futuristic mega yacht concept

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These extreme sailing superyacht concepts prove that the sky’s the limit

• October 26, 2020

Feast your eyes on these sailing superyacht concepts. The future looks far-out, and it just might have sails, finds Sam Fortescue

For decades the superyacht world has undeniably been dominated by vast, fuel-guzzling motor boats. And, despite the elaborate marketing spiel of their designers and builders, many of them look remarkably similar from the outside: there’s a pointy end, a wedding cake in the middle, and pool and beach club at the back.

Refreshing, then, to see that many superyacht designers have neither given up on sail, nor on experimenting with form and function. When we spoke to some of the best-known names in yacht design, we received a very enthusiastic response.

First up, get ready to see a lot more catamaran designs. “Multihulls are the future of yachting concepts, simply because of sustainability,” says Espen Oeino, fêted designer of yachts such as 182m/600ft REV and 136m/446ft Flying Fox .

Phoenicia has an articulated helipad that deploys once the curved boom is raised up against the aft mast

“To make something sustainable, you have to look at what you can do to reduce resistance and therefore power requirements. There the length-to-beam ratio is very important because slender hulls have a much better angle of entry at the bow, displacing water more efficiently.”

Following this logic, the first of his new 35m/115ft SpaceCat design is nearing completion in China, offering 300m2 of interior space and nearly 600m2 on deck – all balanced on lightweight, low-resistance aluminium hulls.

“People’s concept of what is beautiful is changing but it will need a bit of time,” he adds. “There’s an automotive parallel – it was the same thing with the first SUVs. In the end, though, a cat gives you a much better platform for coming up with interesting layouts.”

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British designer Andrew Winch agrees on the point about sustainability. “The main focus of future sailing yachts will be minimising their environmental footprint to zero, to leave no negativity on the planet whatsoever,” he tells me. “The faster and lighter construction of catamarans and multihulls is a huge benefit to the integration of hybrid and electric propulsion, something that will continue to see extended growth for the foreseeable future.”

The right image

Many designers believe the green agenda will ultimately bring wealthy owners back to sailing yachts. French designer Mathis Rühl puts it like this: “In a world more and more threatened by climate change, debauchery and energy waste is negatively perceived. Wealthy people who care about their image and their impact have to deal with this paradox: how to enjoy the luxuriousness of the world without destroying it. Burning petrol must be avoided when the wind can be used!”

He also sees great advantages to the slim hulls of a catamaran or trimaran. It led him to design a 70m/230ft yacht with a radical semicircular superstructure balanced across three hulls. A 20m beam gives Wave Motion plenty of living space, including a sky deck and open deck space.

Mathis Rühl’s striking-looking Wave Motion trimaran features his own design of WM2 wing-sail

Perhaps most strikingly, he would power the boat with a 20m/65ft dual wing-sail of his own devising, called the WM2. He has compared rig types including traditional flexible sails and the odd-looking Flettner Rotor for drag and efficiency and concluded that his design is the best performer upwind. Rühl reports that it is more than three times more efficient than a standard non-rigid sail.

A number of concept boats have looked in detail at the rig and concluded that the best option is one that’s already available. The Falcon or DynaRig is only really suitable for yachts over 60m/200ft, but its ease of handling makes it exceedingly attractive. Just one person is able to set sail, reef, tack or furl the sails thanks to the modular design, which breaks huge sail areas down into smaller chunks, and total computerisation of the unstayed rig. “It’s easier to start and stop,” explains Dykstra’s Thys Nikkels. “The percentage of time that you sail is much higher with this rig.”

Philippe Briand chose it for his mould-breaking 152m/499ft trireme design, originally penned for a Russian client. So did Bill Dixon for his 70m/230ft New Dawn. “Unlike a conventional rig which requires a small army of crew, this vessel can be commanded and operated single-handedly,” Dixon says. “The twin rigs offer a healthy sail area to displacement ratio and will assure an exhilarating sailing experience.”

Bill Dixon’s New Dawn combines the features of a motoryacht with sailboat performance

New Dawn is billed as a game changer, and not just because of her regeneration potential of 75kW under sail, 60m2 of solar panels, ballasted centreboard and ability to motor at 9 knots under purely electric power. Dixon says the real novelty is to combine motoryacht features with sailboat performance.

“It’s clear that customers expect the comforts and space planning of motoryachts,” he explains. “They want ample entertainment spaces, a pool and large tenders. We have created this design on this premise rather from a traditional sailing yacht design approach. This does not mean she is not an efficient sailing yacht, in that department there is no compromise. This is a project that appeases the environmental consciousness of a potential owner.”

Roman galley roots

Briand’s design is on another scale altogether. A key plank in the client’s brief was to ensure there was a vast central gallery whose volume exceeded that of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles – something he has achieved with room to spare. An astonishing 725m2 of glass and openings surround the gallery, while no fewer than three owner’s suites offer the choice between 180° views from the glass bow; the full 20m beam amidships; or an aft suite perched 14m above the water.

The brief for Philippe Briand’s trireme-inspired superyacht was to have a vast central gallery bigger than the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles

Lower deck beach clubs amount to more than 750m2 of real estate, plus room for pools, a helipad and more. Echoing the design of the Roman galley which inspired it, the yacht features dozens of hydraulically-operated ‘oars’ amidships, designed to move in time to the music on board.

“It is possible to imagine very different boats tomorrow,” Briand explains. “I foresee that boats will evolve towards even more efficiency, for sustainability’s sake. Also hybrid boats. We will assemble different energy sources, and wind energy should be the first. Wind by sails, motor by engines today. Tomorrow it will be motor by electric or by hydrogen.”

Interestingly, another designer has also drawn inspiration from the galley. Igor Lobanov’s design is called Phoenicia and features the same reverse bow, sloping down to a rostrum-like point at the waterline; it also picks up the motif of the raised ‘bowsprit’ and ‘bumpkin’ and recreates the effect of two decks of oars by aiming 33 ‘laser lights’ into the water at night.

Pronounced reverse bow and exaggerated ‘bowsprit’ give an unmistakably trireme look to Phoenicia

Her four masts drop down through a great glass-walled gallery that dominates the main deck. She also employs something akin to a traditional staysail rig , complete with gigantic fishermen sails. Used by schooners and ketches, these sails resemble inverted jibs strung between the masts.

Despite the veneer of antiquity, both yachts feature ample shell doors to enlarge deck and living spaces. Phoenicia even has an articulated helipad, which unfolds from the roof of the raised owner’s suite when the curved boom is pinned up to the mast.

This is designed, “with the intention of creating the feel of ‘a house on the cliff’, with a balcony and panoramic windows that surround the space, leaving the views completely open to the vast open sea,” Lobanov explains.

He thinks the yachts of the future will be more automatic. “Probably there will be less crew on board, which may have a trickle-down effect on all the spaces, including water and food storage.”

A key design concept in Phoenicia is the long gallery with its all-round glass walls. Special Venetian blinds allow a game of light and shadows to create an arresting pattern inside

Inspired by nature

Even now, most yachts – whether sail or motor – are built using a linear arrangement of ribs, stringers, beams and plates, with the result that the space inside is often divided up into regular-shaped boxes. Some designers find this strange. “It’s not a hotel!” exclaims Ken Freivokh. “We’re very retrograde in terms of the structure. The bigger [yachts] get, the more they rely on one of post and beam: just columns and beams, like buildings were built.”

Freivokh, whose projects include everything from production sailing boats to the much-praised 107m Black Pearl , is desperate to get more organic forms and creative design into superyacht building. Taking an example from nature, he thinks that yachts could rely on the strength of a kind of ‘exoskeleton’, which would free up the interior to create more curved and open spaces without littering them with columns. Couple that with the emergence of structural glass, and you have a blueprint for a very different type of yacht.

But the problem is not just due to conservative shipyards and cautious classification bodies, according to Freivokh. Part of it is the owners themselves.

“It is quite typical that most owners when they’re briefing you make reference to existing projects,” he says. “If you ask an owner ‘why do you need a saloon on each deck? Why don’t you have a single saloon with double heights, and totally unique?’ Then the shipyard says how much they love the plans, but if we just did it like this… In the end, they point out it is £2m cheaper to use an existing technical platform, and that’s hard to resist.”

Briand says that every one of his superyacht clients starts from an existing yacht, not a blank piece of paper. “Sometimes those boats have been designed ten years ago,” he says. “Of course, this is not very positive for pushing us towards new technology. You have to make a long and difficult speech in order to convince them that progress in terms of technology is possible.”

Dykstra’s Exo concept borrows the idea of exoskeletons from nature to create wide open space below decks

Dutch J-Class maestros Dykstra published an ambitious design a few years back which made use of another exoskeleton design in a 46m/150ft concept called Exo. Produced as a collaboration with Claydon Reeves, it takes the root structures of a tree as its inspiration.

“Not only does the long vertical trunk represent the mast, but the root ball forms the hull, providing strength and the support for the vertical structure,” explains James Claydon. “We also considered the skeletal structure of small but strong creatures. In nature it is the exoskeleton, which provides the ‘chassis’ for these organisms.

“These exoskeletons do not employ straight lines but instead have twisting and turning curves which imbue the creature with optimal strength – their forms defined by millions of years of evolution. By setting aside some of the established thinking of past projects, we strived for a new aesthetic that was both attractive and buildable.”

Exo’s composite lattice enabled the interior to be completely opened up, with curved glass panels amidships to create a unique sensation of sitting on the waves. I asked Dykstra’s Thys Nikkels why he thought the concept wasn’t picked up, despite a positive reaction at the Monaco Yacht Show .

“Maybe we haven’t pushed the concept hard enough,” he shrugs. “It’s probably a piece of art in itself. That opened our eyes to what is possible in structures. I think the owners are ready for it, but are we as a market ready for it in a way the owner can contemplate it: ie cost?”

Squares and polygons

There is another design school which prefers brutally straight lines. Aspiring yacht designer George Lucian has garnered more column inches than many veterans with a series of increasingly radical designs, none of which have yet been built. The aptly named Origami is a sailing boat that is entirely composed of triangular and trapezoid shapes connected with hard angles, like the folds in a piece of paper.

Folded paper is the inspiration for George Lucian’s Origami

This is a concept, so there is no attempt to work out how this craft would actually function, but it involves acres of glass and huge fold-out wings to offer a helipad close to water level. “I think the necessary technology and materials already exist, but all my projects would be very challenging to build, that is for sure,” he admits. “I really think that if one is going to put so much money into a project, it has to be recognisable, different, iconic.”

More recently, Lucian published a design for a motoryacht partly resembling a jumble of ice blocks, and making use of a kite to assist propulsion. Another headline-grabber put a 100m/330ft airship at the heart of the design for a yacht shaped like a wedge, her lines angling out of the sea like arrows.

Beiderbeck designs in Germany has put more intense studies into its design for a gigantic 200m+/660ft+ catamaran, named Galileo2. Capable of berthing an 80m/260ft yacht alongside her beach club, the boxy cat includes a host of innovative features such as marine thermal energy generation, which exploits the lower temperatures far below the surface of the sea, and methanol propulsion.

Galileo2 is so large that it would have to be built in parts and assembled afloat. It has a 500m2 swimming pool, can carry 25 tenders, toys or submarines and can still do 22 knots

“This was a study to figure out what was possible; to figure out the step ahead of the next one,” says partner Immo Lüdeling. “It is a catamaran in a size that isn’t built yet; its own shadow vessel.”

Galileo2 is buildable now, but there were still unexpected design challenges. “Just the routes to walk get quite long – from the beach club up to the upper-deck saloon, for instance. Galileo2 has lifts to the bathing platforms.”

The bridge was another problem area on a boat with an 80m/260ft beam. “Our bridge can fly from one side to another, like on a very large crane where you have the crane house moving from one side to the other.” The boat is already sparking interest, including a serious enquiry about a smaller 120m/394ft version. “It’s half the size of Galileo2, but that means eight times less space.”

Another of Lucian’s concepts involving trapezoid shapes

Limited only by imagination

Electric propulsion is one of the great hopes of the yachting world, but the question is how to get the power on board. In principle, methanol offers carbon-free electricity, although it is usually manufactured using fossil fuels. Stellar Dutch design house Sinot made waves last year when it published a design for 112m/368ft Aqua , using the technology.

Andrew Winch, designer of monster yachts like 156m/512ft Dilbar and 99m/325ft Madame Gu , has taken a different approach in work with Royal Huisman for a super-efficient 30.5m/100ft sailing monohull, where he favours using renewable energy. “The widened stern deck allows for increased underdeck storage in the stern-wings, allowing for the placement of fan-extending solar panels,” he explains. “The concept also has twin rudders and a canting keel for maximum efficiency, as well as twin electrical propulsion that can be used for the regeneration of power at anchor or while sailing.”

There are as many different concepts as there are designers, and while they all have their own take on the yachts of the future , they agree on one point. It will take daring owners to push the boundaries and help these concepts off the drawing board and into the water. Or, as Andrew Winch puts it: “The only limitation is the imagination of the client.”

First published in the October 2020 issue of Yachting World.

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Blue-sky superyacht concepts range from pure fantasy to easily buildable. Here are our 10 favorites in the last year.

To stand out from the crowd, more and more superyacht buyers—many new to the market—are challenging designers to break molds, go extreme, and think way outside of the traditional box. And they’re doing it with head-spinning bow designs, huge windows, and much larger interior and exterior spaces.

They’re also trading traditional monohulls for big-volume catamarans and trimarans, taking inspiration from oddball places—an aircraft carrier or 1930s Hollywood-style automobile—and, at the same time, future-proofing them with new propulsion systems, including hydrogen fuel cells, solar power, and advanced battery power.

These 10 concepts, from a range of designers and studios, show that the future of superyacht design has never been more exciting—if at times a little bizarre.

Sinot, ‘Aware’

Not all superyachts need to look like multi-tiered wedding cakes. That’s according to Dutch studio Sinot Yacht, which has just penned conceptual renderings for a sleek, almost-minimalist cruiser called  Aware . Yes, the 262-footer does have the look of some super-stylish European river boat from the likes of Viking or Uniworld. But the aim here is to optimize the spaces experienced owners tend to use the most. Like the owner’s suite on the main deck, which in  Aware  spans the full beam and totals over 860 square feet. Then there’s the super-size beach club with its twin fold-out terraces, gym, bar, cinema, 36-foot-long pool, and glass-sided dining area. As for power, Sinot envisions a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system good for a 21 mph max, and a 4,000 nautical mile range at 14 mph.

Icon Yachts, ‘Mission’

Ice-breaking, globe-trotting expedition yachts are nothing new for Holland’s Icon Yachts. Its rugged, 224-foot, converted ice-breaker  Ragnar  literally wrote the rule-book on building high-latitude-friendly luxury superyachts. But Icon’s concept for a brand-new, ultimate explorer it’s calling  Mission  adds Indiana Jones–levels of off-the-grid exploration. Designed by Dutch explorer-yacht specialist Bernd Weel,  Mission  is all towering, ice-crushing bow, trademark geometric hull sides, and endless space for all that adventure-seeking gear. Here we’re talking six tenders of all sizes, a three-person submersible, an Airbus H130 helicopter, and space midships for a multitude of shipping containers for when you want to become the next Jacques Cousteau. As for range, Icon would target over 6,000 nautical miles.

Andy Waugh Yacht Design, ‘Decadence’

Flick through the pages of any automotive history book and you’ll notice that 1930s design is dominated by the outrageous, teardrop-fendered creations of the French duo of Figoni et Falaschi. Their designs look to be the inspiration behind London-based designer Andy Waugh’s jaw-dropping concept for a 264-foot catamaran he quite aptly calls  Decadence . Featuring a central hull flanked by four teardrop-like pods, the concept evolves the idea of so-called SWATH catamaran hull design used in a number of oil-platform support, research vessels, and even some superyachts. Providing immense stability through reduced roll and pitch, the design makes perfect sense for a superyacht. One drawback: the yacht’s massive, marina-unfriendly 98-foot beam. Though that becomes a positive when you consider  Decadence ‘s vast owner’s suite measures 66 feet wide and almost 100 feet long.

Oceanco, ‘Aeolus’

When the Dutch superyacht maestros at Oceanco release a blue-sky design, the concept is likely just a few steps away from reality. Fresh from delivering the 410-foot  Koru , the world’s largest sailing yacht, to new owner Jeff Bezos, and the 357-foot  Seven Seas  to Steven Spielberg, Oceanco has unveiled  Aeolus , a concept for a highly sustainable 430-foot gigayacht. Drawn by former Rolls-Royce head of design Giles Taylor, this curvaceous, quad-deck world cruiser looks to the future by incorporating Oceanco’s Energy Transition Platform (ETP) philosophy. The propulsion could start with diesel-electric power, with battery banks charged by twin MTU V16 diesel generators. Then, as technologies advance, it could more to more advanced fuel types such as methanol or other, even wilder technologies like nuclear power.

Anthony Glasson, ‘Star Trek’

Designed to boldly go across oceans, this concept for a massive 275-foot trimaran is said to have been inspired by Hong Kong–based designer Anthony Glasson’s love of the TV show “Star Trek”—especially the Starship  Enterprise . Viewed bow-on, you can see why: The slender, wave-piercing bow, the twin side hulls, and rounded glass upper observation deck have USS  Enterprise  written all over it. But the trimaran form definitely adds to its function, with the wide beam creating an expansive “courtyard” that’s part enclosed and part open, housing a hot tub—one of three aboard—a gym, a bar, sunpads galore and even a helipad-turned-dancefloor. Glasson envisions the trimaran to be built of lightweight aluminum, with a 5,000-nautical-mile range. Captain Kirk would be impressed.

Jozeph Forakis, ‘Pegasus’

Until now, arguably the ultimate stealth boat was the one in the 1997 James Bond romp  Tomorrow Never Dies , owned by tyrannical media mogul Elliot Carver. That would change if the 289-foot concept  Pegasus , from the computer screen of N.Y.C.-born and now Milan-based designer Jozeph Forakis, gets a production go-ahead. It features a superstructure comprising three over-lapping “wings” with metallic surfaces designed to reflect the sky and the clouds, rendering the superyacht near-invisible. The “wings” also do double duty as solar panels generating energy that would be used to convert sea water to hydrogen. Fuel cells would then turn the hydrogen into electricity that would be then stored in banks of lithium-ion batteries, making Pegasus essentially emissions-free with a virtually infinite cruising range.

Lazzarini, ‘Plectrum’

Why fly through the water when you can fly on top? That’s the thinking behind Rome-based Lazzarini Design’s radical 243-foot hydrofoiling superyacht concept named  Plectrum . Massive foils deploy from the sides of the yacht’s rounded carbon-fiber hull, while a trio of 5,000 hp engines would elevate the yacht out of the water and punch it to a top speed of over 80 mph. It’s a similar concept used in the latest America’s Cup AC75 foiling monohull sailboats, along with a crop of electric powerboats and surfboards. Applying the technology to a 243-foot superyacht is what’s new and possibly technically impossible, at least for now. Other stand-out features of this bright-orange flyer include a helicopter garage beneath the mile-long foredeck and a garage for your supercar at the stern.

Phantom and Golden Yachts, ‘Vesper’

When it comes to next-generation superyacht design, it seems glass is fast becoming the new steel. Take the collaboration between the design team at Holland’s Phantom Studios and Athens-based superyacht builder Golden Yachts. The 213-foot concept they’re calling  Vesper  features five levels of floor-to-ceiling structural glass, a glass floor in the yacht’s upper deck lounge, and a glass-sided swimming pool. Connecting the beach club to the pool is a huge, high-lifting hatch that’s, what else, all glass. Now head to the owner’s “suite”—it’s more like a two-level penthouse in a Miami skyscraper—and it features floor-to-very-high-ceiling glass that floods the space with light. To catch some real rays, the full-deck suite features not one, but two outdoor terraces.

DeBasto Design, MED

Think of this as a 301-foot dayboat with the emphasis on outdoor, alfresco, lounge-in-the-sun, Mediterranean living. From the drawing board of Miami-based designer Luiz de Basto, Project MED features uninterrupted, bow-to-stern open teak decks topped with a huge upper superstructure supported by just four columns. And to ensure the superstructure doesn’t dominate the superyacht’s sleek lines, de Basto covered it in reflective glass so that it almost disappears from view by mirroring its surroundings. The designer says his inspiration came from the idea of “Agora,” named after the squares in Ancient Greek villages where everyone congregated. Aboard Project MED, that could be on the main deck, around the oversized pool at the stern, or on the vast open foredeck.

Enzo Manca, ‘UAE One’

There are superyachts designed to look like military warships. Some even are shaped to look like navy submarines. But here’s a first; a superyacht inspired by the lines of an aircraft carrier. The 459-foot  UAE One  is from the fertile mind of Milan-based designer Enzo Manca who created the concept for an unnamed United Arab Emirates sheikh looking to create an official UAE flagship. Without a doubt, the design highlight is the yacht’s runway-like main deck. It features not one, but three helipads, a conning tower-like, four-level structure on the starboard side, a geometric-shaped pool and a huge circular “conversation pit” right on the bow, complete with cozy sofas and a firepit. Accommodations over nine decks include five “super suites”, eight master cabins, 14 mini apartments, and 35 cabins for the crew of 65. 

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The Six Concept Designs that are Rocking the Superyacht World Right Now

Written By: Rachel Ingram

From Star Trek-inspired hulls to onboard hydroponic farms, these six out-of-the-box superyachts are pushing the boundaries of creativity when it comes to design and innovation.

Concepting is an essential part of the yacht building process as designers work out how to bring their client’s dream to life – or simply put their own wild ideas to paper. Very few finished concepts come to fruition, but they still serve a vital purpose – to inspire owners to think outside the box and encourage designers and shipyards to test the limits of possibility.

While some projects are more realistic than others, each presents ideas that can lead to change and growth, which is essential as the industry continues to evolve. With so many creative concepts floating around, we highlight the most innovative designs making waves and how they could inspire the future of yachting.

Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design has released a series of impressive designs in recent years, but none are more transfixing than Poetry, a 130-metre concept yacht that the studio calls its “tribute to yachting”. The design, founded on the philosophy of living close to the water, creates a seamless harmony between the guests and the aquatic environment – on the aft, for instance, a sprawling aft beach club extends to touch the waves.

The project epitomises indoor-outdoor living. The superstructure has been fully opened to create unobstructed decks with panoramic vistas. This is best seen in the owner’s suite which spills onto a private deck. Throughout the interior, a connection to nature is maintained through water features and living vegetation, plus the installation of giant windows that flood each space with natural light – and views.

Named after the Greek God of the wind, Aeolus is as bold and impactful as her namesake. Designed to look as though she’s been “sculpted by the wind”, the 131-metre Oceanco concept yacht stands out with her sleek lines and dynamic curves that extend through the exterior and interior.

But more than being impressive to look at, Aeolus is technologically forward thinking. She’s equipped with innovative NXT technology, which was developed by the shipyard as part of its ambitions to develop a net-zero yachting industry. She’s also decorated mostly in bio-materials to further promote sustainability. And when it comes to layout, designers have taken a modern approach which re-thinks how guests live and work onboard. Aeolus is inspiring on all levels.

Feadship describes its 85-metre superyacht concept Slice as a project to usher in a “new era of interiors”. Designers at Studio De Voogt took her name literally, engineering a glass strip that runs through the yacht from bow to stern, flooding all decks with natural light. The revolutionary solution tackles the long-standing issue of lighting in the centre of superyachts, which are often dark and lit artificially. Slice “turns the inside out and the outside in,” says lead designer Chris Bottoms.

The concept was designed with modern families in mind and reimagines the way guests live on a yacht, with multi-level living spaces to keep guests connected, indoor-outdoor layouts and dual-function areas which can be adapted to suit all manner of activities. Highlight features include the 70 square metre atrium with cascading balconies at the heart of the yacht and the 10-metre-long data science-engineered pool, which features anti-slosh technology for swimming on the move.

Project Enterprise

As a company that specialises in conceptual design, M51 Concepts has not shied away from pushing boundaries with its disruptive yachts. The studio’s latest work, Project Enterprise , is a trimaran with a wide beam design to maximise storage for toys and tenders – set off directly from a direct-to-water platform within the yacht’s lower deck – and curved decks offering panoramic views from the interior.

The pools on this yacht are particularly interesting. While most designers place a pool on sun or aft deck, this 84-metre yachts places it inside a partially enclosed courtyard topped with an open sky light – sun enters during the day and the stars shine overhead at night. A secondary pool can be found on the yacht’s pointed bow which dramatically pierces the water.

Inspiration for the project was subconscious, reveals designer Anthony Glasson: “The exterior styling inspiration was only realized once finished as I had been watching the first season of Star Trek and unconsciously designed a yacht that resembles the original Star Trek Enterprise.”

Pegasus is a project of firsts. Designed by Jozeph Forakis, the design conceptualises the world’s first 3D-printed superyacht. But that isn’t its only USP. The 88-metre vessel features a distinctive mirrored exterior (another first) to make the yacht blend in with its surroundings. The designer was inspired to create a yacht that could be “virtually invisible”, both in design and in environmental impact. “I was inspired to create a yacht as close to the sea and nature as possible, made of clouds floating above the waterline. I wanted to honour nature by blending into it, becoming virtually invisible,” he says.

Inside, it gets even more interesting. The interior centres around a multi-level hydroponic garden that the designer calls a ‘tree of life’. Plants grown in the farm – including vegetables, herbs and flowers – provides fresh food for the galley. The plants also purify the air. “Pegasus is a bold but achievable vision for the near future of the superyacht industry, where man and machine live in harmony with nature rather than competing or compromising it, ” Forakis adds .

Lazzarini Design Studio is behind some of the industry’s quirkiest designs, from Avanguardia, a swan-shaped megayacht with detachable ‘head’, to The Shape, which bears a gaping hole in the middle of its superstructure. The firm’s newest concept Plectrum takes the concept of a hydrofoil to a new level. The 74-metre yacht features giant wings that enable her to ‘fly’ across the water at staggering speeds of up to 75 knots, thanks to her three hydrogen motors. The sleek yacht also stands out with her bold orange exterior and fun features including a generous beach club, aft pool, and retractable helipad hidden the bow.

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7 Bold New Superyacht Concepts We Want to See on the Water

From yachts that run on hydrogen fuel cells to a vessel with a bonkers new sailing rig, these designs may well be the future of yachting..

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With record demand for new yachts by ever-younger owners, designers have been busy with fresh concepts. These seven concepts go far beyond tweaking the beach club or adding a few windows. They flirt with hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion, glass-bottomed swimming pools to light lower decks, and even hidden pilothouses using augmented reality to navigate the yacht.

What’s more, they explore much larger concepts of the use of space, and how owners and guests actually use the superyachts. Three-deck glass atriums, huge piazzas and nature parks bring new opportunities for life on board—and free up the imagination to explore possibilities.

Kairos By Oceanco, Pininfarina and Lateral

Kairos , officially launched by Oceanco at September’s Monaco Yacht Show , is a new way of thinking about onboard life. The 295-foot design combines asymmetric shapes, transparent structures and few physical barriers, all culminating in its vast piazza, which is the most dramatic area of this forward-thinking concept. The Dutch yacht builder partnered with Italian design firm Pininfarina, with technical assistance from Lateral Naval Architects.

Beyond the beautiful spaces—including a number of suites on the lower decks, and a panoramic balcony on the top deck, the hull has an asymmetric shape, with no clear bow, so it can move in opposite directions. The design team choose to think of Kairos as a “living, floating island,” rather than a conventional superyacht. “A 360-degree approach to design at once connects you to the sea below, to the light above and to the spaces and people beside you,” said Paolo Pininfarina, regarding the concept. “It nourishes your curiosity on an instinctive level and encourages you to explore new experiences and perspectives.”

The yacht also has sustainability in mind, with all-electric propulsion in its diesel-hybrid configuration. The e-Hybrid architecture permits extensive operation with no noise, lower vibrations and zero local emissions.

Alice by Lürssen

German boatbuilder Lürssen has ventured down the rabbit hole with its first ever superyacht concept, the 321.5-foot Alice . Inspired by Alice in Wonderland , the five-deck climate-neutral yacht features a floating, pod-like superstructure, which houses the owner’s deck and bridge, and an open-air main deck. “The design takes inspiration from the small ferries in Amsterdam where the captain sits in a pilot deck above, and below is a passage way for people to pass through,” Jim Sluijter, lead exterior designer told Robb Report.

A full-sized Padel court sits aft, with a dance floor, bar and dining area amidships, and forward a Japanese-themed garden with ponds, greenery and a bridge. A floating glass-bottomed pool suspended across an opening in the sun deck adds wow factor. Powered by emission-free fuel cells that generate electrical energy based on hydrogen, Alice is also equipped with a methanol engine for higher speed and energy demands. A waste heat recovery system, organically farmed wood and eight lower deck guest suites complete the offering, with interior design by Dasha Moranova Designs.

Apache Concept by Tankoa

Tankoa Yachts introduces a new technical platform with its 249-foot T760 Apache concept. Key to the design is a 31-foot “flying” glass-bottomed pool suspended in the bow between the upper deck and main deck; it begins at the foot of the bed in the owner’s suite and filters light into the semi-open lounge and gym on the deck below.

The lower deck beach club with folding side terraces delivers over 1,300-square-feet of chic resort space and the yacht’s second pool. When the folding platforms are closed, one-way glass the same color as the hull creates a private lounge area with views out to sea. “We created a gym and wellness space on two levels for the guests to enjoy,” designer Alberto Mancini told Robb Report. “We also wanted to avoid the typical dark cave effect found on many beach clubs.”

But the best seat in the house is reserved for the cozy observation lounge or crow’s nest with panoramic vistas high above the water, ideal for enjoying the last rays at sunset.

Scintilla by Tillberg Design

At 393 feet, Scintilla is a modern voyager conceived for world cruising. We recently reported on her sister concept, Mimer . A collaboration between DreamLiner Yachting, IYC, Tillberg Design of Sweden and Laurent Giles Naval Architects, the concept is designed to welcome 36 guests and 44 crew and puts fuel-efficiency at the fore. Scintilla can accommodate hybrid engines, as well as a combination battery and alternative fuel system, and eco-conscious materials have been used on the interior and exterior spaces. However, all eyes are on the smorgasbord of explorative toys and tenders, which blows the standard wakeboard and paddle board offering out the water. The dedicated toy area has room for a seaplane, submarine, foldable catamaran, expedition RIBS, amphibious and land vehicles, jet skis, quads and a helicopter. At the end of a long day, a multi-level owners’ suite, comprising the aft portion of the bridge and heli-decks, opens onto a private deck complete with Jacuzzi and infinity pool to rejuvenate aching muscles.

Merveille 253W by Merveille Yachting

The 253-foot Merveille 253W is a sailing yacht with a difference. With a focus on reducing fuel consumption and increasing efficiency, the explorer concept, produced in partnership with Feadship, features a new wind-assisted propulsion system that doesn’t require rigging. Designed by AYRO, the fully automated Oceanwings can rotate 360 degrees, have an adjustable camber and twist and can retract when furled. When under sail using the Oceanwings, underwater turbines regenerate the kinetic energy to recharge the battery packs. The yacht is also equipped with wind turbines and solar panels for additional sources of renewable energy. A large, uncluttered deck space combined with a 63-foot beam creates a sense of calm. A sunken swimming pool on the bow is the matching Zen detail.

One 50 by Meyer Yachts

Startup brand Meyer Yachts recently announced a new concept called One 50, which is a 150-meter (492-foot) six-deck superyacht that will have accommodations for 44 guests, a two-level spa, a real movie theater with adjoining billiard room, an entertainment area with a stage, an art gallery and a huge infinity pool. Oh, and it will be powered by fuel cells and battery banks, so will generate zero carbon emissions. The system will generate 25,000 kilowatts giving this gigayacht a maximum speed of 23 knots.

Pure by Feadship

Feadship’s 268-foot Pure , also unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show, has at least one revolutionary feature—it places the traditional pilothouse below-decks, in a cabin that uses augmented-reality visualization that connects with radar, AIS, maps, depth sounders and cameras. That will allow the captain to see everything virtually—perhaps more than looking through the windshields of the pilothouse—with all necessary navigation information at hand. This kind of helm has been used on naval vessels like submarines, but never on a superyacht. Feadship said that the concept was embraced by many captains, particularly younger ones who are comfortable with technology.

Pure also has other breakthrough designs like a three-deck elliptical glass atrium, retractable glass-bottomed Jacuzzi amidships, and a large beach club with three fold-down balconies aft and both sides. Located half inside, half out, the atrium incorporates large slabs of glass to provide a clear line of sight across three of the five decks. Filling the interior with natural light, the vast central space means guests must look to private balconies for privacy.

Pure was also designed with flexible “energy-hybrid” propulsion that would evolve over time. From diesel electric in 2024, to hydrogen in 2027, to all-methanol fuel cells in 2030, the concept is designed to respond to advancing technology, depending on which sustainable fuels become most viable.

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5th International exhibition of boats and yachts Moscow Boat Show a Huge Success

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Written by Zuzana Bednarova

The first pavilion of Crocus Expo IEC hosted an extraordinary exposition of the 5th International exhibition of yachts and boats Moscow Boat Show. The show had been incredibly famous for five years already not only thanks to the specialists of the market segment as well as professional sportsmen but also thanks to those who consider sailing sport to be their hobby and well cherished dream.

Moscow Boat Show 2012

The organizer of the project was the Crocus Expo International Exhibition Centre. The show was supported by Aston Martin Moscow, Burevestnik Group logistics department and the Yachting specialized magazine.

The exposition space increased up to 30 000 sq m and was accommodated in all 4 exhibition halls of the fairgrounds! 280 Russian (Arkhangelsk, Vyborg, Kazan, Kaluga, Republic of Karelia, Moscow and Moscow region, Nizhny Novgorod, Novorossiysk, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, St. Petersburg, Sverdlovsk region, Sochi, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen and Yaroslavl region) and foreign ( Denmark , Germany , Holland , Greece , Spain , Italy , Cyprus , China , Latvia , Poland , USA , Turkey , Ukraine, Finland , France , Montenegro and Croatia ) companies participate in the show.

Moscow Boat Show provided the perfect platform from which to preview new products, evaluate market trends, and establish long-lasting and commercially profitable partnerships. Despite the dynamic changes taking place in Russia and the rapid growth of the yachting sector, the show continued to complement and reflect the industry’s demand and is a promotional opportunity not to be missed!

Unique exhibits were presented at the show for the first time: exposition of private submarines from U-Boat Russia company, Marquis Yachts 420 SB motor yacht from Sport Bridge S. Marine series, SAGA-415 yacht from Saga Boats Norwegian shipyard, Jetlev-Flyer from MS Watersports.

Moscow Boat Show a Great Success

More than 400 yachts were displayed within the frames of the event including the largest boats ever exhibited in Russia – the 19-meter giant motor yacht Princess 54 as well as the Princess 50 yacht from Nord Marine and Baja speed boat from Burevestnik.

Domfinland OY unveiled a luxury project from Finnish real estate: a seaside premium class hotel in Hanko named consonant with the location Merihanko.

The trade fair was traditionally opened by a Gala Opening Ceremony. Arcady Zlotnikov, First Deputy Director Crocus Expo IEC, was the first to take the floor at the official opening ceremony. He greeted warmly exhibitors, guests and visitors of Moscow Boat Show. Nikolay Krjuchek, Deputy Chief of the State Inspection on Small size Vessels (GIMS) of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Russia, Georguiy Shaiduko, Acting President of the Russian Yachting Federation (VFPS), Olympic champion in Atlanta and Ekaterina Grishechkina, Director of exhibition Moscow Boat Show also spoke at the ceremony.

The high-ranking guests noted dynamic development of the branch which well reasoned the intensive growth of the exposition and appearance of rather unique “gems”.

A number of business meetings and negotiations were held within the frames of the project: the exhibition was visited by a large delegation of Greek businessmen for the purpose of establishment of mutually beneficial cooperation with the Russian colleagues.

More than 400 yachts on display at the Show

Russian Yachting Federation (VFPS) celebrated its 100 anniversary within the frames of Moscow Boat Show and arranged an exposition of future sailing sport museum (rare awards, gifts, articles from private collections, pictures and etc.) which had been collected since 1912.

Due to carefully chosen running dates the show was visited by more than 26 000 people. The majority of the visitors were of targeted audience – vessel owners and specialists of the branch.

The work at the next edition of the show is under way! The show will be held in March 2013. The overall exhibit space will comprise 40 000 sq m. The exhibition will impress with exclusive exhibits and the latest technological achievements.

Moscow Boat Show was not only an entertaining but at the same time a business promotional event. Participation in the trade fair was a unique opportunity to present a company and products to a distinctly selected targeted audience of industry specialists. They were well prepared to discuss business in the Russian market and even to close a deal on-site.

The show helped representatives of yachting business to get acquainted with their Russian colleagues and gradually improved national yachting market to a new level. It is obvious that for 5 years of its running the project has turned to a status event of the international exhibitions calendar.

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "5th International exhibition of boats and yachts Moscow Boat Show a Huge Success ".

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