It seems that Amels likes to do things in twos. In the two days before the Monaco Yacht Show began, the Dutch builder sold two new additions to its already impressive lineup: the Amels 188, and the Damen SeaXplorer.
The Amels 188 is an all new and somewhat innovative 188-footer (57.70-meter), part of the Limited Editions yacht range. That range is now a six-model series, starting with the Amels 180 and topping out with the Amels 272. Designer Tim Heywood was on hand at the yacht show to introduce the look of the Amels 188, which graciously brings back a classic clipper bow and an impressive flying buttress that gives grandeur to her lines. Pascale Reymond of Reymond Langton Design conveyed how she and her partner have created a blank-canvas design structure that will allow owners to personalize the interior of the Amels 188.
Among the many options that Amels is offering for this 970-gross-ton yacht: hybrid propulsion.
Surprise number two was a new concept in luxury exploration vessels. It’s the SeaXplorer (at top), a three-vessel expedition yacht lineup. Developed by Damen, Amels’ parent company, and building on the success of the SeaAxe fast support vessels, the SeaXplorer yachts will span 213 to 328 feet (65 to 100 meters). The SeaXplorer uses an optimized hull design popular in the offshore oil industry, built to Lloyds Polar Class 6. This means the yacht can truly break through ice—something that few, if any, other expedition superyachts can do so far. (While some feature hulls strengthened for navigating in ice, they are intended to push aside already broken ice, and relatively thin ice, too). Damen further consulted with EYOS Expeditions, the well-known adventure company working with a number of megayachts, to ensure the SeaXplorer would be up to the task.
The twist in the tale here is that SeaXplorer will not crunch her way forward through the ice, but will instead go astern and carve a pathway backwards.
All yachts in the SeaXplorer range are styled by Azure Yacht Design and are available for personalization inside by your choice of designer. Each will be capable of spending up to 40 days at sea between port calls. Each will also carry an array of tenders, toys, and submersibles, with the larger craft capable of carrying two helicopters.
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