Damen Yachting’s new 345ft SeaXplorer 105 Expedition Yacht design is their largest SeaXplorer yet and combines luxury yachting with true explorer capabilities.
Damen Yachting’s SeaXplorer story began in 2015 as the creation of a fully-customisable, purpose-designed luxury expedition yacht range and now introduces the new SeaXplorer 105 to reside alongside previous models like the SeaXplorer 90, SeaXplorer 95, and SeaXplorer 100.
As their largest expedition yacht design yet, the 345ft (105-metre) SeaXplorer 105 has been designed by Damen’s in-house SeaXplorer team in collaboration with exterior design partners Azure Yacht Design and operational design partners EYOS Expeditions to create an expedition yacht featuring the best of luxury yachting with true explorer capability.
“The SeaXplorer 105 is a fully developed design,” says Enrique Tintore, SeaXplorer Design Manager at Damen Yachting. “However, the scope for client customization is massive – that’s a key part of our proposition throughout the design process.”
The design of the SeaXplorer 105 also features two Owner Suites built under PYC rules and accommodation for 24 guests in total, allowing her to be chartered out as a true luxury expedition yacht.
To enhance the luxury yachting experience of clients, the SeaXplorer features a unique indoor SeaXplorer Spa on the Main Deck, covering 3,229 sq ft (300-square meters), with space for an indoor swimming pool, gym, whirlpool, steam room and sauna, massage room, hairdresser, beauty salon and treatment room.
Above deck, the SeaXplorer also includes a fully certified helideck suitable for two twin-engine helicopters (regulations specify two helicopters are required when flying far or landing in the mountains for skiing in places like Antarctica) and a weather-tight double hanger below deck to keep them protected from the elements.
A benefit of the 3,229 sq ft (300 square-meter) twin helideck is that it can also double as an entertaining space for parties and hosting up to 200 guests with an ultra lounge layout. Alternatiave, during the design phase owners can also request the area be configured to include an outdoor cinema, full-size double tennis court, or a basketball half-court.
Like previous models, the SeaXplorer 105 also shares the unique Observation Lounge design with an outside bow point deck – but on a much larger scale with a full 1,324 sq ft (123 square meters) devoted to the Observation Lounge complete with a bar and multimedia center.
With a Gross Tonnage volume of 6,500 and 62,162 sq ft (5,775 square meters) over her eight decks, the SeaXplorer 105 ensures she has not only room for tenders including a 42ft chase boat, limousine, RIB, landing craft, and sports tenders, but also storage space for luggage, provisions, and fuel for the helicopter and tenders to meet the demands required of an expedition yacht.
The new design also complies with the IMO Polar Code category B requirements for polar safety and environmental protection, and her hull is built with Polar Class 7 ice strengthening with double-acting stern icebreaking for maximum safety in fast-changing ice conditions.
UK design studio Harrison Eidsgaard has revealed their latest expedition yacht concept – the 417ft “Rex” designed for a client wanting “something different”.
UK design studio Harrison Eidsgaard has unveiled their latest design known as “Rex” – a 417ft expedition yacht named for the Latin word for “King” and created specifically for a client looking for “something different.”
Designed with a streamlined white and grey exterior, the sporty expedition yacht concept boasts four terraces with a 46ft pool on the main deck that can be enclosed with glass to create an indoor pool in cold climates, an oversized cinema, a two-story gym, and an Airbus A160 helicopter hangar that converts into a squash court when not in use.
Accommodation for 22 guests consists of a master suite and ten guest suites each with their own terrace and direct access to the forward and aft atrium staircases while features like the submerged “Neptune” lounge offers guests an underwater view of their surroundings from below and a “Panorama” observation lounge on the top deck offering 360-degree views from above.
The Rex Expedition yacht is also designed with a full-beam garage with room for a 49-foot expedition vessel, two 30-foot tenders, and a large crane to assist with moving the toys in and out of the water.
Regarding performance, Harrison Eidsgaard has utilized a significant hull chine and sharp bow design for improved fuel efficiency and a hybrid propulsion package that could be converted to a hydrogen system in the future for zero-emissions cruising.
Alia Yachts has launched the 180ft Al Waab II superyacht at its shipyard in Antalya, Turkey, ahead of its final delivery in September.
Alia Yachts has launched the 180ft Al Waab II superyacht at its shipyard in Antalya, Turkey, ahead of its final delivery in September which coincides with the Monaco Yacht Show later this year.
After two years in construction amongst the ongoing pandemic, the production schedule was surprisingly only delayed by two weeks, with Alia Yachts President Gökhan Çelik noting, “the last two years have been difficult, but we took a lot of health and safety measures, and, to offset delays experienced by our European suppliers, we worked around the problem and found ways to recreate lost time.
“The fact we’ve done it in just over two years despite everything is a credit to the determination of the men and women who work here.”
Designed by Dutch design studio Vripack, Al Waab II accommodates up to 12 guests and features a modern design with a neutral color palette across the five staterooms and the master suite split across the upper and main decks.
“For many owners, the concept of enjoying a ‘home at sea’ is what drives their passion for yachting,” says Bart Bouwhuis, Co-creative Director at Vripack. “The owner of Al Waab II had the explicit desire to use his boat as a family apartment. That desire became the founding principle of the entire design. The result is the very essence of living on the water.”
“We’re very proud of Al Waab II,” says Alia President, Gökhan Çelik, adding, “Yachts are getting longer and wider, but owners still want to stay below the 500 GT mark. We’ve seen increasing interest in this kind of yacht and so to be one of the first with such an impressive project is an important milestone for Alia.”
The Al Waab II will now undergo sea trials and final outfitting ahead of delivery to her owner.
Heesen Yachts 164ft Project Altea has officially been launched as MY ELA and is on her way to the Mediterranean for the summer.
Heesen Yachts 164ft MY ELA (formerly known as Project Altea) has officially launched in the Netherlands and is currently on her way to the Mediterranean for the summer.
Purchased only three months before delivery, the lightweight, aluminum fast-displacement hull built on Heesen’s sub-500GT Nova Plus engineering platform and interiors had already been completed when she caught the eye of the new owners.
Featuring large floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious light-filled living areas designed by Frank Laupman of Omega Architects and warm and inviting interior designed by Italian interior designer Cristiano Gatto, all that remained for the new owners of MY ELA was to customize the final details to make it their own.
With only three months from the purchase date until delivery, Cristiano Gatto worked alongside the team at Heesen to fully customize the interiors in time for delivery.
“Together with the client, we revisited all the loose furniture, inside and out, selecting new materials for all the upholstery and the key items from Paola Lenti, B&B Italia, Poltrona Frau, and Promemoria,” said Cristiano. “But more importantly, we designed bespoke pieces, such as tables, sofas, and lamps, all beautifully crafted by Italian ateliers, who delivered them in record time.”
Built to accommodate twelve guests in six staterooms, MY ELA is not only luxurious inside but is an elegant fast-displacement design that allows shipyards to stay below the 500GT limit to avoid the additional certification required of larger superyachts.
Powered by two powerful MTU 12V 2000 diesel engines for a maximum speed of 19 knots, MY ELA is also the first Heesen to feature a peak-shaving battery system that offers a seamless storage of energy by allowing excess generator power to be stored when the yacht’s load fluctuates and used during peak periods when power demand exceeds generator output.
While primarily intended for family use, MY ELA will also be available for charter with Zarpo Yachts for select clients.