Ghost Yachts has a new megayacht design, the Ghost G180F, thanks to a recent partnership with both Feadship and the De Voogt Naval Architects design office.

If you’re a longtime reader of Megayacht News, you may remember that Ghost Yachts was formed by Björn Moonen several years ago to provide alternatives in the lower-volume (under-500-gross-ton) megayacht market. A Dutch national with equal passions for yachts and marketing, Moonen was also the founder of Moyaco, a marketing company specializing in superyachts. While researching worldwide market trends and comparing them to builders’ order books, he determined a 180-foot (55-meter), semicustom yacht suited many needs. This was prior to the global economic crisis hitting, however, which was around the same time as the Monaco Yacht Show in 2008. Even though that affected his data, Moonen says, “I kept thinking about the concept and tried to learn what type of yacht would be the most suitable to develop.” He formed Ghost Yachts, and it unveiled its first concept project in December 2009, the Ghost Yachts G180. The super-sleek yacht emphasized good living spaces yet also lower cost of ownership due to lower weight and thereby lower fuel consumption. She also successfully married the idea of a lower-volume yacht with a long length; it’s no easy task to make a 180-footer stay beneath the 500-ton threshold yet offer the creature comforts buyers expect. Ghost Yachts then introduced a hybrid-powered megayacht concept, the G180H, in late 2010, using her basic framework for another new design that became known as the Ghost G180V when it was developed further with Feadship and De Voogt Naval Architects last year.

At the time, Moonen said, “We needed to translate the ideas into a buildable platform. A big task that required a lot of technology, skill, and most of all experience. Since we also wanted to make no compromise in terms of build quality, it was quite obvious that Feadship was the builder to turn to. Besides their world-renowned qualities, the company also displayed a relentless drive for innovation, which made us feel right at home.” For its part, Feadship was struck by the design and the inventive thinking behind Ghost Yachts. “Feadship has its own in-house design department, and at the same time we have a long history of working with other top exterior designers,” explained Ronno Schouten, Feadship’s head of design. “Obviously, these outside designs must meet the premium technical standards that Feadship applies to all its builds, which makes it important that we are involved at an early stage. The Ghost Yachts project is an impressive design in its own right and a fine example of the benefits of working with other innovative thinkers.”

While the Ghost G180V was a buildable platform, neither party was entirely content with her as-is. That’s what led to the Ghost G180F. Moonen tells us, “We wanted to see what’s possible within the 500GT limits in terms of interior space, performance, and efficiency,” adding that it was “quite an extensive design spiral that required a lot of precision.” While the megayacht bears similarly sharp styling, from Gloss Design, as the previous Ghost Yachts concepts and the same LOA of 180’5” (55 meters), the similarities essentially end there.

One of the most significant changes, Moonen says, was the hull. While the Ghost 180V was based on the fast-displacement hull form and had a mixed operational profile of long-range cruising with occasional high-speed runs, the Ghost 180F emphasizes sustained high speeds. “She has a complex shape which is a mix of hard-chine and round-bilge sections,” Moonen explains. Better yet, “The F is also about a fifth lighter, has over 30-percent less power, and yet is still as fast as the V,” he adds. To that end, the all-aluminum megayacht has smaller engines than other yachts of her size. A total of 6,920 hp from twin MTU 12V 4000 M93L diesels should permit a top speed of 29 knots and a range of 4,000 nautical miles at 11 knots. A draft of 7’4” (2.25 meters) should keep a variety of anchorages open to exploring, too.

Inside, Alberto Vismara, an independent interior design who previously worked on Ghost Yachts concepts, created a minimalist decor complementing the megayacht’s styling. Materials like gemstones, aluminum, and other metals adorn surfaces throughout the 30’5” (9.3-meter) beam. An owner’s party of 10 and a crew of eight (plus the captain) are accommodated aboard, with careful attention paid to crew traffic flow.

The Ghost G180F can start construction upon signing of a contract and will be built to meet Lloyd’s and MCA requirements.

More information about this megayacht, plus other Ghost Yachts projects, as things develop.