REV: Espen Øino on Vard's record-breaking 182.9m extreme build

182.9 metre Vard explorer yacht REV, the largest in-build project in the world, is one of the most exciting things happening in the yachting industry right now. Along with the technical innovations she promises, a large part of REV's appeal is the marine science and research barriers her owner hopes to break once delivered.

Ordered in May 2017 by Kjell Inge Røkke’s ocean research company Rosellinis Four-10 and due to launch in 2020, REV was designed by superyacht supremo Espen Øino. Her interior will be able to accommodate up to 90 people, including crewmembers, scientists and researchers as well as the owner and his guests.

Speaking at the Superyacht Design Symposium 2018 in Kitzbühel, Øino revealed that the owner did not originally intend to build the world's largest yacht: "I always say that the length, beam and dimensions aren’t the starting point, they are the result. The vessel was initially around 140 metres, but with a more specific brief it became the length it is now."

REV’s vast on board auditorium will be fitted with tiered seating, meaning it can host up to 40 people. Fitted out with a Dolby ATMOS sound system, this will be the perfect place for scientists and marine conservation enthusiasts to discuss their discoveries. Other on board facilities will include refrigerated, wet and dry laboratories for both teaching and environmental research.

In total 4,000 square metres of on board space will be dedicated to research equating to roughly 40% of _REV'_s 17,440GT interior. The owner plans to spend time on board with his family and friends, mingling with scientists and researchers, but the main purpose of REV is to provide a platform for studying the world's oceans.

Another key part of REV's purpose is to help clean up the oceans and for this reason, she will be fitted with trawler nets that can collect floating items and feed them into a state-of-the-art on board incinerator. The resulting heat will be used to power on board systems, all while keeping the noxious fumes released to an absolute minimum.

Severin Ulstein of Vard explained, "It’s not really a quantum leap in technology, we’ve just taken everything we know is out there at the moment and combined it into one vessel with as low a carbon footprint as possible."

Perhaps the most impressive feature of REV is her globetrotting capability. Vard estimates that she will have a range of 21,120 nautical miles when cruising at 11 knots, meaning that she will be able to do a circumnavigation without needing to refuel.

Part of REV’s marine conservation programme will include catching and studying rare and endangered species of fish. Her highly advanced trawler system will also be used to collect live species from up to 3,000 metres below the surface. It can be adjusted to target a particular size of fish and release those that don't match.

What’s more, her moon pool will allow both manned and autonomous submersibles to be lowered into the water through an opening in the bottom of the hull that measures 7.7 metres by five metres.