The process of having a custom yacht designed and built can be broken down into many, many small parts, each of which can be phrased as a question that the builder and designer put to the owner: "Would you like it this way or that way?" When these questions are answered, the yacht begins to take form. And in fact, mid-build change orders are ofen the result of an owner deciding he answered one or more of these questions incorrectly.
As these designs are built and unveiled at international yacht shows, naval architects, stylists, and designers the world over take notice and ask themselves some questions. What is it that sets these yachts apart? Or Why do these designs work? And, most importantly, Why didn't I think of that? And as the challenges of their own designs loom, the solutions they hit upon may be inspired by some of these beautiful and remarkable yachts.
Power Management
Yacht designers are turning to clever power management systems, using hybrid technology to make yachts more efficient and reduce environmental impact.
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WHY stands for Wally Hermès Yachts, a joint venture between the cutting-edge yacht builder and the luxury fashion house. The first project of the partnership, depicted in this rendering above, will certainly catch the eye, but it's the rays she's after. The yacht has an integrated, retractable photovoltaic array that will shrink not only your carbon footprint, but also that of all your friends, hanging out on the 36-meter wide afterdeck and swim platform called "the beach." Nine hundred square meters of solar cells will power most of the ancillary systems, while three times more energy is conserved through the recovery of lost thermal energy. The power management of WHY keeps with the general concept of the yacht: Slow down and enjoy the ride-having the time to do it will be the true luxury of the future.
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Looking for something a bit more down to earth, but still earthfriendly? Mochi Craft has launched the Long Range 23, a hybrid propulsion yacht that uses diesel engines, electric motors, battery banks, generators, and a handy touchscreen control system to offer four different modes of energy use at sea. Get where you need to go with full diesel propulsion, which charges the system while you cruise around at semi-displacement speeds, or switch to zero emission mode, which runs everything off the batteries, and dials down any guilt as well.
WHY Yachts; www.why-yachts.com Allied Marine Group, (954) 462-5527; www.alliedmarine.com
