photos: Forest Johnson
When a company claims to have a “revolutionary” new product, we consumers tend to have healthy doubts. All too often, we find these assertions are overblown. Not, however, when it comes to the Ocean Alexander 35R. When the builder introduced the Revolution series, the design and overall approach was unlike anything it had ever done. The Ocean Alexander 35R continues in that vein, further introducing features simply not seen on similar-size yachts.
Like the other Revolution series projects, including the Ocean Alexander 90R (now called the 30R), this 117-footer (35.6-meter) bears naval architecture by Arrabito Naval Architects and styling by Evan K. Marshall. Her high, vertical bow yields voluminous gains, pushing her gross tonnage to nearly 300. You’re hard-pressed to find many options offering this type of comfort in this length of yacht from other builders. Add in nearly full-height glass along the main deck, including in the master suite (whose en suite bath has a huge skylight, too), and slide-open side-deck glass doors back by the saloon and dining area. The result is a wonderfully capacious cruising, relaxing, and entertaining environment.
Speaking of space and relaxation, the build and design team included something you simply don’t see on megayachts like this. The 35R has a gym and sauna (above). It sits just off a short passageway from the beach club. Furthermore, it’s not jammed in, and there’s still room enough for a separate head with a shower. The head suits the just-mentioned beach club, too, surely “the” place to be all day every day.
Well, partly. Typical megayacht design means owners and guests either use the beach club or the nearby main aft deck. They don’t use both at once, since the areas don’t look or feel cohesive. Not the case with the Ocean Alexander 35R, however. Marshall penned a clever skylight for the beach club that lets the grown-ups remain comfortable on the aft deck while still keeping an eye on the kids below, especially if they’re swimming. This eliminates the need to be in the beach club or to peer over the side of the transom from above. Specifically, Marshall designed a huge T-shape skylight that runs nearly the entire width overhead and with its base extending down along the forward bulkhead. That bulkhead extends up into the aft deck (visible just above), conveniently.
The big thinking of the Ocean Alexander 35R continues in multiple ways, including for your crew. The entire main-deck foyer has full-height dedicated glass and dish stowage, for example. And, if you remember large megayachts from a decade or more ago, you’ll recall they had hidden doors in their staterooms, letting stews service them while the guests went up for breakfast. This “mini” megayacht brings that practice back.
As further proof that the Ocean Alexander 35R is succeeding at revolutionizing the builder’s image and yacht owners’ ideas of what’s possible within a given size, consider this. The hull that debuted at the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show sold while on her way there. The four hulls next in line, meanwhile, all found owners either at the show or within the first two weeks after its conclusion. This means the next 35R you can commission will see a delivery date in 2024.
Arrabito Naval Architects arrabito.com
Evan K. Marshall evankmarshall.com
Ocean Alexander oceanalexander.com
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