Never ceasing to amaze and renowned for its futuristic concepts, the last Monaco Yacht Show saw Feadship truly outdo itself during the presentation of its latest concept, one of the Show’s most anticipated moments. Concept C not only showcases important sustainable technological innovations, but celebrates Feadship’s 75th anniversary.
The “C” is inspired by the symbol for carbon and diamonds (diamonds are composed of carbon atoms, ed.), representing the company’s Diamond Jubilee. And just like diamonds, this 75-metre concept shines with a thousand facets, literally. An infinite series of windows, the positioning and shape of which are reminiscent of the faces of a diamond, allow light to penetrate as deeply as possible throughout the hull, transforming it into a luminous gallery in which light and its reverberations chase each other endlessly, creating a fluid living space never seen on board a yacht.
The design team, led by Ruud Bakker, even interned in the diamond-cutting workshop of Gassam Diamonds in Amsterdam to learn how the facets attract light into the stone, expanding and refracting it. The curtain walls used also blur the demarcation between interior and exterior.
The result is a yacht that, despite its imposing dimensions, manages to amplify guests’ direct contact with the sea. The longer the hull, the more the sense of direct contact with the sea tends to decrease. On board Concept C, however, thanks to the windows’ design, large structural openings and layout choices, the sensation is that of always being pied dans l’eau. Concept C’s design and layout also cancel out the classic division between decks, blurring them.
The bow and stern sections are offset half a level from the centre of the midship. This way, personal spaces are at different heights from common areas and guarantee a greater amount of privacy. To avoid the claustrophobic effect of numerous interiors, on Concept C even the lift has no boundaries.
Not a futuristic capsule made of glass or innovative materials, but an octagonal structure that ascends and descends past the decks, reaching the stunning rooftop lounge located at the highest point of the hull. Even the owner’s suite is as unconventional as one can imagine, distributed across two levels connected by an open staircase: the sleeping area on the upper deck, with its private outdoor deck and spa pool, and a study/lounge area on the lower deck.
Another stand-out feature is the hexagonal infinity pool aft of the main deck and the breath-taking sea-level dining area on the lower deck. On the same deck, large lateral structural openings allow for a sheltered but entirely en-plein-air lounge. Two firsts for a yacht.
But the truly revolutionary aspects are hidden away. C continues the work of Feadship’s Knowledge & Innovation team. The shape of the hull and the counter-rotating propeller electric propulsion system are a development of the Breath concept as first proposed by Feadship in 2010 and successfully installed on the 83-metre Savannah in 2015. With a central propeller and a rear azimuth thruster, De Voogt’s naval architects were able to create a hull with the aft section sloping upwards reducing turbulence and achieving a quieter wake.
The design allows for a larger propeller and fewer revolutions, ensuring greater efficiency and less vibration. Computer simulations predict that C will be 30 per cent more efficient than a typical 75-metre yacht with twin masts, propellers and rudders. Both propellers are powered by methanol produced using renewable sources.
The initial cost is still higher than that of internal combustion generators, but the investment is returned in just a few years due to the efficiency, providing the immediate benefit of eliminating greenhouse gases. The future is Feadship.
Giuliana Fratnik
