It came as no surprise to discover that the Monaco Yacht Show 2021 was a tad more subdued than in the past. The cancellation of the 2020 event threw a spanner in the complex nautical logistics required to see the global fleet of superyachts sail from one charter hotspot to another, taking in the key events along the way. That said, the industry is hardly reeling. One of the knock-on effects of the pandemic era is that the rich have continued to get richer, often dramatically so. As a result, the yacht-building world and its many affiliate and spin-off industries are steaming ahead like there’s no tomorrow.
The first six months of 2020 were hard, but demand roared back and now charter and brokerage are bucking all economic trends. Traditionally, shipyards and yacht designers tend to launch a fleet of conceptual visions at this point in the season in order to tempt owners to upgrade, or nautical novices to take the plunge for the first time. Here is our selection of the latest yacht concepts, revealing what’s projected for the years to come.
New horizons for superyachts
Feadship Pure
At 81.75m, Dutch shipyard Feadship’s proposed Pure is a sizeable yacht with a minimal ethos. Penned by Studio De Voogt in collaboration with Feadship’s in-house ‘Knowledge and Innovation’ department, Pure pushes the boundaries of what’s needed to run a superyacht. The conventional bridge has been replaced by a virtual ‘command centre’, freeing up the upper superstructure for more leisure space, while the smooth, seamless lines maximise the feeling of space. The shipyard claims everything is feasible and work could start tomorrow.
Oceanco Kairos
The Kairos is a collaboration between shipbuilder Oceanco, designer Pininfarina and engineers at Lateral. Combining a hybrid powerplant with an asymmetrical superstructure, the yacht is organised around a central ‘piazza’, an inside-outside space spanning the width of the hull. The ambitious design, part of Oceanco’s NXT future initiative, is intended to lure younger and more dynamic customers into the industry, people who aren’t turned on by traditional superyachts.
Tankoa T760 Apache
The glass-bottomed swimming pool has become a polarising symbol of excess in recent months, so it’s hardly surprising to find them showing up in concept superyachts. The Tankoa T760 Apache is a proposal by designer Alberto Mancini for the Italian company. The 76m yacht is made from steel and aluminium, with not one but two pools, including the 9.5m glass-bottomed one that oversails the gym and seating area.
MM770 Concept
Another yacht concept that pushes an architectural angle, the MM770 is a design collaboration between two Hampshire-based yacht studios, Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design and Mark Whiteley Design. Working alongside Feadship to ensure the design was production-ready, the two teams have created a substantial superyacht with a crew of 15. The rear beach club is expanded by the folding side bulwarks, and the onboard gym and spa connects the swim platforms directly to the guest accommodation.
markwhiteleydesign.com; malcolmmckeonyachtdesign.com
ShadowCAT
The rise of the support ship is one of the more contentious superyacht design trends; to facilitate sleek, elegant boats with expansive deck space, a whole industry has grown up to create secondary vessels that tail along behind, bearing ‘toys’ like jet skis, submarines and powerboats, as well as space to house a helicopter and additional crew. ShadowCAT’s ToyBox concept maximises the available storage with its catamaran hull, cramming the complement of kit into its relatively compact 48m length.
Faro Boats
Portuguese company Faro Boats believes it is offering the first ever electric boat and solar charging dock, a combo set to transform remote docking spots. The compact 5m speed boat seats up to five and is designed to be paired with the panel-topped floating dock. This contains batteries and an access point and can be used to raise the Faro out of the water for maintenance as well as provide a charge.
Sorgiovanni Designs ZeRO
A far more futuristic proposal from Sorgiovanni Designs, the ZeRO is a superyacht for the as-yet uncharted hydrogen era. At 94m, the ZeRO concept is on the large side of the superyacht spectrum, with space for a retractable helipad at the bow, and four tiers of rear decks stepping down to the water. The proposed electric power unit is driven by hydrogen fuel cells and conventional batteries.
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