January 27th, 2010
timurhanc
In 2008, the Dutch shipbuilder Feadship launched what is arguably its most innovative yacht to date, the 239-foot Predator. It only takes a quick glance at Predator’s menacing bow and aggressive lines to understand why the yacht was named as it was. Predator’s groundbreaking design is a triumph of both form and function. The distinctive reverse bow slices through the water—rather than pushing through it the way displacement hulls do—thus allowing a top speed of more than 25 knots. One could argue this bow design also bests more traditional shapes because it eliminates much of the up-and-down pitching motion that causes seasickness among passengers. (Some credit must also be given to Predator’s nonretractable Quantum zero-speed stabilizers, which cancel out most of the yacht’s side-to-side rolling motion.)
Predator has four MTU 16V 595 TE90 engines that produce a combined 23,000 brake horsepower. To accommodate these beasts, Feadship built its tallest-ever engine room for a yacht. Predator’s draft is also notable: It measures just over 12 feet, making this the deepest hull built to date at Feadship’s De Vries yard.
Bannenberg Designs, of London, crafted Predator’s owner and guest areas in conformation with specific weight restrictions, so as not to affect the yacht’s speed. To this end, Bannenberg employed marble laminates alongside light-toned Karelian birch with dark accents of Macassar ebony and zebrano. The company also commissioned furniture made from lightweight materials for use throughout the yacht.
To the dismay of some yacht watchers, early photos of Predator revealed a dull, iron-gray hull that made the vessel look more like a surfaced submarine than a luxury yacht. But just after the boat’s sea trials, Feadship removed what turned out to be a protective Awlgrip coating, revealing a rich blue hull with accents in white and blood red—appropriate for a true predator.
Tags:
Bannenberg,
Feadship,
furniture,
gray hull,
London,
Luxury,
luxury yacht,
marble,
Predator,
sea,
shipbuilder,
triumph,
Watch,
yacht
Posted in Yacht & Sailing
Tags: Bannenberg, Feadship, furniture, gray hull, London, Luxury, luxury yacht, marble, Predator, sea, shipbuilder, triumph, Watch, yacht
January 27th, 2010
timurhanc
For many years, Christensen has made its name on custom-series motoryachts that share the same hull and propulsion systems. But the Washington-based shipyard has really excelled at incorporating the “custom” into the series. It has long abandoned the cookie-cutter approach adopted by other series builders. Each new Christensen over the last five years has been unique, ranging from the extremely ornate Casino Royale, with its richly crafted interior (including glass etchings of Bond girls in the foyer) to the elegant but simple Primadonna. Both yachts recently sold for more than the owners paid for them, a testament to Christensen’s reputation in the market.
Odessa, launched last summer, is yet another departure for Christensen. Its black hull and metallic silver superstructure give the yacht a futuristic appeal, and the raised bulwark along the length of the yacht gives it a more linear profile. Christensen also widened the side decks by six feet to give the European owners more room to roam. The 160-foot motoryacht was also designed to roam the globe, with a transatlantic range of 4,000 miles and top speed of 18 knots. The series approach has allowed Christensen to work out any kinks in the engineering, so its yachts are extremely reliable.
Odessa’s interior was designed around the minimalistic furniture of Armani Casa. Christensen’s design team consulted extensively with Armani on the interior, surrounding the decor with rich, dark hardwoods, muted fabrics, and contrasting stonework such as white onyx and black obsidian. Like the exterior, the overall impression is one of residing in a luxury designer apartment in Paris or New York, though the ocean view is unrivaled. The large rectangular hot tub on the sundeck, a Christensen signature for Odessa, makes the view even more exceptional.
Tags:
Armani,
bulwark,
Christensen,
Designer,
furniture,
motoryacht,
New York,
Odessa,
Paris,
Primadonna,
shipyard
Posted in Yacht & Sailing
Tags: Armani, bulwark, Christensen, Designer, furniture, motoryacht, New York, Odessa, Paris, Primadonna, shipyard
