Arguably one of the most talked-about megayachts to debut this year, the nearly 73-meter (240-foot) Predator is unlike anything to ever emerge from Feadship’s Royal De Vries shipyard. Not only is she the first Feadship with an axe bow, but she also has the tallest engine room (nearly 14 feet in spots, and equipped with four powerplants, no less), the longest uninterrupted interior views, and the deepest draft (just over 12 feet). She even has two custom tenders, one of which is in the photo above and mimics her lines. This tender was designed by a clever employee of De Voogt Naval Architects, which created the axe bow for the mothership. In sum, Predator is an interesting mix of high tech and aesthetics.
Take the axe bow, for example. Besides lending Predator a sleek and speedy air, it’s designed for motion comfort and to sustain speeds in rough seas. And clearly it works: Capt. Greg Drewes, a 30-year veteran of running all sorts of craft, including four Feadships, says, “The yacht handles better than any I’ve ever sailed.” He and the crew have even encountered five-meter (16-foot) seas, “and Predator throws no bow wake.” He goes on to add, “There is no pounding, and in smaller seas up to four meters, she is as smooth as a flat sea. The lack of vertical movement makes Predator amazingly comfortable. There is no splash, no rise, and no fall.” The yacht is capable of 28 knots and higher with all four MTU engines kicking in, a total of more than 23,000 hp.
As for the rest of her aesthetics, Predator features extensive use of Karelian birch, a light-tone wood, at the request of the owner. Bannenberg Designs decided to additionally employ accents of Macassar ebony and Zebrano, both lending darker contrasts. All of the woods appear in the split-level owner’s stateroom and the six (yes, just six) guest staterooms as well as common gathering areas like the main saloon and bridge-deck lounge. Another highlight of the owner’s suite: a hydraulically opening skylight directly above the bed, featuring concentric panels and mirrored by an elliptical design in the carpet below.
Here’s a look at some of Predator‘s most prominent features:
One of the key elements in both the main saloon and the bridge-deck lounge are the large ebony-framed display niches. These contain a variety of art pieces and artifacts from the owner’s collection.
The custom-designed dining table splits into two, allowing crew and/or guests direct access through the dining area into the main saloon. The ellipses on the walls to each side are the art niches just mentioned.
The full beam owner’s suite, with the bed facing forward, also contains a lounge just aft of the bedroom, with quite a large settee and a flat-panel TV. The owner wanted the rooms to flow into one another, so pillars, not walls, distinguish one from the other. You can also see part of the skylight above the bed.
Here’s a closeup of the skylight, from outside. The panels retract back to the front of the wheelhouse.
A seriously speedy superyacht, Predator is also serious about fun. This custom-built casino table is in the bridge-deck lounge. The recess in the central section is a flip-top games console, which can be removed to reveal chips, chess pieces, cards and related items. A leaf on the side of the table opens and swivels to become a backgammon or blackjack board.
How’s this for an AV room? It’s command central for the extensive video and sound system in every room and on every deck–even the outside decks and lazarette.
And finally, two of Predator‘s main engines; talk about power…
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