UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016: When Oceanco Y712 emerged, a shroud covered her bow. The shroud is gone, and you may not believe your eyes:
Read on for our original story:
It’s been four years since news of Oceanco Y712, a.k.a. project Solar, became public. Today, the sailing superyacht became visible.
Nuvolari-Lenard, which is responsible for both styling and interior design, shared the images via Facebook from the launch earlier today. (SuperyachtTimes.com took the photos.) A few quick facts about project Solar include an LOA of 348 feet (106 meters) and beam of 49 feet (15 meters). Her length, and her volume of just under 3,000 gross tons, make her the largest sailing superyacht in the world.
She’s certainly one of the largest yachts overall from Oceanco, too, and technically the first sailing superyacht under its name. True, the yard handed over a sailing yacht earlier this year, Aquijo. But, she’s a Vitters Shipyard project. Vitters signed the 282-footer (85.9-meter) and partnered with Oceanco for construction due to the latter having facilities suited for the significant dimensions.
The steel-hulled project Solar stands out for more than just her measurements. (Though, the measurements are all the more impressive when you note the person standing toward her bow in the photo above.) Her name hints at an important feature: solar power. Full details aren’t public, but surely it will mean less reliance on gensets. Other technical systems aboard were further chosen to lessen the overall environmental impact. Again, particulars aren’t public.
Something that is public, and will be a sight to see, is the DynaRig. This is a version of a square rigger, famously seen aboard Maltese Falcon. The DynaRig idea goes back to the 1960s, and it’s more aerodynamically efficient. When viewed from a distance, the sails on each mast appear as one large piece, as illustrated above. The impression stems from the lack of gaps between the sails and the yards.
Project Solar accommodates 12 people in the owners’ party. Similar to the technical systems, no interior renderings or further details are available.
Tom
Amasing