CRN delivers 70m full-custom superyacht Cerulean

Italian shipyard CRN has announced the delivery of its full-custom superyacht, the 70-metre Cerulean, previously known as Project Thunderball. 

The update comes after the yacht's completion of outfitting, sea trials and final tests, following her launch from the Ferretti Group's Ancona shipyard in June. The 1,100GT, steel and aluminium build is the result of a collaboration between Dutch studio Vripack, which was responsible for the exterior design, preliminary naval architecture and general arrangement, and Italian firm Nauta, which developed the interiors and outdoor living areas. 

According to BOATPro, the project was sold in 2022, with construction beginning the following year. Brokerage firm Y.CO acted as the owner’s representative and project management team throughout the build.

Throughout construction, Cerulean was described as one of the team’s most demanding collaborations, designed to fulfil an exacting owner's brief for a highly technical and capable yacht that avoids the "floating palace" look and feel. The result is a custom superyacht defined by a classic elongated bow, a slender profile and "graceful, sailboat-inspired lines", complemented by gently curved bilges and a "seamless surface". 

According to the yard, continuity between interiors and exteriors is core to Cerulean's design, with echoed geometries and proportions creating a cohesive flow across her four decks. 

The interiors (which remain private) were developed to "transcend trends and time" and reflect a strong connection to maritime culture, combining traditional detailing with a contemporary aesthetic. Material selections, technical solutions and spatial arrangements were all designed in close collaboration with the owner to balance functionality with personalisation.

Each area is said to maintain its own identity without "breaking the overall sense of consistency" on board; the design language, for example, features recurring patterns and proportions reinterpreted through a variety of materials, scales and functions. Accommodation is for up to 12 guests across an owner's suite and five VIP cabins, while crew accommodation is for 15 in a nine-cabin layout. 

"It's taken two years of designing," the owner told BOAT International at the beginning stage of the yacht's life cycle. The finished result is a low profile that Marnix J. Hoekstra, co-creative director and partner at Vripack, said is “deliberately reminiscent of times past”.

Hoekstra spoke to BOAT International about Cerulean in an interview last year, noting: "I still have those original drawings which, to an untrained eye, are just a lot of lines. And they would say, 'Well, they will look the same'. When working with this owner, we were saying, 'We should put it one hair higher, just one hair higher – let's see how it works'. It's rare to find yacht owners with that eye for detail on such elements."

Hoekstra added that the owner – a sailing yacht aficionado – was firm in his desire for a limited number of decks and a profile not dissimilar to the look of The One (now V2V). As such, Project Thunderball draws inspiration from sailing boats and will be accompanied by a smaller sailing yacht that will tag alongside. Following her delivery, Cerulean will be located between the Mediterranean, the Bahamas and Florida and will be used as a base for spearfishing, sailing and diving.

In terms of technical details, the yacht is equipped with an Energy Storage System designed to manage onboard energy flows according to operational requirements. The system supports peak-shaving functionality and silent operation at anchor, contributing to reduced fuel consumption and improved energy efficiency.

She has a beam of 11 metres and a “relatively shallow” draught of 3.2 metres, allowing her to sail and anchor closer to shore. Performance-wise, the yacht is equipped with MAN V12-1213kW engines, providing her with a top speed of 15.5 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots.

According to BOATPro, CRN currently has three yachts in build or on order, including the secretive 86.5-metre CRN 144.  BOATPro recently spoke to Ferretti Group's new Global CEO, Stassi Anastassov, about his plans for the future of the €1.23 billion empire.