Announced in 2010, the 141 metre sailing superyacht Dream Symphony was revealed with a number of groundbreaking promises. The four-masted schooner-rigged sailing yacht, currently in build at Dream Ship Victory’s yard in Bozburun, Turkey, would become the largest sailing yacht in the world when launched.
Constructed entirely from wood, epoxy laminated iroko to be precise, it would also break numerous engineering feats. RINA was approached to certify construction, but there was a problem - it had never certified any wooden structure measuring over 30m in length.
This resulted in a scientific research project spearheaded by designer Dykstra Naval Architects, which involved composite experts and extensive tests undertaken by Italian universities and Dutch laboratories. By the end of the process, RINA was satisfied and construction on the truly unique project began, with the keel laid in 2011.
Since then, progress on the project has stalled and now Burgess is seeking a new owner to bring the yacht to completion. Luckily, the project isn’t shy of unique selling points. For starters, it's designed by Dykstra and Ken Freivokh – who also worked on the 106m Black Pearl and 88m Maltese Falcon But unlike Black Pearl and Maltese Falcon, both of which are constructed from steel and aluminium, Dream Symphony features a unique all-wood construction providing a "warmer environment”, as well as being renewable and recyclable, according to Burgess.
While the original concept, according to Freivokh, called for “a very traditional schooner in terms of the rig”, the layout of the interior was less conventional. In fact the interior concept was almost completely created around a “very private owner’s quarters”.
Split across two levels with an atrium and spiral staircase, this dedicated apartment includes a bedroom, bathroom, and private lounge on the lower deck while an adjoining saloon and office sit on the main deck above. “The owner almost has the whole rear section to themselves”, Freivokh says. The rest of the accommodation sits on the lower deck and sleeps 16 guests in eight cabins, including two VIPs, three doubles, one twin and two convertible rooms.
Elsewhere, the yacht features a convertible conservatory located between the owner’s living quarters and the main lobby, which can be closed at the “touch of a button”, according to Freivokh. Areas like this were key to the owner’s brief of having “the feeling of being outside while being inside”. Elsewhere, the yacht features a double-height swimming pool on the aft deck, complete with a rising bottom that transforms into a dancefloor or helipad.
The extensive list of amenities also includes meeting rooms and a large spa, with hair and nail salons, a massage room and a gym. Burgess sums it up neatly. “The sheer scale of Project Dream Symphony is jaw-dropping.”
While construction has been stalled for some time, Freivokh reports that the hull is now “pretty much complete”. It hasn’t been completely mothballed either, with the yard using a “skeleton crew” to keep work ticking over. “They are keeping it in very good condition”, he adds. For now though, the search for a new owner to finally complete this record-breaking project continues. “When she does launch,” Burgess adds, “she will redefine superyacht sailing for the modern age in a way that honours the past and acknowledges the future.”