A few months ago, Amels announced it had signed contracts for two of its new Amels Limited Editions 180 series. Here’s a look at the first one, which will be more custom than semi-custom.
How? Both the saloon and the sundeck will be longer than stylist Tim Heywood originally envisioned. The owner wanted more room for relaxing and entertaining inside, so specifically, there’s 30 percent extra saloon space. There are also two fold-down balconies, one to each side, as you can see in the close-up below. As for the sundeck, the owner requested a helipad forward, which requires reinforcing the deck and adding 32 square meters (344 square feet). Since the helicopter won’t be permanently onboard (touch-and-go operations only), the helipad will double as an alfresco area.
The owner requested other changes, too. Similar to the saloon, the master suite has a balcony. The skylounge is a full-beam affair, which the owner’s party of 10 will certainly appreciate during cocktails or conversation. And the swim platform incorporates folding steps for easier access to and from the water.
If a semi-custom yacht having this much customization seems unusual, it is. But Amels prefers not setting everything in stone. As Rob Luijendijk, Amels’ managing director, explains, “We always welcome and listen carefully to new ideas and innovations from our clients, and with this yacht our design and engineering teams have been able to accommodate all the owner’s wishes.”
Not all aspects of the package that Amels and Heywood originally outlined are changing, however. The Amels 180 should top out at 15½ knots and cruise at 13 knots. At the latter speed, the megayacht should manage a range of 4,500 nautical miles. In addition, the overall beam of 9.4 meters (31 feet) remains the same, as do accommodations for 14 crewmembers plus a captain.
With this project, as well as two Amels 212s and a handful of other yachts under construction, the shipyard is at full capacity. I’ll get a closer look at everything during a yard tour later this month.
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