Details are still scarce, but The Italian Sea Group has a first on its books. The shipyard, which thus far has only build motoryachts, has signed Art Explora, a new megayacht catamaran. The yacht will see construction under its Admiral brand.
According to the yard, the contract signing took place in the first quarter of this year. The owner is a client of Fraser, which will provide project management. Design comes from Axel de Beaufort and Guillaume Verdier, two names that may not be familiar in private-yachting circles. However, Beaufort worked for the renowned multi-hull design studio VPLP early in his career, nearly 20 years ago. Currently, he is the design and engineering director for Hermès Horizons, a division of the famed fashion house Hermès. It focuses on interiors of private planes, cars, and yachts, among other things. Verdier, meanwhile, heads Guillaume Verdier Naval Architecture. Specializing in monohulls and multihulls for racing, the studio has penned cruisers, too. Additionally, and perhaps most pertinent to Art Explora, Verdier and his team have collaborated with Emirates Team New Zealand over the last few America’s Cup races for their boat designs, including the multihulls.
Art Explora will measure 152’6” (46.5 meters) with a healthy beam of 56’8” (17.3 meters). Her mast, meanwhile, will rise 164 feet (50 meters) high. Just a hint of her lines are available to the public thus far as well.
Unfortunately, these are the only facts that The Italian Sea Group is releasing at this point. Regardless, the dimensions for the yacht make Art Explora larger than Pendennis’ Hemisphere, which took the title of the world’s largest sailing catamaran at launch nearly a decade ago.
“This project confirms our attitude to overcome any limit,” says Giovanni Costantino, founder and CEO of The Italian Sea Group. He adds that sailing superyachts are “further and interesting opportunities for growth.”
Guillaume Verdier Naval Architecture guillaumeverdier.com
The Italian Sea Group theitalianseagroup.com
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