Hull 699 slipped out of her build shed at Feadship yesterday, four years after a family decided to pursue the project. Bearing the name Najiba, which means “noble” in Arabic, the 190-footer (58-meter) is also the second-largest all-aluminum Feadship so far. What makes her more notable, though, is a first. Najiba is the first Feadship by Vitruvius Yachts, the brainchild of Philippe Briand.
You may remember that Briand, a renowned sailing-yacht naval architect, established Vitruvius Yachts several years ago. The focus: motoryachts with more efficient hulls. Najiba follows suit. To wit, Briand says, in combination with the aluminum construction, she consumes as little as 3 gallons (11 liters) per nautical mile at her 12-knot cruise. (Twin MTUs also permit a 16-knot top end.) The owners sought out Briand and Vitruvius Yachts for this, plus the styling. “The owners understood very well that a perfect yacht requires a strong scientific and architectural approach to support the exterior design,” Briand explains.
That strong architectural approach continues inside, too. Najiba features interior design by Liaigre, complementing an equally remarkable general arrangement by Claudio Cicconetti Architetto. Curves characterize the ceilings, for instance, while plentiful angles adorn other surfaces. Few straight lines appear anywhere, in fact, amid the 36-foot (11.03-meter) beam. In addition, there’s abundant use of teak throughout the megayacht. Briand likens the work by Liaigre to “a whitewashed villa on the beach.” Furthermore, Najiba has two master suites, one of which sits forward on the main deck. Interestingly, due to the open floor plan on this deck, family in this suite can see straight back to the saloon.
With four guest staterooms and accommodations for 14 crew, Najiba will additionally encourage fun in and on the water. Among her toys: two waterscooters, along with a traditional tender.
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