plastic pollution, and unsustainable fishing. The vessel is 182.9 meters long and will have the capacity of holding 55 scientists and 35 crew. Equipment on-board includes scientific trawls, sonar systems, laboratories, auditorium, moonpool, Triton submarine with 2,300-metre depth capacity, an ROV with 6,000-metre depth capacity and advanced communication equipment. Photo: Lawrence Hislop via REV OceanThe vessel will be constructed to run on diesel electric engines, with an additional 3MW lithium-ion battery pack for peak shaving and ensuring optimum efficiency. She will also qualify for the Polar Code adopted by The International Maritime Organisation for ships operating in Arctic and Antarctic conditions and can operate autonomously for 114 days. Built for environmental research missions, the Research Expedition Vessel (REV) will also be available for charter for recreational purposes and expeditions. Photo: Espen Gjelsten / Fuglefjellet via REV OceanGeorge Gill, Project Director and Owners Representative, said: REV’s arrival in Brattvåg is a crucial step in her development, she will lay here in Norway for the coming months, and this establishes the core groundwork for the research and operations of the vessel. Getting these important systems and her keystone machinery right is critical to her success and position within the Worlds research fleet.Photo: Espen Gjelsten / Fuglefjellet via REV OceanOystein Mikelborg, REV Ocean Operations Director, added: The arrival in Brattvåg is a major milestone and a new chapter for REV Ocean. In the next few months, VARD Brattvaag will turn this into one of the world’s most advanced research vessels. The complexity and sheer scale of the work ahead is challenging, and I know it will be very busy days ahead both for the yard and the Owner’s team.Photo: Espen Gjelsten / Fuglefjellet via REV OceanThe vessel shall remain at the shipyard for eight-month outfitting, further headed to Germany for final stages of construction. The full completion is scheduled for late 2020/ early 2021.

The world’s largest sailing superyacht, the 106-metre Black Pearl, has moored in Amsterdam. The legendary vessel was launched by Dutch yard Oceanco in September 2016 and delivered in her homeland in March 2018. The Black Pearl contends for the title of the largest sailing yacht in the world against the 143-metre Nobiskrug Sailing Yacht A ever since. Despite her larger size, some experts consider the latter rather a sail-assisted motor yacht than a sailing vessel. Meanwhile, she has been recently seen off Monaco coast.Designed by Nuvolari Lenard and Ken Freivokh, with naval architecture by Dyksra, who had previously worked on the 88-metre Maltese Falcon, the Black Pearl boasts a similar structure with three rotating masts.As a result of a highly beneficial collaboration, Dykstra's team were able to refine and further advance the DynaRig system they designed, driven by the owner to push the technology boundaries beyond what the Maltese Falcon had already achieved.A spa pool aft of the main deck and a large hot tub aft of the upper deck are amongst the key features on the 106-metre. Two tenders are further located on the bow of the yacht with covers placed on top of them. Aft of the yacht is a fold-down platform that likely leads to a beach club.Meanwhile, Black Pearl's interior framework and layout was initially created by Ken Freivokh before being refined by the owner, working closely with designer Gerard Villatte. Featuring a steel hull and aluminum superstructure, Black Pearl boasts 6 cabins for a total of 12 guests across 2,700GT of interior volume. From a technical side, the yacht is powered by twin Caterpillar engines giving her a maximum speed of 20 knots. In addition, she deploys alternative energy sources, and her sails produce energy thanks to solar panels built within the fabric.Since the beginning of 2019, The Black Pearl has been collecting design awards, picking up ‘Best Sailing Yacht of 60m and above’ at the World Superyacht Awards, and winning top honours at Boat International Design & Innovation Awards in ‘Best Naval Architecture for Sailing Yachts’. On her way home, the superyacht has been also recently spotted in Portland Harbour and Russian Saint-Petersburg.Photos via Dutch Yachting.

Amsterdam-based design studio Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design presented another groundbreaking concept at the Monaco Yacht Show 2019. With Aqua, a 112-metre fully powered by hydrogen and fuel cell technology superyacht concept, Sinot aims to fuse groundbreaking technology with cutting-edge design.
Hydrogen, which has been labelled as the fuel of the future for the last decades, finally found its way to the world of Superyachts. In collaboration with Lateral Naval Architects, the designers at Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design created the design for the first 112-metre superyacht based on liquid hydrogen and fuel cell technology. The fully operational 112-metre concept designed with a speed of 17 knots and a range of 3,750 nautical miles, optimises hull, energy and space efficiency while providing a maximal superyacht experience at the highest comfort level for discerning owners.
Designer Sander Sinot explains:For 2019’ MYS concept yacht, we focused on an environmentally sensitive subject: yacht propulsion and the choice of fuel. To take this discussion into an entirely new realm we have initiated AQUA, our new yacht concept, using a hydrogen-electric system capable of catering for all onboard energy needs.
Aqua is fueled by hydrogen, a unique concept which represents a significant progression towards achieving a new balance between nature and technology. The system is based on the use of liquified hydrogen, stored at -253°C in two 28-ton vacuum isolated tanks. The liquified hydrogen is converted into electrical energy by proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, with water being the only by-product. All parameters in terms of output, system layout, range and physical dimensions where translated to a complete hydrogen / electric based system. The generated electrical energy is transmitted to Aqua’s switchboards, where it is distributed to provide power for propulsion, auxiliary systems and hotel services. Large batteries buffer the generated electricity to ensure power demands are always met. Thanks to the electric propulsion, Aqua is also a very quiet superyacht, with very little noise or vibrations. After five months of extensive development, the team of designers and naval architects came up with a design with physical dimensions and operational characteristics that even strengthen the superyacht experience.
Aqua is featured with the spectacular, extremely spacious and beam-wide owner’s pavilion, occupying the front half of the upper deck, offers an abundance of privacy. The pavilion is arranged in a vast open-plan area of interlinked spaces, divided by finely crafted wooden screens providing intimacy and subdued lighting. Both at the starboard and port sides, floor-to-ceiling band windows supply an amazing impression of openness and freedom. The ceiling, at a height that varies from an ample 280 cm to an impressive 380 cm at the large central skylight, is supported by an intricately crafted wooden structure. The bedroom section is located at the yacht’s axis and offers an endless sightline all the way up to the Aqua room at the bow. The owner’s pavilion is completed with a large bathroom, dressing room and an intimate private spa section. The Aqua room, located at the bow, at the far end of the owner’s pavilion, offers a top-of-the-world feeling and endless views from the best position on board.
Located on Aqua’s beach deck, close to the waterline, the expansive and naturally outfitted VIP state rooms stand out by virtue of their spacious design and highly elaborate furniture. The VIP cabin and other state rooms are focused on openness, luxury and comfort, providing a maximum sense of freedom in a highly detailed minimalist Japanese beach-style setting.
The indoor health & wellness centre is a water-world of serenity, where the reflecting waves of the water feature complement the onboard environment with their soft, vibrating motion. With an exclusive hydro massage room, a yoga space and workout floor and a massive, gym-wide hatch which opens to reveal the ocean’s surface at water level, creating the perception of exercising and relaxing on an island in the sea.
Situated at Aqua’s core, the spectacular circular staircase is one of the yacht’s defining features, winding down from the top deck to the lower deck. A true spectacle manifests itself at the lowest level, facing aft, where two vast liquified hydrogen tanks reveal their hexagonal textured surface structure behind a giant façade of strengthened glass.
The flowing exterior lines of Aqua are inspired by ocean swells – the surge of energy induced by winds and currents, boosted by the gravitational forces that control the ocean’s tides. The curved top deck culminates in a sensational bow with integrated front bow observatory, the Aqua room, as part of the Owners pavilion. The hull is a sculpted overall double curved volume, intersected by the glass band windows, which subdivide approaching the aft stepping down to the water. The raised front profile with a strong forward direction in the design, provides ample space for accommodating all Owner’s, guests and technical facilities. Aqua is configured with a five-deck set up, utilising forward interior space through the high sheer line which subtly descends from bow to aft. The yacht has been designed to provide those on-board with the closest possible proximity to the water. The aft deck features a unique and innovative series of platforms cascading down towards the sea, while a large swim platform allows all Aqua passengers to enjoy the optimal experience of accessing the water at sea level. Other recent superyacht concepts by Sinot comprised the 102-metre Balance and the 115-metre Art Life. Meanwhile, one of the most recent superyacht launches with interior design by Sinot studio is Feadship 77-metre superyacht Syzygy 818 delivered in September 2019 and also premiered at the Monaco Yacht Show 2019.Copyright: Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design

If you have ever wondered, what it could be like to drive a Bugatti in the sea, a former Bugatti designer Etienne Salomé might have found a good answer. During the Monaco Yacht Show 2019, the designer introduced and demonstrated the first sketches of a new 12-metre Atlantic tender concept, featured with Bugatti classic details.French designer Etienne Salomé has made a great reputation in the automotive industry. Working for years on building up the style for Bugatti brand, he is the author of the interiors of the Chiron hypercar, and then the exteriors of the mesmerizing La Voiture Noire. The latter was built in a single copy and sold for a record € 11 million.Moving on, the renowned designer decided to try on a new field, namely yachting design. Thus, he established his own company Salomé Yachts. Subsequently, the brand’s first project has become the Atlantic tender concept, demonstrating that the designer’s trademark sculptural style would catch the eye on water the same way it does on land. Apparently, the tender also features stylistic references to the legendary Bugatti model - Type 57SC Atlantic, the one that inspired the work on La Voiture Noire.Each hull of a high-speed day boat will be hand-made at a shipyard in Italy. Meanwhile, the projected price per unit will amount to € 1.6 million (excluding taxes). For this money, the tender will also come complete with two custom boats done in the same styling.The model has also adapted a lot from the racing cars of Formula One. For example, an air tunnel, which, passes through the entire hull of the boat, has a beneficial effect on reducing drag and results in an increased stability at speeds close to maximum. In terms of speeds, thanks to a pair of 880-horsepower Volvo engines, the Atlantic will be able to reach impressive 55-60 knots.Etienne Salome highlighted, that he is interested in bringing some revolutional innovations to the market. In his words, some major innovations for boats in this segment were introduced by Wally several years ago, and it is the time to move on with new ideas and solutions.At the moment, construction is underway on the first 12 units of the series. The first client deliveries are set to coincide with the Monaco Yacht Show 2020.Still, among other car manufacturers that had already entered the yachting world, the Bugatti brand also introduced Niniette series in a partnership with a former US shipyard, Palmer Johnson. The series features several models between 50 and 88 feet. Amongst the project's key amenities are a large sunbathing area on the main deck as well as a spacious living room and a large master cabin on the lower deck.Photos: Salomé Yachts

The main event of the superyacht industry, the Monaco Yacht Show is attended every year by hundreds of brokers eager to network, inspect new builds and attempt to gain clients in the process.Superyachts sold during the show are however an extremely rare occurrence and one that Ahoy Club has managed to make happen with the sale of the 73-meter Lurssen, Coral Ocean. A deal that started and was closed during the Monaco Yacht Show.Built in 1994 by Lurssen in Germany for an extremely experience Middle Eastern owner, the 73-meter yacht was formerly known as Coral Island. Designed by the famed designer Australian born Jon Bannenberg, the yacht became one of the most advanced and innovative of its time. At the time of its delivery, it was the 34th largest yacht in the world.It only seems fitting that the legendary 73-meter yacht was bought directly from Lurssen and sold to an Australian, namely Ian Malouf who is also causing innovative changes in the Superyacht industry. The off-market deal was completed by Ahoy Club, Malouf’s digital marketplace of yachts for charter, inside a mere 72 hours with her new owner leaving the show already onboard Coral Ocean. Causing the yacht to make history again as the transaction became one of the quickest and largest completions to occur during the Monaco Yacht Show.Coral Ocean is the latest upgrade for Malouf as he steps up from his current yacht, the 54-meter Baglietto, Mischief. The latter is now on its way back to Australia, scheduled to arrive in a few weeks aboard a transport ship. According to Ahoy Club, the yacht will be the largest commercial charter superyacht ever imported into Australia.Malouf’s interest in yachting goes beyond yacht ownership. Last year, together with his daughter Ellie, after four years of preparation they launched Ahoy Club, a digital marketplace of yachts for charter allowing users to book any yacht, anywhere in the world, for the best possible price by reducing commissions through an improved tech stack, that instantly presents users with the choice of over 3,300 yachts available for charter worldwide. Ahoy also handles yacht sales with reduced fees.Earlier this year, Malouf took his vision for simpler charters and more affordable prices to private aviation, co-founding Central Jets The web platform lets users book flights at direct pricing from owners through a simple €199/month subscription. This has allowed users to save up to 50% per flight. The company guarantees the lowest priced jets in the market.Now headed for a refit, Coral Ocean is set to continue its charming history and charter excellence through Ahoy Club in the Mediterranean next summer whilst Mischief will be cruising in Australia on both daily and weekly charters.