Dutch yard Feadship has launched the 79.5-metre Project 715 from its Aalsmeer site. Christened Valor, she marks the yard's latest entry into the explorer yacht genre, joining the likes of Shinkai and Moonshadow.
The steel-hulled, high-volume yacht was built for a repeat Feadship client and is equipped with a two-metre ice belt above and below the waterline, achieving a Bureau Veritas Young Ice 2 notation that can "easily fulfil [the owner's] dream" of transiting the Northwest Passage. This is complemented by heat exchangers that can recycle and capture latent energy, allowing Valor to manage severe Arctic conditions.
She also has "one of the most environmentally friendly and efficient yacht propulsion systems available today," according to the shipyard, with a diesel-electric, battery-powered propulsion system supported by a solar cell array on the mast.
Instead of main engines and auxiliary generators, Valor draws her energy from four variable-speed, ultra-efficient generators linked to a DC power grid and a water-cooled lithium-ion battery bank. The result is a zero-carbon footprint for up to two days – and five times the electrical power supply of the 83.5-metre Savannah, which was launched by the yard in 2015 as the world's first hybrid superyacht. Valor will also be trialled using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil BioFuel (HVO), which is said to "reduce carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent".
The styling, as requested by the American owner, includes a mix of a "battleship's dreadnaught bow" and a modernised take on a missile frigate.
"The owner had three directives," said Chris Bottoms at Studio De Voogt, which was responsible for exterior design. "The first [being] something that would be 'recognisable from outer space'. He eschewed both the wedding cake and the common curvaceous designs found on yachts."
This design brief resulted in generous, walk-around decks, with both the owner and bridge decks featuring widened bulwarks. This led to extra outdoor lounge space on the owner's deck, providing room for a grass-filled "relief station" and shower for the owner's three Golden Retrievers.
Accommodation is for up to 14 guests, with six cabins on the main deck and an entire level dedicated to the owner. This area has a forward-facing cabin staring out across the helideck, an al fresco lounge with a private Jacuzzi, a large en suite dressing room, and an office. A skylounge offers formal dining for the owner and his guests, with sliding glass walls for indoor-outdoor flexibility.
Interiors are undisclosed but said to follow the "clean lines" and chamfers of Valor's exterior design. British studio Bannenberg & Rowell has opted for a mix of vintage and mid-century aesthetics, complemented by high-quality stonework and custom furnishings from the likes of George Nakashima, Linley, Pollaro and Silver Lining. The main staircase, designed by Bannenberg & Rowell, is a major showpiece made up of 48,001 parts, including solid bronze and stone.
On the leisure side, the contra-flow infinity pool (at 8.4 by 2.6 metres) and the starboard side tender door are some of the largest Feadship has ever built on an 80-metre yacht. A second Jacuzzi for the guests dominates the sundeck forward, encircled by sunpads, while informal outdoor dining can be found aft. Other highlights include a bridge deck gym, a massage and beauty room on the lower deck and an elevator, which connects all six of the yacht's decks.
The beach club features oversized doors that fold down to open the space to "amazing views and breezes", while on the port side, the water toys, exercise equipment and dive gear will be displayed for guest use.
Valor will be able to reach a maximum speed of over 15 knots and a cruising speed of 11 knots of twin Schottel EcoPeller azimuthing thrusters.
The explorer yacht is scheduled for a late summer delivery and will premiere at this year's Monaco Yacht Show.
This reveal follows a sequence of highly secretive Feadship sightings, including the 79.8-metre Project 716, the 88-metre Project 828 and the 100-metre Project 824, which shares similarities with the Jarkko Jämsen-designed Feadship, 818.
There has also been great movement outside the sheds, with the announcement that Henk de Vries III would be stepping down as director of Feadship and CEO of De Vries.
Read More/Feadship director Henk de Vries III to retire after four decades at the helm