Wedding cakes in the superyacht world are a depressingly frequent sight. The temptation to add more interior space with more decks or more beam (or both), seems too much for most buyers and shipyards to resist, and the results are seldom beautiful.
The outcome of this trend is a fleet of yachts that has the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic properties of an average house brick, only on a much larger scale.
It does make one wonder what a superyacht would look like if it was brought back to basic principles.
Silver Yachts has provided the answer: Stunningly beautiful. So beautiful that Silver Fast walked away with the Finest New Yacht award at the 2015 Monaco Yacht Show.
Silver Fast is the fourth hull in the Silver Yachts – formerly Hanseatic Yachts – series, and truly an international effort. The design and naval architecture is by Monaco-based Espen Øino; interiors by Vain Interiors in Germany; and the build was done in Silver Yachts’ Perth, Western Australia yard, which was established by German industrialist Guido Krass. Australia was chosen because of the depth of expertise in fast aluminium commercial vessels designed for all sea conditions.
In keeping with basic boat design principles Silver Fast has a relatively narrow beam for her length, and that means more efficiency. Add to this lightweight aluminium construction and you get improved efficiency again, as well as a shallower draft, giving her access to more anchorages than most yachts of this length.
With a pair of MTU 16V 4000 M90 engines, each rated at 3,647hp, and 77m of yacht to push around, scintillating performance and economy aren’t expected. But thanks to the efficiency of the hull, Silver Fast has a top speed of 27 knots and a cruising speed of 25 knots. Silver Yachts reckons this makes her the world’s largest and fastest aluminium motor yacht with conventional propulsion in terms of length to speed ratio.
More surprising still is the range – according to Silver Yachts she’s a record-breaker in this regard, capable of crossing the Atlantic at approximately 22 knots cruising speed. She’ll do 4,500 nautical miles at 18 knots and 6,000 nautical miles at 14 knots, meaning her maiden voyage from Australia to Europe took a mere 21 days, and involved only one fuel stop – although that was to fill her 112,000 litre tanks.
And despite not having a wide beam, space on board is generous.
The lower deck is where the work happens, with crew’s quarters forwards comprising eight ensuite cabins – three singles and five doubles – plus a large crew mess. Midships there are two twin guest cabins; one guest Pullman cabin; and a double guest cabin; plus two extra cabins aft for nannies or the like. Aft of the massive engine room is an equally massive beach club, featuring a gym, spa, sauna and beauty salon.
The main deck is the main guest and living area, as well as the unusual location of the tender garage. Occupying the narrower forward part of the hull, the garage is large enough to house two 7.4-metre custom-built tenders and a couple of jetskis. The tenders are launched through gull-wing doors in each side of the hull.
Aft of the garage are three double VIP cabins with ensuites. Midships is a large galley to the portside, with the dayhead, the stairway and a companionway starboard, leading to the main salon, theatre room and finally the ‘wintergarden’. Surrounded by retractable glass, this area offers dining for up to 20 in all weather conditions. There is a large open seating area aft.
The next deck up is reserved exclusively for the owner, with a master stateroom with his and hers ensuites, a private owner’s salon, plus an owner’s outdoor retreat. And topping it all off on the next deck is a sundeck with lounge, bar and Jacuzzi.
To add to guest convenience there’s a touch-and-go helipad, capable of handling a Eurocopter EC135 or AgustaWestland AW109 – it apparently also made a great location for a Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabrio for a promotional video.
Unusually, Silver Fast was built on spec, largely as proof of concept, and the awards seem to justify the effort. What this means is she is also on the market (through Burgess), with an asking price of €79,500,000. Apparently it costs to stand out from the wedding cakes.
This story was first published in Davison, Vol. 29.
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