Yacht designers and builders are increasingly relying on 3D graphics. Not only does it help owners better understand what their boats will look like when completed, as computer technology allows incredibly realistic-looking visuals to be produced, but, as I’ve mentioned before, it also saves production time (and thereby money) and improves communication between engineering and production departments.
So it seems only natural that a company specializing in design modeling and 3D graphics for the yacht industry, among others, and that has worked with the likes of Redman Whiteley Dixon and Ken Freivokh on 50-meter-plus megayacht plans has itself decided to create a superyacht design.
UK-based Drive has created the 125-meter (410-foot) megayacht you see here. The 7Cs (“seven seas,” get it?), which was initially presented at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show, mostly draws upon design elements from the automotive field, in which Drive also has experience. The team additionally wanted to counter traditional yacht lines and proportions above the waterline.
The “wave” motif, extending along the side from bow to stern, is one example. Drive wanted to lower the visual line and therefore lend a sleeker appearance overall. The color inset there was additionally intended to lessen the massive form.
While some super-size superyachts feature pools in addition to mere Jacuzzis these days, most of these pools are aft. The location lends a nice “infinity pool” effect, but Drive decided to break with that convention, too. It’s placing the pool fully forward on the bow, additionally with a retractable cover to permit swimming even on rainy days, if the owner and guests so wish.
While the Drive team hasn’t completed the interior layout, “vast” is the watchword it’s keeping in mind. So far, there’s an atrium with a curving staircase. The team also envisions accommodations for 12 to 14 guests, double that figure for crewmembers. These and other gathering and lounging areas have yet to be placed throughout the decks, though Drive does plant o include a smaller number of total rooms than usual, preserving the open theme.
And speaking of opening, garage doors will yield access to tenders and toys, but instead of employing overhead cranes, the garages will be fitted with drive-in/drive-out setups.
Of course, not everything flies in the face of convention. Note the reverse bow, for example, intended to reduce the impact of waves. Knowing that long range is important, Drive envisions 7Cs to be capable of about 5,500 nautical miles at a 20-plus-knot cruising speed – though it cautions that the figure is an approximation, since tankage is not fully determined. As for the speed, it should be realistic to achieve with a naval architect’s input, given the capabilities of recent launches like Predator and A.
Drive would like to partner with a naval architect, in fact, to bring the design further along. This would help it refine the hull design for performance, determine tankage and other systems, and develop a helicopter garage to maximize deck space. The team reportedly received positive feedback from potential customers as well as yacht-industry suppliers at the Monaco Yacht Show when it presented the initial designs.
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