UPDATE, June 25, 2018: Ulysses, a.k.a. U116, is on her maiden voyage. She departed for Gibraltar this weekend.
Read on for our original article.
Whether you call her Kleven 370 or U116, her two code names, this massive megayacht is making progress toward delivery. The coverings keeping much of her features hidden nearly all of last year are now fully off.
Called U116 for her LOA in meters, or 381 feet, the megayacht is the second such project for the Norwegian shipyard. Though the builder has never mentioned her by name, many yacht watchers anticipate christening day will see Ulysses appear on her nameboards. Kleven has confirmed that the owners are the couple who took delivery of a 351-footer (107-meter) by the same name in 2016. Those owners: Graeme and Robyn Hart, New Zealanders who have long enjoyed the cruising lifestyle.
Similar to Ulysses, U116 has a mix of commercial-shipbuilding and yacht-outfitting teams behind her. Because the Harts intend to cruise globally and therefore possibly encounter some challenging seas, they tapped Kleven for construction. It’s responsible for a number of rugged vessels capable of taking on Mother Nature. Dörries Maritime Services, meanwhile, is the project manager, overseeing not just construction but also coordinating all of the yacht-related tasks. These include outfitting the accommodations for a party of 66 people.
In fact, U116 departed Kleven’s Norwegian facilities in December 2016 for a shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany. There, the megayacht has seen further systems installations, soft goods outfitting, and more. Unfortunately, no one associated with the yacht has publicly confirmed the interior-design studio. Some rumors, however, have it as RWD.
Although her delivery date is still confidential, the five-deck U116 is certainly one of the most anticipated megayachts of 2018.
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