| For many owners, the concept of enjoying a 'home at sea' is what drives their passion for yachting. But when industry standards and regulatory constraints come into play that simple vision is often lost. Not so for the owner of Vripack's new 55m yacht, whose desire to use his boat as a family apartment became the founding principle of the entire design. Underpinned by the Dutch studio's engineering expertise and inexhaustive creativity, the result is the very essence of living on the water.
Renowned for a holistic approach to design, the interior, exterior, naval architecture and engineering all derive from Vripack's design boards. Virtual reality was used to fin-tune the turnkey solution, enhancing the owner's understanding of space planning, sight lines and layout all from the comfort of his home in the Middle East. |
|
|
| "The virtual reality was a big surprise to the owner, and he loved it because it made it so easy to understand the space and its interaction with the outdoors - far more so than renderings and sketches," says Bart Bouwhuis, Vripack's Co-Creative Director. "Ultimately that resulted in the entire design working in such a way that it exceeded his expectations."
Built in steel and aluminium by Turkish shipyard Alia Yachts, and under the 500GT threshold, design emphasis has been put on the yacht's vast exterior areas and the flow between indoors and out. Structural elements have been kept to a minimum, including the removal of window posts and fixed joinery to allow unobstructed views. Glass plays a central role, with glass bulwarks all around and expansive windows stretching from floor to ceiling. And intimate family areas, including a drop-down bulwark in the cosy dining area, are paired with an almost endless owner's aft deck. |
|
|
| Due to her main dimensions, the comfort rating has been increased by 40% compared to other 500GT vessels, ensuring excellent seaworthiness and comfort at sea while greatly reducing sea sickness incidence. In addition, the elongated hull design has a Bahama draft of 2,1m allowing her to travel safely in shallow waters. The efficient lines plan of the optimised hull uses around 35% less fuel than other 500GT vessels at the same speeds, increasing her range with the same amount.
Geometric lines shape the open-plan interior and the minimum of fixed furniture contributes to the homey atmosphere. An exposed floating staircase featuring a semi-transparent art installation ascends all the way to the sun deck. The generous owner's suite benefits from a split-level bathroom, open-plan stairs, and a private 4m pool on the foredeck. Carefully implemented lighting provides a soft and welcoming ambience throughout, enriched by an optimised night mode. The entire design is pulled together by the sprawling beach club whereby semi-transparent sides create a wind-protected area, and a direct connection to the water heightens the onboard experience. |
|
|
The Owner comments: "I'm thrilled to have selected three companies of such pedigree and calibre in the yachting sector to work with. I'm very much looking forward to the build being completed in the near future, and keenly await the day when I can experience life on board and travel the world with my family and friends." Francesco Pitea, CEO of SF Yachts who brought all parties together and serves as owner's representative, comments: "I'm delighted to build this new 55m project in collaboration with Vripack and Alia yachts. It's the first time all three companies have joined together, and in doing so, SF Yachts and Vripack have created a new way of designing and building superyachts that will change the way potential buyers approach a new build project in the future. This marks the start of very exciting times." Gökhan Çelik, President of Alia Yachts comments: "This is a hugely exciting project as it will be rated below the 500GT threshold, which is quite a challenge for a 55-meter yacht. We're also working hard to maintain an aggressive build schedule of just 24 months. And we're extremely proud the client decided to build with us after carefully researching other international shipyards together with SF Yachts." |
|
|
| Vripack is a yacht design studio, made strong through its extensive naval architecture and engineering experience. With decades of experience at its disposal and a portfolio that represents over 7,400 designs, Vripack has been able to evolve its processes to be as efficient and as effective as possible.
Vripack’s unique working structure, which provides an holistic approach to the design of a yacht, ensures that we produce better boats in less time. Our involvement in the entire process of designing the safest and most durable yachts ensures that clients and their guests feel at home at sea. |
|
|
|
|
