If you subscribe to the Megayacht News newsletter, last week you received the first word about Ghost Yachts, a new company with a few models in the works. In an interview exclusively for Megayacht News, Ghost Yachts’ founder, Björn Moonen, reveals how he developed the concept and what the future holds.
A Dutch national with equal passions for yachts and marketing, Moonen is also the founder of Moyaco, a marketing company specializing in superyachts. While researching market trends worldwide and comparing them to future order book projects, 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.”
It wasn’t easy. “Discussions with friends in the industry did not bring a conclusive answer,” he explains, but adds, “The good thing about a new superyacht project is that you can start with a clean sheet of paper.” He believed his initial analysis of the market still held merit, particularly the “clearly outlined technical platform” provided by a semicustom project. Of course, “I wanted to create a concept that would be instantly recognizable, and modern. My idea for a design would be functional and a bit industrial. I decided from the beginning that it would not be a future concept. The yacht had to be buildable without the need for big R&D projects. It had to be developed around the concept of a contemporary trideck layout, which is obviously the most preferred layout in the market.”
He used this as the basic framework for Ghost Yachts’ first project, the G180, shown here. To get his vision on paper, he approached Stefano Carugno of Gloss Design, who has a background in industrial and automotive design. “Shortly after this conversation, he came up with a sketch of the 180 that was no less than perfect for what I had in mind,” Moonen says. “The sketch showed a yacht that displayed technology, confidence and creativity that I hadn’t seen in a while.”
Over the course of a few months, Moonen and Carugno presented the design and a few layout ideas to brokers, captains, and crewmembers to refine the concept. The G180 arrangement that Ghost Yachts is now showcasing is just one of a few options for owners. It features the master suite on the upper deck instead of the main deck, for better views. It also allows the skylounge to serve as a private saloon for the owners, should they so wish. As for guest staterooms, some are forward on the main deck, while two VIP suites are on the lower deck, each equipped with a private sitting area. In total, up to 12 guests and 12 crewmembers, plus the captain, can be accommodated.
Speaking of the crew, they’re housed in the traditional location forward on the lower deck, but due to the G180’s vertical bow, there’s more volume. That volume extends up to the main deck, where there’s storage for an 8.5-meter (28-foot) guest tender and 6-meter (20-foot) crew tender.
Something else worthy of note: Moonen wanted to emphasize efficient operation and reduce environmental impact. “There are currently a lot of new designs labeled sustainable,” he says. “There is, however, a hyper-focus on the emissions of a yacht, which is only a part of the package.” He therefore researched construction materials and performed “a thorough lifecycle analysis.” The G180 will have a steel hull with a superstructure of aluminum and reinforced composites. In addition, the yacht has an unusual hull form that allows her to employ traditional diesel engines, though smaller in size. Moonen determined that diesel-electric power hadn’t yet proven to be the most efficient system in yachting applications, plus its considerable cost couldn’t be justified. He therefore turned to Van Oossanen & Associates for its naval architecture and engineering expertise. The company has spent a decade researching and adapting displacement hulls to have lower resistance and reach semidisplacement speeds. The result is the fast displacement hull form, which also is said to offer the same range and burn the same amount of fuel as a traditional displacement form. “Using smaller engines is great when you have a hull form that can bring the required benefits,” Moonen explains. Twin MTU 12V4000 M70s and 20V4000 M73s are available, both permitting speeds up to 20 knots or better.
As for the name “Ghost Yachts,” there’s also a good story. “We often spoke about the ‘spirit’ of the process and the spirit of innovation,” Moonen says. “Spirit didn’t actually sound right at all. It was the dullest name possible for this exciting project. After going through some other names and options, I started going through some of Stefano’s military designs and came across his Ghost Patrol. The link between spirit and Ghost was quickly made, and a single look at the design of the yacht confirmed that this would be the only suitable name.”
Ghost Yachts’ G180 is still in the engineering stage, and conversations are ongoing with a few builders in Europe to produce the line. Moonen is confident, however, that once a builder is settled, the first megayacht can be delivered within 18 months.
I’ll continue to follow developments and update accordingly.
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