“If our industry is to attract new, younger owners, then we have to improve the owner experience without having to build a larger, more expensive yacht.” So says Barin Cardenas, founder of The New Yachts Company, which has created a design, Maharani, to prove it. In fact, in conjunction with Vripack, Vripack this pre-engineered design is disrupting industry norms in terms of layout and luxury. The multi-deck, spiral stairway above is your first hint. Maharani reveals how a 164-footer (50-meter) can re-imagine decks akin to far larger megayachts, without going over the 500-gross-ton threshold. In addition, even with multiple superstructure designs, Maharani emphasizes what the team terms human-centered living.
“Today’s owners are trending younger,” Cardenas explains. “They value intelligent ergonomics and versatility in everything they own.” The trouble is, he continues, there’s little versatility in the current 500-gross-ton marketplace. “The layouts are all about the same,” he says. “A divided main deck, a couple of aft decks, main saloon dining, a rear-facing skylounge, a sundeck, and a beach club that’s mostly inaccessible.” In addition, Cardenas asserts, there’s little privacy. The YachtCreators division of his company, which brainstorms with owners, engineers, designers, and builders to push boundaries, believed the onboard experience could, and should, be better.
Interestingly, Vripack took it up a notch. Way up: “We improved the ‘industry standard’ by more than 300 percent,” says Bart Bouwhuis, Vripack’s co-creative director. For example, 10 different relaxation areas span the entirety of the main deck. Instead of just fore and aft alfresco lounges, Maharani tucks intimate observation areas in amidships to each side. The foredeck features a significant-size pool, too, what you’d expect of a larger project. Meanwhile, inside, an observation lounge with a bar (above) sits fully forward. “This allows all family members to enjoy their own time onboard while still being together all on one incredible deck,” Bouwhuis explains.
The observation lounge means Maharani’s master suite sits elsewhere—on a dedicated deck one level up. Again, not at all what you’d see aboard a “normal” 164-footer, whether semi-custom or custom. This dedicated deck is the second full deck for the owners and/or family, yet solves the privacy problem.
More reimagining impacts crew areas. The galley goes below decks, aft of the captain’s cabin and crew cabins. (Yes, the captain’s cabin is in the crew area, nearly the full beam as well.) Below-decks galley layouts typically see them relegated to left-over space once guest accommodations are designed. You might see one small pantry on the upper deck as well. Maharani not only has a proper-sized galley, she also has healthy pantries on each deck above. Speaking of healthy size, the megayacht has a dedicated laundry room in the crew area.
A lot of the space gained in the crew area results from Maharani having a sub-deck for technical areas, including the engine room. As you can tell, hardly a corner of traditional yacht design went untouched.
Naturally, Maharani is for clients to customize, and to choose a yard to build. Regardless, both The New Yachts Company and Vripack, which further can handle interior design, suggest loose, tailor-made furnishings and light-reflective materials. These will enhance the open feeling. “In essence, Maharani offers a genuine ‘resort yacht experience,’” Cardenas summarizes, “only witnessed before on 500GT+ yachts.”
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