For the past 17 years, Feadship has been presenting concept designs capable of construction. The goal is to reveal new possibilities to new customers while simultaneously advancing its own research and development. This year at the Monaco Yacht Show, the Feadship Dunes concept design makes its debut. With styling reminiscent of sand dunes, the project relies upon fuel cells, along with solar and wind power.
The idea originated, as always, from the company-owned De Voogt Naval Architects studio. The designers combine their own research into engineering and design with client feedback. This combination leads to new thinking, especially in terms of eco-minded features. For example, with the concept Breathe from 2010, the designers drew upon biomimicry, reflecting an emphasis on natural ventilation and other related eco-friendly features. With the Aeon concept design, the year prior, the team chose solar panels, fuel cells, and biodiesel for propulsion and hotel loads. Each design builds upon discoveries from previous years, too.
The Feadship Dunes concept design follows suit. The previous concept design Pure, for instance, had a hidden wheelhouse instead of a traditional upper-deck bridge. Dunes conceals it as well, without impeding the captain’s ability to command the yacht. The hidden nature provides a more luxurious, private deck exclusively for the owners. Additionally, Dunes leverages the team’s learning about batteries, “green” methanol fuel-cell technology (meaning the methanol production method is clean, an important consideration), and electric engines. Specifically, ABB’s Dynafin electric propulsion replaces diesel engines.
All of these technological advances combine with design measures that also impact sustainability. For instance, overhangs deliberately shade windows to lower air-conditioning needs. No teak decking will be aboard, either. Instead, the Feadship Dunes concept uses minute glass or stone chips within a clear water-based polyurethane resin. Plus, the superstructure will incorporate wood, a carbon-dioxide-negative material. Altogether, the technical and design measures reduce up to 95 percent of the negative environmental-impact factors, according to the Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI) in comparison with a yacht meeting the minimum environmental requirements.
The Feadship Dunes concept design naturally is available for clients to customize. For now, the De Voogt designers envision all six guest staterooms close to the pool deck, dining areas, and more regularly enjoyed leisure areas. The lack of a typical engine room allows this flexibility. Two small pools and a recessed seating area welcome guests toward the bow, complementing a main seating area aft. All sorts of alfresco lounges—mimicking islands clad in maple—are aboard, in fact. And, besides drawing inspiration from sand dunes ever-changing shapes, the Feadship Dunes concept design reflects drifting snow and water movement.
Feadship feadship.nl
Monaco Yacht Show monacoyachtshow.com
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