Perhaps the most appealing aspect of a superyacht is its ability to transport guests to remote, unchartered territories. Accessing some remote beaches, anchoring spots and icy regions can however prove difficult for most yachts built with more traditional cruising grounds in mind. As a result of this thirst for exploration and privacy, a new class of yachts has emerged: "explorers".
In recent years, explorers have been the subject of many discussions in the yachting industry. The concept of explorer yachts is however not a novelty to superyacht builders. "We do see a consistent number of clients over the years that are interested in exploring remote regions on their Feadships." said Tim Hamilton, Director of Feadship America, "Some of them have requested us to build them an explorer but more often they want a traditional looking yacht with explorer capabilities."
Some of the hype associated with the alleged rise of the market for explorer yachts could be associated with often misinterpreted design features. "A vertical bow is not something that we would assimilate with an explorer by itself." commented Michael Breman, sales director of Lurssen and president of the Superyacht Builders Association. "The demand for explorer yachts has always been there and Lurssen has built many of them. A good example of an explorer is Octopus which we delivered in 2003".
"To build to full ice class, more is required than just strengthening the hull and adding fuel tanks" according to Mr Hamilton, "Extreme conditions stress many elements of the yacht. For instance, water tanks, located in the hull, could freeze. Also, the hull needs to be shaped in order to be able to reverse out of packed ice and needs to account for added weight from ice on deck.".
The line between a yacht and a ship becomes blurry when the requirements include extreme conditions.
Tim Hamilton, Director of Feadship America
In essence, explorer yachts unlock new destinations but require specialized equipment which takes up limited space on board. This seems to explain why the majority of explorer yachts have a length of over 60 meters. Some shipyards have however taken on the bet of building explorers on a smaller scale.
Sanlorenzo, an Italian shipyard originally focused on building fast, planning yachts has recently launched the second hull of its 460EXP series. The model features a raised bow, five decks but also an endless swimming pool and a wide array of toys. Four additional 460EXP models have already been sold according to the shipyard.
Cantiere Delle Marche, another Italian shipyard established less than a decade ago, has seen great success with its Darwin Class consisting of 86ft, 102ft and 107ft models.
The ability of these yachts to cruise for long distances however doesn't seem to indicate a decline for more mainstream destinations. "The Med and the Caribbean remain the top destination areas for the majority of superyachts" explained Paris Baloumis, marketing director of Oceanco.
"However there are certainly the adventurous individuals who wish to go further afield. Several yachts in our fleet have been to the South Pacific, Maldives, Galapagos, Alaska, etc. In any case, whether owners have immediate plans to go to these places or not, they want to be capable of going there. For instance, our 2015 delivery [Infinity] is both PYC-compliant and ice class."
"We have seen a slight rise in explorer-styled yachts, but I think this is more a result of clients wanting to carry more toys with them. There are always clients wanting to explore remote locations and other that like to stick to the tried and true", added Mr Hamilton.
It therefore seems that shipyards in general are not seeing as much a massive uptick in the demand for explorer yachts as an increase in yacht concepts taking design features from explorers and carrying more and more toys on board.
These are nice boats, but it will be interesting to see if they will actually be built or not.
Michael Breman, Sales Director, Lurssen
A simple fad in yacht design or an actual change in mentality in the superyacht industry, the "explorer yacht" look will undoubtedly make a mark in the sector's history with the border between ships and yachts being constantly blurred by new project such as the new 116m Kleven.
US builder Christensen launched its latest 50-metre motor yacht Jackpot on the banks of the Columbia River in Washington earlier this week. The vessel was ordered by two experienced yachtsmen from New Jersey who will station the yacht on the American east coast and other international destinations over the coming years. Jackpot is set to become Christensen’s final project outfitted and delivered from its facility in Vancouver, Washington. It was earlier announced, that the shipyard prepares to move production to a newly constructed shipbuilding complex at Tellico Lake Tennessee, after a series of lawsuits. One more 50-metre project of Hull 42, completed only by half, will be launched next week for further completion by the owners themselves.Jackpot features a standard layout, with accommodation capacity for up to 12 guests across the on-deck master suite, a full-beam VIP and four guest cabins on the lower deck. The yacht comes with a few adjustments to the overall design of the series, evident in new engineer’s cabin in the aft lazarette and newly-developed bridge system. The interior represents classic Christensen’s style with extensive use of walnut panelling and marble stonework.According to recent announcements in media, Christensen is already negotiating with several clients on construction projects in its new 55-65 metre range of high volume yachts after the imminent relocation. Amongst the potential customers is the owner of motor yacht Chasseur, who has been reportedly interested in purchasing an LY3-compliant 50-metre project to be built at the new facility.Christensen Chairman, Henry Luken, commented: This is a huge step for us, but also for American yacht building, which has been in steady decline for the last two decades. In our new range we can now compete with any builder in the world in both price and quality, and unlike our existing facility, we can offer yachts virtually unrestricted in beam.
June 19, 2019
British yacht builder Sunseeker International has announced that the first ten hulls of recently introduced Hawk 38 line will be part of a special limited-edition series, in the memory of Sunseeker founder, Robert Braithwaite CBE DL, who had passed away in March 2019. The Hawk 38, a new high-performance chase boat model, was the last project Robert was involved with and therefore a fitting tribute to him. Each of the ten boats will carry a polished stainless steel plaque on the helm dashboard numbered from RB001 to RB010.The 11.85-metre yacht design has been developed in collaboration with Fabio Buzzi Design, who himself is a winner of 43 World Speed Records and 55 World Championships. Fabio Buzzi also was present at the yacht’s helm during the trials. The model reflects Mr. Braithwaite’s passion for speed and performance, delivering an incredible top speed of 68.7 knots during her sea trials. The model reaches her impressive speed with the power of twin Mercury R400 outboard engines. Still, with the yacht's console, carbon fibre roof, deck mouldings and fittings final calculated top speed will make 62-63 knots.The Hawk 38’ key features comprise a foredeck fitted with a sunbathing pad and optional foredeck sail canopy, a helm station located midships and a U-shaped seating around a central table facing the aft. The cocooning helm station is shielded by a double-curvature ventilated glass screen with a sweeping black carbon fibre hard top.Inside, within a beam of 3 metres the boat features a closet underneath the helm, and a space for two drawer fridges under the yacht's triple bench stern seats. The yacht will be also fitted with grills and swim speakers facing aft. The console unit is fitted with a Simrad navigation system, consisting of the latest 16-inch Evo 3 touch screen multifunction display with GPS and Wi-Fi capability. Power-assisted steering is courtesy of the intelligent leather trimmed tilt steering wheel incorporating full control of the navigation system.Throughout the boat, there is multiple built-in storage such as a cavernous stowage locker with carbon fibre lid at the bow, which can be used for toys including two seabobs with dedicated bulkhead-mounted charging units. Commenting on the new limited-edition series, Sunseeker CEO, Andrea Frabetti said: The legacy of the Sunseeker brand is built on developing performance boats such as the Hawk 38 – it’s in our DNA and something Robert was extremely passionate about having raced extensively in his early career. I am honoured to unveil this special edition series of the Hawk 38, a very fitting tribute to our founder.Robert Braithwaite was an inspiration to everyone at Sunseeker and to the wider marine industry, recognised as a boating pioneer, a true visionary and someone who changed the face of boating forever.
June 19, 2019
Australian naval architecture company Incat Crowther has opened up about their involvement in the creation of the long-awaited 66-metre support yacht Hodor by Spanish builder Astilleros Armón. The vessel is designed to support the new 87-metre Feadship superyacht Lonian.Acting as designers and naval architects of the project, Incat Crowther worked closely with Lonian’s owner for a fully customised solution., aimed to serve the mothership with safe guest transfers, extended recreational capabilities and additional supplies such as crew and equipment.First time for the Shadow Cat range, Hodor’s platform offers vast amounts of deck and storage space, flexibility, stability, efficiency and capability.The design uses the robust engineering of hulls proven in offshore platform service, such as the SEACOR CREWzer class and Incat Crowther 70m Fast Crew Boat (FCB) class. The hull incorporates a reverse bow, a deadweight capacity of 240 tonnes and a low propeller draft of 3.1 metres.The yacht features a helipad compliant for helicopters of 6 tonnes and up to D-value of 16 metres, and can accommodate five tenders (the largest one makes 17 metres in length), jet skis, quad bikes, a submarine garage, a large complement of crew, staff and support equipment.The tenders and submarine can be launched both from the upper and main decks. A portable davit on the fore deck facilitates the launch and recovery of the vessels ROV and can also be used for additional jet ski storage.The yacht comes with special zones dedicated for fresh and frozen food storage, additional storage for the mother vessel, waste treatment and general and spares stores. She comes with dive equipment fully integrated with compressors, NITROX and O2 facilities, as well as a hospital with decompression chamber.Propelled by two main engines, Hodor will reach her top speed at 22.5 knots, and cruise comfortably at 14 knots for up to 5,500 nautical miles. The catamaran platform allows fuel savings of around 40%, according to the builder.Fitted with an exhaust cleaning SCR system for IMO Tier 3 and EPA Tier 4 compliance, greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced, allowing the Incat Crowther 66 design to be more environmentally friendly.Thanks to her twin anchoring system, combined with the widely spaced twin hulls, the yacht ensures reduced motions whilst at anchor.Hodor can accommodate up to 20 crew members on-board.
June 19, 2019
Launched in 2018 by Cerri Cantieri Navali, the 28-metre yacht Freedom belongs to a renowned Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, the founder and former Creative Director at an eponymous company. Despite reported financial difficulties the popular brand currently struggles with, as they closed their US stores, preparing to liquidate its North American operations as of March 2019, Cavalli’s net worth is estimated at $ 500 Million by CelebrityNetWorth.Freedom was launched as a fully-custom design by Cavalli himself in cooperation with his friend and fellow designer Tommaso Spadolini, who had also worked on Cavalli’s first yacht, 41m Baglietto RC. According to media, ‘Design me something that Batman would drive!’ were the seven words the Freedom concept was born from.This time, the owner was looking for something bold, unique and dramatic. As a result, the exterior styling features two sweeping arches framing the aft cockpit, and a metallic black hull and dark grey superstructure. The hull was painted with an iridescent livery that changes colour depending on the direction of the sun rays. Freedom was conceived for private cruising with Cavalli’s partner, three crew members and up to four guests within two cabins, including the master suite. Cavalli can enjoy his main-deck owner's cabin laid right behind the pilothouse, as he is keen to drive the yacht himself. The central skylight and four large windows allow for constant sea-view and plenty of natural light throughout the yacht. The main deck was designed with four slope steps allowing for the beach area and the main lounge appearing as continuous space close to the water. The yacht's tender is stored forward on the main-deck, positioned so to not disrupt the full walk-around deck and outdoor lounge areas.The yacht is trademarked with a low aft deck cockpit featuring sliding glass doors on three sides. Lowering the deck height was quite the feat of engineering, but Spadolini felt it was necessary to maintain the nautical contact that Cavalli had requested.Aiming for utmost privacy, Spadolini made the owner’s suite accessible only by a staircase from the main salon, that also serves as a private lounge when there are no guests on board.The yacht’s bespoke interior concept is trademarked with animal-skin prints for the upholdtery, golden details, strass-covered surfaces and lavish embroidery, reflecting the owner’s strong personality and distinctive features od the Cavalli brand. As a designer, Cavalli preferred to select all the materials, finishes and accessories for the interior himself. Performance wise, Freedom will be capable of reaching a top speed of 40 knots thanks to 3 Rolls-Royce water-jet engines. For other yachts by famous designers, check the 65-metre Giorgio Armani's Main and 50-metre Regina d'Italia Dolce and Gabbana.
June 18, 2019
Italian shipyard Baglietto has presented 43 m Baglietto Explorer designed by the Italian firm Santa Maria Magnolfi. The vessel was conceived with a view to create a real Explorer Yacht, inspired by work boats, that of warships and, obviously, the world of yachting.The concept represents a modified version of earlier presented project with a helipad. This version is rather designed for an owner who favours fishing or sailing with a small boat. Those ideas have been worked out to satisfy different requests.The yacht will be trademarked with a 58-square-metre upper deck entirely reserved for the owner. Access to the entrance salon may be open to everyone or limited. Furthermore, this version would hosts outside on this deck a 28’ sportfisherman boat as well as a 6-metre rescue tender, besides the enlarged dining area for 12 people. A panoramic area with sofa and table has been placed in the bow area.On the main deck, the large full-beam salon features an almost square layout and has ceiling-high windows on the bulwarks. The aft zone has been redesigned for open back space and a cosy conversation area in the shadow with a panoramic view and easy access to the sea thanks to a transformer system. A winter garden (an area that is considered as “outdoor” but is in fact enclosed by glazed surfaces and air conditioned) works as a transition between the salon and the aft area. This place can also be deployed as a TV room.The lower deck offers four guests cabins. Aft, there is a wine cellar with controlled temperature and humidity and a cold room fully dedicated to the fish storage.An external staircase allows to reach the sundeck, furnished with a sunbed area but featuring a much more minimal style, with teak having been replaced by polished flooring, typical of ice breakers and work boats. On this deck, the bridge house lies designed with military outlines in mind. The bridge house represents a lifting platform and an observation point for catching sight of whales or simply enjoying the views.In general, the interiors feature large glazed surfaces letting in plenty of natural light, vertical elements with metal finishes alternating with the pleasant shades of natural materials. Italian marbles and exotic woods come combined with ancient Moroccan straw mats and Indian silk fabrics; the large display cabinets and the wide shelves have been specifically designed to showcase precious objects gathered from seas across the globe. Baglietto is superyacht builder based in La Spezia, founded in 1854. In 2019, the shipyard has been active on the news, about to deliver the 55-metre vessel which is part of the yard’s well-known T-Line series and the lines of the 40-metre hull revealed.
June 18, 2019