NAVIS Dec '13 / Jan '14

Picture a race car that has been repurposed for the streets of Europe’s finest cities. With enough imagination, you might envision something that looks like the McLaren P1.

McLaren, which has over 50 years of experiencing designing race cars, has poured all of its knowledge into this luxurious, high-tech machine. The car represents the culmination of tireless research and innovation. Even a cursory look at it shows that the new design stands as one of the world’s finest driving cars.

Southern Wind Shipyard relied on a trusted team of naval architects and designers to build Hevea, a custom yacht that can travel long distances, even through some of the world’s coldest waters. The owner clearly wanted a yacht that would let him and his family travel the world in style, safety, and comfort. This put special pressure on designers to build a unique vessel that could travel thousands of miles without leaving guests stranded in unfamiliar waters.

To meet these goals, Southern Wind Shipyard teamed with Farr Yacht Design and Nauta Yacht Design, the same groups that have worked on many other Southern Wind projects.

When ordering Chopi Chopi from Ferretti Group’s CRN yacht builder, the owner specified that he wanted the ship to feel like a “family house.” He also requested interior designer Laura Sessa work with the CRN Engineering team, which created the boat’s naval architecture plan, and Studio Zuccon International Project, which helped develop the exterior design and interior layout.

The result is a beautiful 80-meter megayacht, CRN’s newest flagship boat, capable of carrying 12 guests and 31 crew members in complete luxury.

When most people think of luxury yachts, they imagine the kinds of glamorous boats with interiors that look like those of modern hotels. The Baltic 107, Inukshuk, challenges that idea by offering luxurious spaces that draw inspiration from nature rather than glamour.

Redefining the luxury yacht concept isn’t an easy job.  To reach its lofty goal, Baltic Yachts worked with some of the most experienced professionals in the boating industry, including naval architect Germán Frers; interior designer Adam Lay; and project manager Nigel Ingram from MCM. Mark von Drashek and Georges Bourgouignie of GCB Marine also played crucial roles in building a ship that looked like an extension of nature.

Heesen’s designers and naval architects had to think far outside of the box to build Galactica Star. The 65-meter yacht is the biggest that Heesen has ever built. It’s also the world’s first aluminum yacht to use a fast displacement hull. This innovative approach to design makes Galactica Star 30 percent more efficient than similar yachts.

Galactica Star includes technological breakthroughs, but it does so in combination with a variety of aesthetics that make it feel more like a luxury beach club than a yacht. Designers put special attention in every detail to build a unique experience for the owner and his guests.