Dutch studio Vripack has shared new details and a first look at the interior of the 69-metre Vitters "fossil-fuel free" sailing yacht Zero, which is currently under construction in Zwartsluis, the Netherlands and scheduled to launch this summer.
Zero (previously known as Project Zero) is set to be a landmark in sustainability-focused yachting, with the ability to harvest wind, thermal and solar energy to power the yacht and its amenities, aiming to showcase how it is possible to eliminate fossil fuel dependency.
“It all began with the technology, but we knew she also had to be beautiful,” said Marnix Hoekstra, Vripack’s co-creative director. The Dutch studio is behind the exterior and interior of the monumental new build project, with the technical design completed in collaboration with Dykstra Naval Architects.
According to the studio, Zero's design was born from a "deliberate rejection of repetition" seen in traditional sailing yachts, while ensuring that the owner's love of classic sailing yachts was met. As a result, Zero stands out for her extended double-sided overhangs, low, flowing superstructure and lengthy spoon bow. Up close, custom details include matte-finished deck hardware, a metal stern cap to conclude her lines and a hand-painted wood-effect metal transom. Even the passarelle serves dual purposes: also functioning as the owner's private transom swim ladder, engineered to swivel, rotate flat and remain slip-proof when wet.
“As a designer, it's exciting to be able to say there's still more to explore here,” explained Hoekstra. “On a design level, Zero is hugely special because nothing like this has been done before.”
The studio explained that Zero blends traditional craftsmanship with 3D printing, AI and VR technology, with every element curated to answer three core design principles: serve a purpose, integrate into the overall design and look "undeniably beautiful". Vripack's signature full-radius curves are seen throughout, from the joinery, windows, furniture geometry and spatial transitions to the curved glass of the Brazilian certified teak superstructure. Hand-carved oak corners and cambered ceiling lights are further examples.
Inside, natural textures, including leather on the "multihued fire onyx" coffee table in the Californian Lounge (a space that serves as a work area and an overflow cabin) and scented "pine skin" furniture made from reclaimed bark, have been selected over traditional polished finishes. Unlike typical yacht interiors that hide imperfections, the studio noted that Zero celebrates natural knots, cracks and grain variations.
“The owners, who love the outdoors, wanted nature to truly resonate throughout the yacht,” Hoekstra continued. This approach allowed them to use 70 per cent of hand-selected oak veneer versus the typical 30.
Beyond sustainability, Zero reflects the owner's desires for sailing. “We visited the owners’ homes and listened carefully to their needs to better interpret what they wanted from this design, and that was elegance, comfort and independence," Hoekstra continued. One example is the main cockpit with modular outdoor furniture on castors, which can quickly convert from lounge seating to formal dining for up to 12 guests.
Other personalised features include extensive storage, grab rails for "non-seafaring guests" and surface cutouts for custom-fitted trays when sailing on a heel. The main saloon is fitted with an indoor dining table that doubles as a craft table, while the elimination of a full-beam engine room means a secret passageway provides discreet access for crew.
The four guest cabins feature different themes, each one inspired by places of significance to the owners, from Italy to French Polynesia. The owner’s suite, which wraps around the mizzen mast – wrapped in a custom artwork by American sculptor Sienna Martz – also offers a private study.
According to Vripack, the first step in Zero's design was sustainability, and being able to cruise comfortably for up to two weeks solely on renewable sources. This is achieved through innovative regenerative systems, including turbine propellers that generate hydroelectric power. The America's Cup Emirates Team New Zealand helped to refine the hull design for performance, creating a topside curve that testing shows delivers a 2.5 per cent speed increase and results in eight per cent more electric power generation.
To assist with this, the biminis feature 100 square metres of photovoltaic thermal (PVT) panels that produce both electricity and thermal energy for heating and cooling. A 700-volt DC grid powers the entire system, monitored from a dedicated mission control room. "The fundamental design challenge was how to make a yacht shaped by physics and data feel timeless and beautiful," a statement from the studio read.
All system data, technical insights and key systems designs from Zero's build are to be made freely available through the FoundationZero.org platform. This will provide designers, engineers and researchers with open access to technical advancements, with the aim of encouraging others to utilise the sustainable technologies.
The details of this "visionary" design were first announced at BOAT International's Superyacht Design Festival in 2023 by Hoekstra, on behalf of sustainable marine organisation Foundation Zero. The Foundation Zero mission was developed by a group of investors and a team of physicists, together with Dykstra.
“This project proved to be the perfect storm for Vripack and our integrated design philosophy,” Hoekstra concluded. “The owners entrusted us with a lot of freedom and respect for the choices we made, and the result is a beautiful and capable yacht designed as a single continuous object, not a collection of parts. And therein lies the win.”
BOAT International received an exclusive look inside the revolutionary build in June 2024.
According to BOATPro, Vitters has four other superyachts under construction, including the 68.4-metre Project 3095.
Read More/Construction milestone on 68m Vitters sailing yacht Project 3095