Yacht Project Thunderball Makes a Splash Ahead of Summer Cruising

Bursts of red, orange, yellow, and white confetti heralded the launch of the yacht Project Thunderball at CRN today. It was a change of pace from the yard’s tradition of replicating the colors of the Italian flag. Unchanged, though, the owners and their family were on hand for the celebration.

A 230-footer (70-meter) to support diving, sailing, and fishing, the superyacht is one of the biggest builds at CRN. She’s further her owners’ largest yacht to date. They’re sailing enthusiasts, which is one of the reasons why the styling, from Vripack, echoes sailing-yacht design cues. It’s especially noticeable in the bow, with the classic blue hull color drawing more attention. The owners’ passion is further among the reasons why a sailboat is among the tenders.

Intended for an owners’ party of 12, the yacht Project Thunderball has a voluminous interior, 1,100 gross tons. Nauta Design has been working closely with the owners to craft a look and feel throughout the decks that complement the classical styling. Time-honored maritime heritage pervades the spaces, but without making rooms seem trapped in the past. Although neither CRN nor Nauta Design can reveal full sketches, illustrations of details do reveal continuity of shapes between outside areas and interiors. Additionally, every room has its own personality, all the while sharing materials like woods, stones, and leathers with other rooms.

The coming weeks will see CRN conduct sea trials and test mechanicals, including a peak-shaving system. Its purpose is to manage energy consumption based on the intended operations. Since it incorporates batteries, it also allows silent powering of hotel loads while at anchor.

With delivery on pace for this summer, the owners intend to spend long periods onboard. They’ll enjoy most of their time in the Med, although Florida and The Bahamas are also in their plans.

CRN crn-yacht.com

Nauta Design nautadesign.com

Vripack vripack.com