inside gigayacht

672 Wine Club

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Cardinale Estate
• Mamsha Palm
• Raffles Hotels & Resorts
• Rocco Forte Hotels
• Treasury Wine Estates
• Tributary Idaho
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

Boat of the Week: Meet the 443-Foot ‘Sunrise,’ the World’s Largest Open Sport Gigayacht

At 443 feet, this gigayacht will be the largest day boat ever. beyond size, its wave-piercing hull and 24-knot top end are breakthroughs., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories, robb report throws a massive superyacht bash in the red sea to celebrate the launch of sindalah island, you can now have a two-story beach club with a waterfall on your oceanco superyacht.

• Watch: The World’s First Wingsuit With a Foil Just Took Flight
• Share This Article

Designing a 443-foot day boat sounds like an exercise in madness, or perhaps futility, if the designer ever hopes to find a buyer. But Italian designer Roberto Curto is used to breaking through established norms, even if what lies on the other side is more fantasy than working vessel.

The Genoa studio’s newest project, Sunrise, might seem like one of those impossible dreams, if it didn’t look so damned beautiful. The boat stretches from stern to bow in a gentle arc that emphasizes four football fields’ worth of exterior space, with a large but organic-looking superstructure that hugs the water, rather than jutting upwards across multiple decks towards the sky.

Related Stories

• This Bonkers Buick Restomod Is a 1,246 HP Ode to Muscle Cars
• The AMC AMX Is Still the Best-Kept Secret in American Muscle Cars
• Bentley’s First All-Electric Car Will Be a Luxury SUV, and It’s Coming in 2026

“The idea was to have a big yacht that doesn’t look like a traditional wedding cake,” says Jim Evans, managing director of SuperYachtsMonaco , the agency tasked with finding a buyer for Sunrise. “Because it’s missing all those layers, it doesn’t have a huge amount of interior volume or weight. It’ll have the more traditional uses of an open day boat.”

An open design and 66-foot beam allowed the designer to create mega-pools and other supersized exterior spaces across Sunrise.  Courtesy Roberto Curto Design

“I wanted to bring the sport life to gigayachts,” adds Curto. “At the moment, there is nothing this radical.”

The concept is more than a set of drawings displaying a beautiful boat. Curto designed a wave-piercing hull for the bow that actually slides under waves when confronted with big seas, providing stability and speed in rough conditions. “It’s similar to the hulls on some submarines and military vessels,” says Curto. “I have a 34-foot boat that I designed with the same hull and it works fine, so I expect it will work on this larger scale.”

The submerged bow seems like it would actually perform in real-world conditions, thanks to the long, open forefoot on the forward end.

Besides looking cool, the wave-piercing bow actually submerges under water in big seas–similar to some naval vessels–to increase efficiency in rough conditions.  Courtesy Roberto Curto Design

In the images, Sunrise is certainly an open design, but there are no people to show how vast—giga-sized—the spaces really are. The swim platform, for instance, is about 36 feet deep and, thanks to the 66-foot beam, the aft swimming pool is a good 50 feet wide. An outdoor dining table seats 22. On the bow are another large pool, helipad, and even a jet-ski docking area. To get a sense of scale, running four laps along Sunshine’s edges would equal a mile.

The reason why the concept works is that Curto didn’t try to fill the space with dozens of small rooms across five or six decks. Some gigas feel like a maze in a massive hull. Curto, instead, kept the spaces simple, open and zen-like across the yacht.

A massive, atrium-like entrance to the interior, defined by huge glass panels, is connected to the long bow. The main salon has a sculpture shaped like a giant drop of rain splattering on the floor, with open circular panels extending through the decks above, as if it had just fallen from the sky. Round white concentric circles designed into the floor show the drop’s splatter pattern. A few lounges and tables are placed within, but otherwise the space is vast and empty.

The main salon is vast and zen-like, with a giant raindrop sculpture in its center. A hole in the decks above the drop is part of the yacht’s artistic design.  Courtesy Roberto Curto Design

On the upper deck is an observation lounge which, apart from the pilothouse, another exterior lounge area, gym, dining area and the staterooms, is pretty much the complete layout. The owner’s suite, like the main salon, is immense, with its own gym and outdoor patio. The tender garage in the lower deck is also enormous, with space for multiple boats and water toys.

The hull design gives Sunrise a top end of 24 knots; Curto is working with an engine builder to create a hybrid electric-diesel propulsion system using azipods at the stern for speed and efficiency gains.

In the end, however, the main impression is the yacht’s elegant, open design, with the subtle curves. “One thing we’ve noticed in the last five years is the growing demand for extra-luxurious exterior spaces,” says Evans. “The exterior needs to be just as exclusive as the interior.”

The deja-vu exterior design includes a second, very large swimming pool on the forward end of the yacht.  Courtesy Roberto Curto Design

Evans would like to see scaled-down versions of the yacht, perhaps 250 or 300 feet, that would have a larger potential pool of buyers. Still, he’s very happy with the design. “If I’d challenged other yacht designers in the beauty parade with a concept like this, they’d come back with something quite conventional, akin to a small cruise ship,” he says. “A lot of clients will be attracted to a design like Sunrise. They’ll really like the sporty lines and the fact that it still looks like a private yacht, despite the giga size.”

For Curto, buyer or not, Sunrise remains an exercise in creativity. “It’s really there to push the limits, to let clients see we can create something different,” he says. “We see it as innovation on the water.”

Read More On:

• SuperYachtsMonaco

More Marine

This Luxe 230-Foot Cruise Ship Will Explore the Arctic Circle With Zero Carbon Emissions

Tom Brady’s Team Wins the Inaugural All-Electric Powerboat Title

Meet the Wine Club That Thinks Differently.

Receive editor-curated reds from boutique California producers four times a year.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

Oceanco’s Simply Custom Interiors in Photos

The 13 Best New Yachts at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

More from our brands, ‘euphoria’s’ austin abrams on lessons from george clooney and brad pitt and his upcoming film ‘weapons’, cry of the tiger: lsu’s live animal return spurs uproar, chappell roan and sabrina carpenter’s grammy moment: two friends now find themselves competing for the ‘big four’ awards, ‘wizard of oz’ ruby slippers up for auction for $800,000 decades after being stolen, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors.

Inside incredible 454ft megayacht with Captain Nemo style underwater dining room

Plans for the ambitious inspire were launched at the monaco yacht show, with its designer saying the vessel will 'provide unprecedented openness between the inside and out'.

• 13:52, 1 Oct 2024
• Updated 14:53, 1 Oct 2024

Imagine eating in an underwater dining room in the middle of the ocean with views of stunning sea life all around - one recently revealed mega yacht plans to make this dream a reality.

The incredible 454ft Inspire, featuring influence from Captain Nemo's undersea adventures, comes in light blue-green to blend naturally with the seas and skies. Launched at the recent Monaco Yacht Show, Dutch firm Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design say the vessel is ready to build and offers "an unprecedented hospitality experience".

Inspire consists of six decks with room for 22 guests, with the top deck fully dedicated to the owner. It features a giant lounge, a main deck with guest cabins, restaurant and central staircase lobby, a beach deck containing VIP cabins, and a wellness centre.

Water lovers can also enjoy a swimming platform and spacious beach lounge with a blue hole pool. The ten metre pool has rock formations at the edge, and a full glass bottom providing breathtaking views of the underwater world . At the lowest deck there is a submersible 'Nemo' observation room, five metres below the waves, delivering an uninterrupted view of the sea below.

Designer Sander Sinot said: "The marine environment has always inspired mankind; by its visual splendour of surging waves and endless skies, as well as its sense of wonder, tales of exploration and legendary voyages. Inspire builds on that legacy by providing unprecedented openness between the inside and out, vast exterior decks, and features such as a blue hole swimming pool and submersible Nemo room."

A Sinot spokesperson says a precise cost estimation of the Inspire is not possible to provide at this stage. However, the similarly-sized A+ yacht (483ft), belonging to Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, reportedly cost around £333million to build.

Earlier this year, another jaw-dropping megayacht was reportedly commissioned by an American tech billionaire. The 374ft Project Arwen vessel features a 66ft-long hydraulic swimming pool, which is able to raise and transform into an outdoor entertainment area. The yacht is currently thought to be under construction by German firm Dorries Yachts.

Project Arwen boasts a 3,121 sq ft owner's suite, indoor and outdoor cinemas, a world-class spa facility, helipad, spiral staircase, winter garden, and multiple bar and entertainment areas. There are five en suite cabins and a luxury VIP room for special guest. The owner has a whole private deck, complete with dressing room and a terrace. The boat can power along at 15 knots with a range of 5,000 nautical miles.

MORE ON Swimming pools Boats Monaco

Get email updates with the day's biggest stories.

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

The world’s biggest yachts – what’s behind the growth of the gigayacht

• Helen Fretter
• March 14, 2017

The last few years have seen launches of some of the world's largest yachts, truly gigayachts. Helen Fretter delves into the world of the gigayacht

Dwarfing not only any other yacht that happened to be on the River Eider, but even the buildings along the foreshore, the monolithic Sailing Yacht A made quite an impression when she was launched from the Nobriskrug yard in Hamburg in the autumn of 2016.

The 142m, eight-deck behemoth is the archetypal ‘gigayacht’, phenomenal not just in her dimensions but also in her radicalism.

The Philippe Starck-designed Sailing Yacht A , with her 20m freeboard, begs the question: is she even a sailing yacht? The last yacht to divide opinion, and attract the shock and awe of the non-sailing public in the same manner was Maltese Falcon , the glossy, experimental megayacht designed for Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tom Perkins.

But the Falcon was launched a decade ago, and Sailing Yacht A is just one of a crop of extraordinary gigayachts, or sailing superyachts of 80, 90 or 100m plus, to touch the water in 2016.

Besides the 142m Sailing Yacht A , another three-masted design was launched from OceanCo this autumn, the 106m  Black Pearl , which looks set to become the largest sailing yacht in the world – for a while at least. Black Pearl represents a modern evolution of the rotating Dynarig pioneered by Maltese Falcon . Meanwhile in the spring, the largest Bermudan rigged yacht ever launched, the 86m ketch Aquijo , powered through sail trials in preparation for a global adventure.

There are more in the pipeline also. Royal Huisman announced this autumn that they had been commissioned to design and build the 86m Project 400 , another three masted design, this one more conventionally rigged. A proposal for the 114m Endurance has just been unveiled, an explorer concept designed to be able to cruise unassisted for three months. There is also the 86m Komorebi , an experimental wingsail-assisted hybrid trimaran design from the French multihull experts VPLP.

Rise and rise of the gigayacht

Why the sudden flurry of these stratospherically ambitious projects? In truth, it is not that sudden – initial pitches for what ultimately became Sailing Yacht A were invited back in 2008, and pre-studies began in 2011. A decade between projects seems rather shorter when design and build takes at least five years – gigayacht owners may be exacting, but they also have to be extraordinarily patient.

The 141m four-masted Dream Symphony is currently in build out of wood in Turkey, and includes vast living accommodation, and a swimming pool that converts to become a helipad platform.

What is remarkable, though, is how rapidly the yachts have grown in size – raising the upper ceiling from 88 to over 140m in a decade. Dutch naval architecture firm Dykstra has been instrumental in many of the world’s most innovative megayachts, including Sailing Yacht A , Black Pearl , and Maltese Falcon .

Managing director Thys Nikkels comments, “Ten years ago a big boat was a very different size than a big boat is now. I can still remember when I started working in ’91 a 40-metre yacht in those days was a big boat. In the mid-90s we started to design the yacht Athena , which we thought was the biggest boat we were ever going to see in our lives, as a sailing yacht she was 80 metres on the water.”

The largest single sloop rigged yacht in the world remains Mirabella V , launched back in 2003 and since renamed (and slightly lengthened during a refit) M5 at just over 77m. Rob Doyle, who worked on the project led by Ron Holland, recalls:

“We started designing her 17 years ago now. We hit a very natural sweet spot with Mirabella and that’s why it has taken so long for other boats to suddenly go over her length and over her rig height.

“ Mirabella still has the highest ‘P’ measurement [distance from boom to top of mast] and the longest boom in the world, though there are taller masts now.

“She set a bar and we didn’t realise we’d actually set it. It came down to a ratio of the rig weight to the draught and the keel weights, and everything else to be able to carry that amount of sail and that ballast to satisfy the rules.

“We pushed technology a lot – about 16 companies went bust over Mirabella  because the jump was so massive. We were jumping from a 64m to a 75m [yacht] and that jump was like learning to fly, then going to the moon!”

Article continues below

Video of Sailing Yacht A, the world’s largest sail-assisted vessel, during early sea trials

This video footage of Sailing Yacht A shows her with her towering free-standing masts and illustrates the jaw-dropping scale of the world’s…

A look on board the extraordinary 86m Aquijo, the world’s largest ketch

The largest Bermudan rigged ketch ever launched, the 86m Aquijo was designed by Bill Tripp and launched last year. The build came…

Ken Freivokh, who was responsible for the radical styling of Maltese Falcon , also points out that after the much publicised launch of the Falcon many buyers did not want to be seen to be emulating Tom Perkins’s unique style, preferring to wait, or opt for a conservative design. After the Falcon , Freivokh’s next radical Dynarig yacht was Black Pearl , which he began work on six years ago. At 106m Black Pearl dwarfs Maltese Falcon , with a 2,700GT volume that puts her just under the key 3,000GT limit.

Surprisingly, Dykstra’s Thys Nikkels says that the Dynarigs being built today are not markedly different to the one developed for Maltese Falcon a decade ago. “In concept it is not very different. In detail there are a number of improvements that have been made.

But Maltese Falcon was – for her time – years far ahead and she proved to be very successful in sail handling and sailing, so there are not many improvements to be done. Nowadays you just have different materials you can use, or different electronics and software systems that you can use for control.”

Maltese Falcon, launched in 2006, pioneered the Dynarig concept utilised on many of the next generation of larger gigayachts.

Sail handling

Meanwhile a decade of development in superyacht rigs and sail systems, means that Aquijo ’s owner could opt for a conventional ketch rig, which can deploy over 3,000m2 of sails in around six minutes.

Sail handling routines are necessarily different – the jib is furled when tacking. “Vitters organised a nice system that keeps just a nice amount of tension on the jib sheets furling in and out so that they are not flailing about,” explains Aquijo ’s designer, Bill Tripp. “So it’s not a dinghy tack, but it is safe and orderly.

“The spinnaker is on a fast furler and furls up in 30 seconds, making gybes less complex. There is the ketch choreography of bringing the main and mizzen in, but the steering is precise and there is no need to put too much sail up for the conditions.”

Aquijo master cabin

The forces generated on yachts such as Aquijo may be enormous – mast compression can reach around 580 tons – but are no longer beyond the realms of riggers’ experience. “When we started building boats like Saudade [the 2009 45m Wally], 14 tonnes was a very big load. Once we understood racing these boats, and understood they were controllable, you can take another step.

“We were delighted when sailing Aquijo upwind in a lot of breeze that the load on the mainsheet was showing around 12 tonnes. It’s 2:1 so that’s 24 tonnes. I’m not saying that’s not a massive load, but it’s similar to what we have on Saudade ’s big sheet 1:1, and we have years of experience with handling that.” Custom built 40 ton carbon and alloy winches help manage the sheet loads.

Tripp notes that a Dynarig was never considered as an option. “What you’re really asking is do you want the ease of sailing or do you want to be able to access something exciting? And we wanted both of them.

“Sailors tend to like the more fundamental experiences, and when the technology allows them to access those more fundamental experiences, well that’s a great joy.”

Aquijo is the world’s largest ketch, with a mainsail that can be furled or unfurled in around four seconds

Finding the limit

Just how big can a sailing yacht go? Five years ago plans were unveiled for a 101m sloop, with a single 125m carbon mast, which raised a few eyebrows and discussions over whether it might be possible. Malcolm McKeon worked on the proposal and says that it was the cost, rather than technical limitations, which put the brakes on the project.

“It was an evolving process. The owner has a 50m-plus sailing superyacht, and he wanted a new yacht big enough that he could put a reasonably sized chase boat on board. He wanted an explorer type sailboat that he could go to the Pacific on, and carry all his toys with him, and not have to have a support boat.

“The design started at 65 or 70m and it just grew and grew and grew until it got to 100m, and then it basically just got too expensive.

Recent sail trials on Sailing Yacht A saw the 1,464m2 mainsail unfurled from the 27.5m carbon U-shaped boom. Incredibly she is designed to heel up to a maximum angle of 12 degrees under full sail.

“The big problem with the large sail boats is the mast price goes up by a bigger proportion to everything else so the rig price becomes a much bigger percentage of the overall build. Technically it can all be done, it’s just the value of that part becomes a much more significant part and sometimes more difficult for an owner to accept.

“If somebody came to me and said they wanted to build a boat with a 200m mast I would think well, is that really possible? Certainly rigs up to 100m and a bit more I think are possible today, but where we’re going to go after that I don’t know.”

Rob Doyle points out that sailing superyacht owners pay around a 30 per cent premium over opting for a motoryacht, yet the boats lose around a third of the equivalent interior volume. However, for him the biggest limitations are the humans onboard.

“I think we are coming to a stage where we need a new type of rig, to be honest, to be able to safely deploy these sails without killing people. I think we are getting very close to where the metal meets the flesh at the deck level where the people and the guests are hanging around.”

With the ever-increasing winch and line speeds needed to handle the huge loads, serious hand and limb injuries can happen in the blink of an eye. “There is a moral hazard there that keeps playing on my mind,” says Doyle. “We are building very dangerous machines and we have to be very careful of people.”

The newly announced Endurance concept design is a 114m four-masted explorer design with a 6,000 mile range under power.

More prosaically, the bigger your gigayacht, the bigger the challenge of just getting on and off it. “Once you are getting to a stage where you can’t get into anchorages you are in constant fear of drifting – even putting down an anchor you need a huge amount of space around you.

“So then you anchor further out into the slop and the big waves, so the owners find it difficult to get on and off the boat, and suddenly other problems can overwhelm the project,” Doyle points out. One increasingly popular solution to that particular problem is a luxury landing craft.

Too big for the Panama Canal

It might seem counter-intuitive, but it is Aquijo ’s owner’s focus on the sailing experience that has enabled the designers of the 86m ketch to push the size limits of a traditionally rigged yacht.

“ Aquijo is a sophisticated machine and brings most aspects of a 1,600GT motor yacht with her,” comments designer Bill Tripp. “But she does not aspire to helicopters or submarines, the feeling of the boat is one of use. She is for getting out there, and for going out sailing. In Greece this summer, she would go out for an afternoon of sailing in 35 knot Meltemi because it is so much fun to sail at 20 knots, as if on rails.

“We have always done sailboats that can get under the Panama Canal bridge, and the biggest we were happy to do and put under the bridge was really 46m because after that we didn’t have big enough sails for the boat.

“Then five years ago we launched A Better Place , and the owner said ‘I’ll go around, I don’t want to limit my boat because of the bridges.’ With Aquijo they said, we want to go to these places anyway, so let’s get the best sailboat we can. So suddenly, instead of having this 63m limit on the rig, that all opened up and we could start doing a sailing boat that had a gross tonnage like some of the bigger motoryachts.

“I think we’re going to see more of that. You can look at the Strait of Magellan [an alternative route to rounding Cape Horn ], as a place that’s a really long way away or a place you really want to go.”

The three-masted Black Pearl  has an angular ‘Pacman’ bow with a wave-piercing reverse sheer lower section, and extended traditional foredeck above

The wish list

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko is keeping his Sailing Yacht A tightly wrapped under non-disclosure agreements, but a few intriguing details have been released, including magnifying windows which appear larger inside than outside, and a gimballed crow’s nest, accessible by lift, 60m high in the curved mast.

An observation pod embedded in the keel with foot-thick glass gives a mesmerising – and frankly terrifying-sounding – view of the propellers, and there’s a three-man submarine.

Gigayacht designers have come up with some imaginative solutions to meet owners’ foibles and demands. Drawings for the 101m sloop incorporated an entirely retractable hardtop to the flybridge to give the owner his requested uninterrupted view of the sails and sky.

Plans for the Japanese-influenced Komorebi design feature a live tree on the aft deck. Watersports toys are old news – now tender garages are specified to house motorbikes, amphibious quad bikes, even custom-built marinised supercars.

On Aquijo , the headline feature is the ‘beach club’ on the lower deck. “For a sailing boat it is a huge area, they have a sauna, hamman [Turkish Bath], a rainfall shower, a relaxing area, this huge whirlpool in the middle, a little pantry, and enough space for gym equipment around the pool,” explains interior designer Robert Voges.

Beach club on Aquijo.

Voges says the trickiest element on the yacht was the flawless high shine steel mast claddings which run through the interior. “It is like a piece of art. The mast was going through the main saloon and guest corridor, and we didn’t want to hide it. So we decided to make a feature out of it with seamless stainless steel cladding with integrated LED strip lights from top to bottom over two decks.”

One of the most radical projects in progress is the 141m Dream Symphony , a four-masted design currently in build in Turkey. Originally slated for launch this year, the project is progressing slowly – in part due to the fact the yacht is constructed of wood. Her design includes a large aft deck swimming pool that transforms into a raised helipad area.

This is the type of concept which seemed fantastical just a few years ago, but is now reality in the motoryachts world where designs like the 81m Alfa Nero have deployed it successfully.

“It’s a good solution because you usually have to drop down all the stanchions and any elements that are higher than the helipad itself, whereas if you lift the helipad you don’t have to lower the other elements,” explains Dream Symphony designer Ken Freivokh.

The 141m four-masted Dream Symphony

“The brief did not call for a resident helicopter that would have its own hanger – it’s just a ‘touch and go’. You don’t want to set aside space for a helicopter permanently that’s almost never there, so if you have a reasonably sized swimming pool why not use the base of a pool to just receive the helicopter, and then once the helicopter flies away you can put it back to normal operations?” Why not indeed?

No matter how grandiose your ideas, however, not even the vast volumes of a gigayacht can be entirely filled with art galleries and Reiki studios. Robert Voges explains that, like any other ship, “We have to start with all the emergency exits, the corridors, staircases . . . and from there we can work with the other areas which are left over.”

Ken Freivokh estimates that at least 20 per cent of the interior space has to be allocated to the back-of-house systems required to maintain the equivalent of a small hotel – air conditioning, waste, media, and other unglamorous elements behind the touch-screen luxury.

Edge of reason

At 12,700 GT, Sailing Yacht A has the vastest volume of all. But can she be called a sailing yacht? She carries three of the world’s largest carbon rigs – curved, unstayed, capable of rotating a maximum of 70 degrees – featuring in-boom furling that can deploy 3,747 square metres of sail area (67 per cent more than Maltese Falcon ) from a finger tip command. And yet she cannot help but look implausible.

The hull has a maximum beam of 24.8m and includes 24 shell doors.

No matter how innovative the technology on board, or how vast the expense, the elements will not bend to the will of man or millionaire. Various estimates have put her cost at $400-500million, or in the region of £320 to £400 million – to put those sort of figures in context, the bill for the London Olympics Aquatics centre came in at under £300m.

Sailing Yacht A will be ‘sail-assisted’, not wind-powered. Confounding, aggressive in her styling, she’s a yacht that has attracted scathing opinions as often as wide-eyed wonder. But what is the point of creating a gigayacht that doesn’t?

“It is a creative process with the owner,” comments Aquijo ’s designer Bill Tripp, “They have this idea that they can make something that speaks to them. They don’t write symphonies, and they’re not great painters or sculptors, but on the other hand money is vital energy, and they can create these things that wouldn’t exist otherwise.

“It’s great when someone says, ‘Life’s short, I’m just going to do this.’”

INSPIRE’s design is a dedicated mix of high-tech and natural materials and shapes, in an arrangement of subdued simplicity and spacious monumentality. This allows the mind to roam free and be inspired by the yacht’s intricate detailing, from the smallest doorhandle to the largest architectural element.

Sander J. Sinot

The power of inspiration.

The superyacht INSPIRE paves the way for inspiration. Designer Sander Sinot: “The marine environment has always inspired mankind; by its visual splendour of surging waves and endless skies, as well as its sense of wonder, tales of exploration and legendary voyages. INSPIRE builds on that legacy by providing unprecedented openness between the inside and out, vast exterior decks, and features such as a blue hole swimming pool and submersible Nemo room.”

Furthermore, INSPIRE offers spacious social meeting spaces and a theatre for inspirational events, where the owner, guests, and invitees from all over the world can meet, socialize, exchange ideas, and plan the future, inspired by the seascapes surrounding them. Sander Sinot: “We hope our holistic approach towards yachting will INSPIRE owners, prospects, and industry. Just about anything is possible when you experience the Power of Inspiration.”

Architectural statement

138m of exceptional design.

INSPIRE’s exterior is created using bold architectural lines combined with a pronounced flare-to-tumble shape from bow to stern. Together these create a three-dimensional statement of elegant curves and solid sturdiness. The light blue-green shade of the hull color enables the yacht to blend naturally with the seas and skies. This effect is strengthened by the expansive windows, floor-to-ceiling glass façades, multiple hatches, al-fresco lounges and shaded exterior decks.

INSPIRE’s 138-meters LOA platform consists of six decks: a top deck dedicated to the owner, an upper deck with large guest lounge and wheelhouse, a main deck with guest cabins and al-fresco restaurant, a beach deck with VIP cabins, wellness, beach lounge with blue hole pool as well as generous spaces for inspirational events. A submersible observation room to experience an uninterrupted view of the sea below is located at the lowest deck.

Beach Lounge

Blue hole indulgence.

INSPIRE’s beach lounge is a finely detailed and meticulously crafted multi-purpose space for sunbathing or enjoying watersports from the beach platform, or to gather for al-fresco lounging and a dip in the pool. Two floor-to-ceiling hatches on the starboard and portside fold down to enlarge the space to a level-floored 538m2. The interior ceiling height of 3,8-meters guarantees full appreciation of the sea when the hatches are open, merging ocean views with the interior space.

The central focal point of INSPIRE’s beach lounge is the stunning blue hole swimming pool. The pool has a diameter of 10-meters with rock formations at the edge, vividly colored Raku-ceramic pool tiles, and a full glass bottom providing breathtaking views of the underwater world. The beach lounge is accessible direct from the water with a magnificent stone-walled passage into the forward wellness center, VIP cabins, central lobby, and inspirational theatre.

Wellness Centre

Tranquil serenity.

INSPIRE’s health and wellness center with its sauna, hammam, massage, treatment, and gym, is a shrouded world of tranquil serenity, where the subdued lighting and elementary design creates an intimate environment. Entering this area is a transition from the overtly vastness of the seas and skies experienced at the beach lounge to a mindful atmosphere of care, relaxation, and revitalizing, where well-being, joy, and fun merge into a dream-like experience.

The environment created by the highly detailed design style of INSPIRE provides ultimate comfort for both body and soul. Indirect light and pencil-beam spotlights deliver a setting that can be adjusted to the mood of the day. This sense of harmony is reinforced using sculptural natural stone and glass with carefully designed textures, skillfully treated timber, and meticulously sourced materials to create a natural atmosphere that is far-removed from a hectic day-to-day life.

Central Lobby

Seamless services.

INSPIRE’s midships-located central lobby contains an impressive central circular staircase with an integrated elevator at its core connecting the beach deck, main deck, upper deck, and top deck. With its sculptural design, the stairs appear to float freely in space, creating an impression of weightlessness. This dramatic gesture is strengthened by the two-deck high monumental vide on the portside, with a height of 6,3-meters, where the stairs can be seen to ascend over two decks.

The central lobby provides services to the inspirational theatre, which is accessed by the monumental sculpted bronze door with azure glass inserts at the forward wall. When events are held this connection is opened and the central lobby serves to host smaller group sessions at a lounge setting or connects to meeting rooms on the beach or main deck, or it can accommodate hospitality such as a buffet with delicious snacks and drinks. The full-height windows over two decks provide inspiration, offering endless vistas on both seascape and skies.

Inspirational playground

On the bridge deck a vast 460m2 exterior deck surrounds the pavilion to fully enjoy views of the sea. Inside, a lounge, dining, library, and semi-open wheelhouse are integrated in one free-flowing space of almost 200m2. When ascending the grand circular staircase, the oculus in the central lobby lights the route towards the aft lounge, where a seating arrangement of comfortable sofas is situated. The open connection to the aft and side deck exteriors makes dining and lounging a true al-fresco experience.

The spectacular semi-open wheelhouse’s seating arrangement allows the captain, owner, and travel companions to plan voyages at a large, custom-built round table. The wheelhouse, which encompasses all the latest technologies for the wheelhouse of the future, can be separated from the lounge by closing the sliding doors. The area, crucial for the crew and captain to provide a memorable passage, has been designed for optimal operation with efficient space distribution.

Delights of hospitality

Open sesame at sea.

Located on INSPIRE’s beach deck close to the waterline, the two generously sized VIP state rooms stand out thanks to their spacious design which includes a double bathroom and dressing area. The main and most attention-grabbing feature in these state rooms is a giant hatch opposite the bed that can be folded down in calm waters. When folded down, this distinctive hatch provides VIP guests with an extended balcony with uninterrupted views and close vicinity to the water providing a stunning environment in which to enjoy their time on board.

The VIP suites onboard INSPIRE have a focus on openness and natural comfort, providing a maximum sense of freedom in a highly detailed design style setting. Textured carpets made of reclaimed material, fully customized and crafted furniture in sustainable woods and the use of natural fabric textures in wall and ceiling panelling all create an atmosphere of harmonious serenity. Further personalization of the VIP state rooms’ interiors ensures the design is aesthetically balanced with timeless appeal.

Guest Cabins

Intimate comfort.

Eight spacious and comfortable guest cabins are located forward on the main deck of INSPIRE. All the cabins have a built-in window seat positioned in the elegant windows, delivering an infinite connection with the surrounding seascape. Each bedroom has an ensuite bathroom featuring a wall-to-wall window above the natural stone bathtub, a floating vanity and separate shower and toilet rooms with natural stone walls and floors. All the features in the guest cabins consist of custom-designed pieces, hand-crafted from durable and natural materials.

Inside the guest spaces, every detail of the design has been examined, with meticulous attention devoted to form, material selection, finishes and functionality. The selection of natural stones and hand-picked timbers allows for further personalization of INSPIRE’s interior, ensuring the design is aesthetically balanced with inherent appeal. The result is an atmosphere of pleasing intimacy and mindful hospitality.

Owner’s State Room

Top deck quarters.

The Owner’s state room is located on the top deck of INSPIRE and offers a vast 250m2 of owner living space including a bathroom, dressing area, and adjacent massage, self-service pantry, and lounge. A key point is privacy, with the owner and his or her loved ones having the deck to themselves. Expansive full-length windows create an impression of vast openness and freedom. The open plan arrangement with its full-length passages at the interior side of the portside and starboard glass façades in combination with the glass bulwark, provides a seamless transition from outside to in.

The bedroom is located forward and offers unhindered views and an endless sightline over the bow of INSPIRE. The bathroom and dressing rooms are integrated into the space with an almost beam-wide floating vanity unit and lavishly decorated artisanal cabinet doors in both dressing rooms. On the exterior deck in the front, the seating arrangement is ideal for an intimate breakfast or lunch or for a relaxing area to read while taking in the extensive views.

Owner’s Lounge

Ultimate views.

INSPIRE’s Owner’s lounge is located at the aft of the top ¬deck and enclosed by floor-to-ceiling glass façades with an inserted glass wintergarden. A dining table can be used for an al-fresco breakfast, lunch or a private dinner and luxurious, custom designed lounge furniture provides an environment for socializing or relaxing, combining ultimate style with fine detailing and rich fabrics. Access to the Owner’s state room and central staircase is via an open plan arrangement with full length passages on the interior side of the port and starboard façades.

The vast 500m2 exterior deck space surrounding INSPIRE’s upper deck Owner’s state room and the Owner’s lounge is ideal for appreciating the boundless sea views. This exterior deck is perfectly designed for a light morning workout, yoga, or Pilates or for a brief walk to take in the freshness of the morning. The sense of harmony is reinforced by awe-inspiring views over the ocean; scenery that can be enjoyed throughout the Owner’s lounge and Owner’s state room.

Upper Deck Lounge

Social space.

The main lounge is located at the aft of the upper deck. The forward section of the lounge is geared towards intimate relaxation, with an integrated fireplace to warm hands, hearts, and souls on chilly evenings. The fireplace is incorporated into a feature wall of patinated bronze and is flanked by two art pieces combining organic and geometrical structures. The aft section features a floor-to-ceiling LED screen that can be either concealed in the free-standing wall elements or revealed to create a cinema-setting when desired.

The vast lounge area, which including all the exterior upper deck space measures 379m2, provides ample expanse for not only the onboard guests, but also for larger groups of visitors invited from the shore, perhaps from other yachts or helicoptered-in. It is a unique social space to utilize in conjunction with the restaurant and the theatre, for meeting, exchanging ideas, deepening discussions, and generally having fun.

Plotting the next leg

INSPIRE’s full-beam transparent wheelhouse has a generous seating arrangement for all who want be part of the yacht’s operation and provides a stunning working environment for the captain, first officer and crew. A free-standing chart table offers abundant space to plot the next leg of the journey. The wheelhouse is designed as the wheelhouse of the future encompassing the latest technologies and planned for optimal operation with efficient space distribution.

The full-height windows with sliding doors at the sides, cater for ultimate clarity and sight onto INSPIRE’s surrounding nautical environment. At the back of the wheelhouse there is wall cabinetry crafted from sustainable woods and natural fibre textiles creating an atmosphere of tranquil serenity. Further personalization of the wheelhouse interior ensures the design is aesthetically balanced and ergonomically flawless, resulting in a bridge of timeless quality.

Under the sea

At the yacht’s lowest level, approximately 5-meters below the sea’s surface, a most impressive feature awaits those who have been intrigued and inspired by the depths of the ocean while looking into the blue hole at INSPIRE’s beach deck pool. The spectacular submersible Nemo observation room is accessed from the Nemo deck, from where it is lowered below the yacht’s keel when INSPIRE is safely at anchor or stabilized by dynamic positioning.

A 353-foot hybrid gigayacht wrapped in glass looks like a floating palace of light — and it'll only cost you a quarter of a billion dollars. Take a look inside.

• "Luminosity," a 353-foot hybrid gigayacht, just hit the market for €225 million ($268 million).
• The vessel, built by Italian shipyard Benetti, boasts cutting edge, green technology that allows it to run nearly silently with reduced emissions.
• The ship also has stunning exterior design elements, including over 8,600 square feet of window walls.
• It can accommodate 27 guests, 37 crew members, a helicopter, two cars, a sailboat, and motorbikes.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Italian shipyard Benetti just completed building one of the world's largest hybrid yachts — and the gigayacht can be yours for just a quarter of a billion dollars.

"Luminosity" is a 353-foot vessel that runs on a hybrid propulsion system and diesel-electric engines along with specially developed batteries for a silent, smooth ride. The ship also features eye-catching design elements on a surface level, like over 8,600 square feet of window walls and guest suite bathrooms that look more like pieces of modern art.

The yacht can accommodate up to 27 guests across 12 suites, along with 37 crew members across 22 cabins. And that's not to mention two cars, including a Phantom Rolls Royce, a 24-foot sailboat, and two motorbikes.

The original owner decided to sell just weeks before delivery, and the floating palace is currently on the market with an asking price of €225 million ($268 million).

Here's a look inside.

"Luminosity" is a brand new, luxurious hybrid vessel. Benetti, the shipyard that built it, bills it as a gigayacht — yes, a gigayacht — which is a vessel larger than a superyacht or a megayacht.

Source: Axxess Marine, Benetti

The ship is 353 feet long.

Source: Benetti

Benetti, founded in 1873, is one of the oldest Italian shipyards and focuses on luxurious custom builds.

"Luminosity," according to Robb Report, was a custom build that took at least five years to complete.

Source: Robb Report

The original owner decided to sell just weeks before delivery.

The completely finished vessel is selling for €225 million ($268 million), a Benetti spokesperson told Business Insider.

Its price point of a quarter of a billion dollars reflects both the luxury and the technology the yacht was designed with— the shipyard touts it as one of the largest hybrid ships in the world.

The ship is powered by a hybrid propulsion system and diesel-electric engines, along with specially developed batteries for a smooth, quiet ride.

The yacht's exteriors, which are wrapped in over 8,600 square feet of glass, were designed by Zaniz Jakubowski, Andrew Langton, and Giorgio M. Cassetta.

Between its six decks of windows and hybrid technology, the ship bucks conventional yacht design.

The interiors were designed solely by Zaniz Jakubowski, a prolific designer who Robb Report noted has remained anonymous for 20 years due largely to non-disclosure agreements.

The ship's design details include a projection screen that can show any scenery. Below, it shows a forest.

A swirling staircase moves through the illusion.

Other artistic elements throughout the ship include intricate design patterns and light fixtures in key areas like the bar ...

... and dining room.

The ship can accommodate up to 27 guests across 12 suites.

The suites feel more like luxe hotel rooms than ship cabins.

They include include modern bathrooms ...

... with plenty of light.

"Luminosity" can also accommodate 37 crew members across 22 cabins.

The yacht has multiple spacious decks.

One deck boasts a helipad.

That same deck is also set up to fit two cars, including a Rolls Royce Phantom, along with a 24-foot sailboat and two motor bikes.

All of the other decks are designed for a mix of entertaining and relaxing, instead of toy stashing.

"Luminosity" also has lavish amenities like a gym with window walls.

... and an on-board spa.

• Main content

• Weird But True
• Sex & Relationships
• Viral Trends
• Human Interest
• Fashion & Beauty
• Food & Drink

trending now in Lifestyle

'I'm 48 and dying due to years cutting kitchen countertops'

I'm a dermatologist — never pop a pimple that falls in the...

Plane passenger charged for carry-on bag by 'smug' worker — but...

TikTokker finds 'modern-day fairy tale' after shopping for a man...

LeBron James' biohacking routine reportedly costs $1.5M —...

FDA proposes ending use of popular decongestant in cold medicines

'My best friend's dad' name trend is big for baby girls in 2025

Urinating passenger causes in-flight ruckus — and flight crew...

Luxury gigayacht to feature fold-out balconies, underwater living room called the ‘nemo lounge’.

Talk about living the suite life.

Plans for a mind-bogglingly luxe vessel with the amenities and spacious feel of a luxury resort on dry land — to be built by one of the world’s leading superyacht creators — have been announced.

The Inspire, a 454-foot gigayacht, will be the newest creation of Sinot Yacht Architecture and Design Press, a Dutch company that’s no newcomer to making headlines for their wild yacht designs. 

Large enough for 22 guests and a whopping 52 crew members, plans for the fantastical floating craft were unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show last week.

Inspire will feature a 40-seat theater, wellness center, a winter garden, fold-out balconies, swimming pool and even an underwater “Nemo Lounge,” as the unique living area has been dubbed. 

“The most impressive feature is situated at the yacht’s lowest level,” designer Sander Sinot said of the sunken lounge, set 16-feet beneath the surface, Jam Press reported. “The spectacular submersible Nemo observation room provides a unique opportunity to experience intriguing and inspiring underwater life in a serene setting.”

Inspire will have six decks in total, including a nearly 3,000-square-foot owner’s top deck with lounging area, lavish primary suite, open-plan wheelhouse, a main deck with the ship’s restaurant and a beach deck with VIP-worthy cabins, all built with the most “natural and durable elements,” according to Sinot. 

Renderings emphasize the vessel’s clean lines, light floors and sleek hull built to blend with the surrounding seas and skies.

In all there are accommodations for 22 guests and 52 crew — or there will be, once the boat, which Sinot says is “ready to be built,” finds a buyer and is constructed.

“Every element in the superyacht’s concept is entirely custom-designed and meticulously crafted from the finest and most sustainable natural materials,” Sinot noted, adding that the Inspire’s design allows for it to be “further customized to the future owner’s wishes, without making any concessions to the uniqueness of this special concept.”

Advertisement