Jaw-dropping superyacht concepts

Some things just have to be seen to be believed!

So, without further ado, let’s direct you to check out this, and this, and this… all these articles look at of the most exciting new superyacht concepts. Prepare to be blown away… imagine one that looks like a magnificent swan, one that transforms into a submarine, or one that features three swimming pools with waterfalls cascading from each pool into the one on the deck below.Yes, yacht designers are upping the ante with their new and imaginative super yacht concepts!

Superyachts have never NOT been in style and demand has been steadily growing over the years - more so of late. The pandemic has brought a spike in purchases, CNN Travel tells us.  Superyacht marketing company Northrop & Johnson, for example, noted sales in July last year were double that of the previous year. As a result, the market is projected to reach a value of $10.2 billion by 2025 as more and more yachts measuring longer than 24 metres are ordered.

The majority of the superyacht concepts that feature on the sites mentioned above are in a “hoping to find a buyer stage” and are “stylistic exercises”.

The first mind-boggling superyacht concept we'll take a look at is a gigantic swan-like craft featuring a detachable “head” that works as a control tower. It can be lowered to the centre of the vessel while at sea (when lowered the yacht’s total length is 157m) and can be removed from the vessel and used as a completely separate boat. The rest of the yacht is divided into five main decks, with the rear deck comprising a personal port for two jet capsules. The yacht concept also features two onboard helicopters and helicopter hangars. Estimated cruising speed: 18 knots. And the biggie… estimated cost: US$500,000,000.

Images - Lazzarini Design Studio

One has, however, been specifically designed for a client - an unnamed German entrepreneur. The Ice Kite is an eco-friendly superyacht, pulled along by a 1,700 square-foot kite. This superyacht comes with a support vessel to carry extra equipment, and a Dutch shipyard has offered to build both.

Then there’s the 70m superyacht concept designed to look like a floating jumbo jet - this has moved beyond concept stage to commitment stage. Construction was due to start at an Italian shipyard but was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The information regarding most of these incredible yachts indicates they would take two to four years to build, so keep that in mind if you are planning to order one! However, some won’t happen in our lifetime. The conceptual plans for the  hybrid vessel, for example (that features on this site) are based around it moving on the surface of the sea and underwater  - but that’s likely to be 100 years away!

“The world of luxury submarines is one of the last frontiers in the field of experimentation,” says Italian-based naval architect Elena Nappi.

As for the more immediate future, The yachting world website says to get used to a lot more catamaran designs. Fêted yacht designer, Espen Oeino says multihulls are the future of yachting concepts, simply because of sustainability. Many designers agree - they too believe the green agenda will ultimately bring wealthy owners back to sailing yachts.

There’s movement on this front already. The first of Oeino’s new 35m SpaceCat design is nearing completion in China, offering 300m2 of interior space and nearly 600m2 on deck - all balanced on lightweight, low-resistance aluminium hulls.

Images - SilverYachts

“People’s concept of what is beautiful is changing but it will need a bit of time,” he adds.

 “There’s an automotive parallel - it was the same thing with the first SUVs. In the end, though, a cat gives you a much better platform for coming up with interesting layouts.”

One thing for sure, it appears we can expect high levels of creativity. As so accurately stated on the Yachting World site, many of the superyachts we are used to seeing look remarkably similar from the outside: there’s a pointy end, a wedding cake in the middle, and pool and beach club at the back. In contrast, the Boat International site tells us, the superyacht concepts we can look forward to, come in all shapes and sizes “from evolutionary designs that subtly push the envelope to much more radical ideas that boldly challenge the orthodoxy”. There’s plenty of “wow” on the way.