Feadship has debuted its 83-metre eco-concept Dunes at the Monaco Yacht Show, which has been described as "a big leap" toward the shipyard's goal of "net zero superyachts".
Assessed using YETI tooling, Dunes is estimated to "eliminate up to 95 percent of the potential negative environmental factors associated with operating a superyacht", compared to a yacht meeting today's minimum environmental regulations. Dunes will be built in a "low impact", "high scrap content" steel and aluminium, with eco-minded features that include a signature cooling mast design, extra-capacity storage batteries, a new type of fuel cell and a radical propulsor.
Studio De Voogt is the mind behind Dunes' unconventional design, meant to mimic "undulating waves, not of water, but of sand". An organic aesthetic is achieved through its asymmetric superstructure and absence of straight lines, creating an inconsistent body that appears "to shift with light and shadow". The design's updated ventilation system and relocated bridge exhibit an evolution from previous Feadship concepts Breathe (2010) and Pure (2021).
Dunes' spacious, shaded walk-around decks are a crucial feature, protecting from the elements, offering alternate circulation routes and providing ample outdoor seating. Studio de Voogt envisioned al fresco lounges that would appear "as islands on the decks" and so have rendered them in golden maple wood, an eco-friendly replacement for teak. All staircases are circular or gently curved, as are the windows and doors of full-height glass – whose heat loads are abated by "60 per cent" thanks to curved overhangs supported by a maple-clad column. Teak has also been abolished from all decking, made instead of millions of tiny glass and stone chips sealed in a transparent aliphatic polyurethane resin.
Notably, the uppermost pavilion deck structure is built of "CO2-negative" treated timber, boasting a high natural insulating capacity without an unnecessary increase in weight. Surrounded by glass, the upper deck is arranged with a Jacuzzi and informal dining area and is able to be outfitted for "any number of purposes, from night club to conference room".
Circular stairs lead from this area to the yacht's signature 10-metre mast, part of Studio de Voogt's "Cool Core Concept". The mast shape is a triangle of convex and concave foils that draw air up the central staircase from other parts of the ship, without the need for fans and ducts. Feadship calculates that this "simple physics" reduces HVAC energy use by 35 per cent on an annual basis. The mast has also been engineered with a slim, two-blade vane for solar and wind power which, used only at anchor, can yield about 25 MWh per year.
While projected specs have not been disclosed, Dunes will be powered by a high-efficiency electric propulsion system from ABB called the ABB Dynafin.
In development and testing for 10 years (and unveiled last May), the Dynafin utilises revolving, vertical blades to mimic the thrust of a whale's tail – reportedly "one of the most efficient forms of thrust ever seen". The system is driven by electricity generated from solid oxide fuel cells that use "green methanol" as a reaction agent, due to its relatively high energy density and ease of storage. The first Dynafin prototype is estimated to be available in 2025.
According to BOAT Pro, Feadship has 15 yachts currently under construction. Most recently, the shipyard's elusive Project 822 was launched at its Van Lent facility on Kaag Island.
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