There is a clamor in yacht design to find something with a more youthful appeal,” says Ian Sherwood, broker for Burgess Yachts, who is overseeing the build of the 114ft Project Fox. Designed for a buyer in their twenties or thirties, the tall forward superstructure is connected to a giant, open aft deck; although based on an exploration yacht, it looks less like a conventional expedition ship and more like its ghost ship – and that’s the point.
“The next generation of owners want to be able to do more than just sit at anchor,” says Sherwood. Consequently, Project Fox’s 1,200 square foot aft deck can hold amphibious vehicles, submersibles, jet skis, a pair of 25-foot tenders, and snorkel gear; with open decks, it becomes a vast social space. Fittingly, the yacht will also be outfitted with a DJ booth, wine cellar, media lounge and dedicated BBQ area.
The Fox Superyacht Project.
Courtesy of Burgess Yachts
“The new generation wants 20 friends, the best chef, a DJ, everything at their fingertips,” says Alberto Mancini, who recently launched Tankoa’s 250-foot Apache concept. “They like the idea of a private island in the middle of the sea, away from the crowds.” A savage reinterpretation of a conventional superyacht, Apache features expansive covered outdoor social areas, three swimming pools – including a 30-foot-long glass-bottomed example near the master suite – and a beach club with fold-out sides that extend outward. extend up to 1,400 square feet. “These new billionaires want to see what yacht designers can do,” says Mancini. “They don’t care if it’s ugly, as long as it provides the desired experience.”
Another young Italian designer, Valerio Rivellini, pioneered folding side decks for dayboats. He agrees with Mancini that experience rather than aesthetics seems to be the mantra for young buyers. Her recently launched Evo V8 features large outdoor areas, dining areas with electric, self-tinting “smart” windows and up to four helm stations. “Spaces that transition between relaxation and outdoor sports are essential in today’s designs for young homeowners,” says Rivellini.
And don’t forget about advanced technology. Feadship’s wild new 268ft Pure concept best exemplifies the dividing line between old and new school: rather than having a traditional wheelhouse, it moves operations to a helm area on the yacht’s lower decks , meaning Pure is driven virtually, via projection screens. and augmented reality. “The older captains we interviewed said, ‘Are you crazy? I need to see what I’m doing,” says Farouk Nefzi, Marketing Director of Feadship. “The younger generation said, ‘Oh man, that’s cool – the ultimate gaming console. ”
A rendering of the wheelhouse aboard the yacht Feadship Pure.
Courtesy of Feadship
Technology may soon trump interior design for young owners. Production builders including Princess, Sea Ray and Tiara are adding assisted mooring technology to new models and complementing it with premium sound systems and remote boat monitoring controlled via a smartphone. “Using the technology on our new V50 has generated a lot of requests from young people,” says Nick Smith, Product Planning Manager at Princess.
A rendering of the Navier 27 Yacht.
Courtesy of Navier
And the sustainable approach that millennials are demanding – mixing electric propulsion with foils, for example – is already making its way into the dayboat market. Sweden’s Candela Boats recently launched its C-8 model, while US builder Navier is building a 27ft that looks like the boat of the future, claiming it will be the longest electric high-speed vessel on the water . Designed by three MIT graduates, the 27 features an intelligent software-based navigation system paired with hydrofoils designed by Paul Bieker, who was instrumental in introducing foiling racing boats to the European Cup. America. “Our owners are young, tech-savvy and sustainability-minded,” says Navier co-founder Sampriti Bhattacharyya, who specializes in robotics and aerospace. “They want an electric boat, but with autonomy to explore on weekends.” And in the case of the new 27, “wanting” might be an understatement: the concept proved so popular that the first 15 hull slots sold out in just six weeks.
