70m in-build CRN Project Thunderball reaches construction milestone

Italian shipyard CRN has announced that its 70-metre superyacht, known only as Project Thunderball, is striding towards the final phases of construction at the Ferretti Group Superyacht Yard in Ancona, with the hull and superstructure carpentry fully completed. 

The yard expects the fairing phase to reach completion by the end of summer 2025, with delivery scheduled for 2026. Work continues to advance steadily on the 1,110GT yacht, with fitting operations and onboard systems installation progressing, as well as advancements on the structural elements. Meanwhile, the design and fabrication of the wooden exterior fixtures are also proceeding. 

Project Thunderball is typified by a classic elongated bow, sleek profile and "graceful, sailboat-inspired lines", which are "complemented by gently curved bilges", according to the yard.

Sold by Y.CO in August 2022 and announced in July of last year,  the five-deck vessel comes from the drawing boards of Nauta Design and Vripack. A first-time collaboration for the four parties, it has been described as one of the team’s most “demanding” undertakings yet, designed to fulfil an exacting owner’s brief for a highly technical and capable yacht that avoids the “floating palace” look and feel.

In terms of the interior, the installation of structural furniture for the guest and crew lower deck will commence by summer. The VIP areas on the owner’s deck are also advancing at a steady pace, with the first fully finished cabins expected to be installed between June and July. On the main deck, insulation work in key areas such as the main saloon and wheelhouse has been completed. 

A key milestone in the interior outfitting process will be the installation of initial furniture pieces on board, anticipated between late spring and early summer, which will showcase the refined woodwork, finishes and bespoke detailing according to the owner’s vision and requests.

"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 has 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 Project Thunderball in a recent interview. He said: "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". He continued: "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 the lines of sailing boats and will be accompanied by a smaller sailing yacht that will tag alongside. The superyacht will be located between the Mediterranean, the Bahamas and Florida and be used as a base for spearfishing, sailing and diving. 

Explaining the yacht’s technical platform, Hoekstra said: “We took the utmost care to [create] a set of hull lines that focus on highly economical cruising combined with a very soft and comfortable ride”. To this end, the yacht’s entry lines are sharp, akin to a sailing yacht, and her bilges are curved. 

Her hull is one of the “most efficient ones we’ve ever designed,” added Hoekstra. The shipyard echoed this, saying the yacht would be fitted with a peak shaving system to increase energy efficiency and slash fuel consumption.

“Like all the yachts designed and built by CRN,  Project Thunderball is an expression of high-level naval architecture, engineering, artisanal skills and Italian quality," said Stefano de Vivo, chief commercial officer at Ferretti Group.  

A CRN spokesperson added that the yacht has "a clean, sober, retro style" which echoes the vintage lines of F100, the first explorer designed in 1983 by CRN. "It is a superyacht rich in details, but at first glance very simple."

In terms of the interior, artwork and colour are key themes on board, with Mario Pedol, co-founder of Nauta Design, noting that “several areas are specifically thought for properly positioning the artworks or loose furniture elements”. This ties into an overall focus on the layout and circulation of Project Thunderball, with an indoor-outdoor connection underscoring every space.

“Nauta has always thought that true luxury onboard lifestyle is achieved through the most direct connection with the surrounding environment,” explained Pedol. “This is achieved through design choices like very large glazing. We worked a lot with CRN to optimise structures and technical solutions […] to have better natural light illuminating the interiors”. Solutions like “leaning” the mullion structures in the windows of the main saloon aim to improve the perception of light and offer unobstructed views over the surroundings.

The project is unique for its use of colour as “a true starring role” with “inventive” uses throughout, Pedol added. Alternating and complementary colours aim to add a sense of character to the interior, and every guest cabin on board has a distinctive colour scheme that is mirrored in the marble of the en suites. "At home, all of our bedrooms have different colours and we wanted to replicate that," noted the owner.

Contrasts can also be seen in the use of lines and shapes. “The interior design is based on a game of geometry, both for layers and for shapes,” said Pedol. “This combination creates dynamism and rhythm in the interior: you never feel the space as too flat, on the contrary, geometry is always in motion with its details and finishings creating an intriguing movement.”

"I've worked with Vripack before on some stuff, and I really like what they do," the owner added. "And for Nauta, I really like their designs on [the first] My Song. I like that they're sailing yacht designers."

The owner has had a number of yachts over the years, but the 70-metre Project Thunderball will be his upper limit.

The yacht has a six-cabin layout with an owner’s suite, five further VIP cabins and space for a crew of 15 across nine cabins. Amenities include a gym and spa. Project Thunderball has also been tailored with watersports in mind for a “family [who] enjoys activities on and in the water”, said Hoekstra. In terms of tenders, she can carry two nine-metre tenders on the bow and a suite of kiteboards, paddleboards and surfboards.

The steel and aluminium yacht has a beam of 11 metres and a “relatively shallow” draught of 3.2 metres, allowing her to sail and anchor closer to shore, explained Hoekstra. He added: “A rigorous CFD and tank testing programme was conducted by us to support the development of the lines plan.” Performance-wise, the yacht is equipped with MAN V12-1213kW engines, providing her with a top speed of 16 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots.

This update comes at a busy time for the yard, with the brand of Ferretti Group also recently announcing the delivery of its full-custom 67.6-metre Amor à Vida (previously known as Project Maranello).