French designer Philippe Briand has shared new designs for a new 60-metre sailing yacht ketch dubbed Kaze. As well as high internal volumes and a wide beam, the yacht has been envisioned with energy regeneration solutions that will allow Kaze to produce and store its own kinetic energy.
According to a press release, Kaze has gone "well beyond the concept stage", with technical input from key players including sail manufacturer Southern Spars, Francesca Muzio of FM Architecture, and interest from "some of the world’s most prestigious shipyards as build partners".
Briand said there were many compelling reasons to use a ketch rigging over a sloop. “While we can design and engineer large sloops to cope with the massive rig loads, they still make unwieldy and intimidating boats to sail. Where’s the pleasure, the joy, the accessibility?" he said.
"If you want a yacht to be comfortable for living and sailing, it makes sense to start from a ketch design, for a 499 GT," he added.
Another key focus of the design is luxury living and a connection to the outside world. The beach club is comparable in size to yachts with a much higher LOA, according to Briand, and features unfolding bulwarks that form overwater terraces and a large platform with integrated steps that descend below the waterline for easy access to the sea.
The yacht's design centres around a modern profile with a low-profile coachroof and an uncluttered deck. Briand has optimised the hull design for maximum efficiency and has proposed installing an alternator that uses the motion of water moving past the hull to rotate the propellor to generate electricity.
Briand explains: “My yacht design philosophy combines innovative engineering, sleek lines, minimalism, and performance-oriented luxury. Kaze will feature the latest in navigation and automation technologies as well as high-end finishes for optimal comfort onboard. It is this combination of modern tech and timeless principles which make a boat beautiful, practical and easy to handle.”
Briand is best known for this work on highly-efficient Vitruvius Yachts, and this hull design features on a number of superyachts including 54.9-metre Shinkai.