70m in-build CRN Project Thunderball nears completion

Italian shipyard CRN has announced that its 70-metre superyacht, known as CRN M/Y 145 Project Thunderball, has entered the final stages of construction at the Ferretti Group Superyacht Yard in Ancona.

Progress is being made simultaneously on her exteriors and interiors, with installations underway from the lower deck up. The 1,110GT new build is expected to hit the water in spring 2026.

Sold by Y.CO in August 2022 and announced in July of last year,  the five-deck vessel comes from the drawing boards of Vripack, which created the exterior lines and the preliminary naval architecture, and Nauta, which were responsible for the interiors and outdoor social areas.

A first-time collaboration for the four parties, Project Thunderball 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.

She 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.

In terms of the interior, artwork and colour are key themes on board, with Mario Pedol, co-founder of Nauta, previously noting that “several areas are specifically thought for properly positioning the artworks or loose furniture elements”.

The new build's interiors are set to combine creativity and practicality, with each area maintaining its own identity without "breaking the overall sense of consistency" on board. Multiple natural materials, including stone, leather, wood, metal and fabrics, have been carefully chosen to characterise the spaces, with Nauta involved throughout the production chains back to the material's sources.

A key feature of Project Thunderball's design is the continuity between her interior spaces and exterior decks, with echoed geometries and proportions creating a cohesive flow across her profile. “The interior design is based on a game of geometry, both for layers and for shapes,” Pedol previously explained. “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.”

Lighting is also a major factor in the yacht's design. Bespoke, fully integrated lighting (sometimes hidden or otherwise a feature) and "detailed technical studies" have been used to create an intimate atmosphere on board while simultaneously reflecting materials and shapes "at their best". Another highlight is the implementation of "top-tier but discreet" onboard systems.

“Nauta has always thought that true luxury onboard lifestyle is achieved through the most direct connection with the surrounding environment,” Pedol continued. “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.

"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 an interview earlier this year. 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.

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

The yacht features a six-cabin layout accommodating up to 12 guests, comprising 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. 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, the brand of Ferretti Group currently has four yachts in build or on order, including the secretive 85-metre CRN 144. The yard celebrated the delivery of its full-custom 67.6-metre Amor à Vida (previously known as Project Maranello) earlier this summer.