A boat doesn’t need to be big to be good, according to Vripack, and it’s right. A boat, or yacht, needs to suit your needs first and foremost. Vripack’s Project Meteor springs from one owner’s desire for a fast way to escape for the weekend. Additionally, the 80-footer (24.4-meter) displays the studio’s knack for incorporating the unexpected.
Initially, a yacht owner approached Vripack to design a boat he could drive, to take his family to their weekend home. He wanted speed, too, but further prioritized safety, since he has children. Yet another wish-list item: maximizing onboard enjoyment along inland waterways on those weekends.
Vripack, in cooperation with Van der Valk Shipyard, therefore started with the ideas of volume and security, the latter with an enclosed superstructure. Additionally, the team devised a hull capable of 41-knot speeds. It also has automatically deploying foils when the yacht reaches about 20 knots. (Foils lift a yacht out of the water, thereby decreasing drag and bolstering speed while preserving comfort and stability.) For slower-speed family time, Vripack’s Project Meteor has a foredeck lounging area, walkaround decks, and two slide-open roof panels further fitted with mosquito netting.
Better yet, at anchor, Project Meteor opens up a world of possibilities—literally. Her transom, with a nearly full-beam window, folds down to create a beach-like area. The sides open as well. Therefore, the saloon and dining area become one with the outdoors. The grown-ups and kids can easily flow back and forth between the water’s edge and the interior table and bar.
When the day is done, there’s no need to return to the weekend house, either. Vripack’s Project Meteor has two double guest staterooms below decks. The interior designers at the studio purposely chose to angle the beds toward the ports, too, so that everyone wakes up to a great view. From a more practical standpoint, angling the beds made it possible to include comfortable en suite heads in each cabin.
Pragmatism meets pretty design down below, as well as on the main deck. Vripack researched locally sourced and sustainable materials for Project Meteor’s décor. That explains certain textiles and finishes that still lend the luxe look that meets megayacht tastes. Satin and glossy finishes complement tones of gunmetal black, blue, and eggshell white and surfaces ranging from leather to velvet.
Van der Valk Shipyard vandervalkshipyard.com
Vripack vripack.com
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