Alexander McDiarmid teams up with Ghost Yachts on 55m superyacht concept G180X

Designer Alexander McDiarmid has unveiled his latest 55-metre superyacht concept, named Project G180X. The designs have been released in collaboration with Dutch builder Ghost Yachts, who have described it as “hauntingly beautiful”.

Designed with an aluminium hull and an aluminium and CFRP superstructure, G180X has Ghost Yachts’ trademark reverse bow, first used on its 80-metre flagship concept G250.

The project marks a departure from Ghost Yachts’ original designs, however, with a raised pilot house, resulting in a uniquely low profile, alongside tunnelled ServogearEcoflow propulsors and an updated Fast Displacement Hull Form (FDHF).

This allows for adaptability and range in speed, with the G180X able run on one, two or four engines on demand. The 499GT G180X can reach a maximum speed of 35 knots under trial conditions, with a range of 4000 nautical miles when pared back to 11 knots.

Accommodation is for ten, with further complement for nine crew. While the superyacht has an owner-adaptable arrangement, initial designs feature five VIP cabins located in the hull and one owner’s suite, spanning the full nine-metre beam and situated on the main deck. The owner’s cabin includes an ensuite, dressing room and balconies.

The central focus is the saloon, with its full deck-height glazing and port and starboard balconies. Further leisure areas are found in the bridge deck, which features a bar and the wellness and spa area, located in the aft hull. Fold-down bulwarks are included to increase the space. The sunken foredeck towards the bow contains the tender garage, able to house a 6.3-metre tender accessible by a hidden knuckle crane for easy crew operations.

“I’m very excited to see how much innovation became available in the past decade,” said founder of Ghost Yachts, Björn Moonen. “We took our original idea and rethought the entire concept from the bottom up. We created something that is even smarter, more efficient, and, most of all, more sustainable than the original concept.”

Key features of G180X’s eco-minded design are the use of lighter glass materials with a higher insulation value, an inverted-based HVAC system, and improved thermal and acoustic insulation throughout the vessel, resulting in a lower power demand overall.

This marks Alexander McDiarmid’s fifth collaboration with Ghost Yachts, preceded by the GWP-345.