Written by Staff Writer
Designs for what might become the world’s largest yacht have been revealed, with Monaco-based design house DBStudio working with construction companies Brammer of Britain and Bollinger of France to create the Ultra Kingfish.
The unprecedented design has been dreamed up to accommodate up to 12 guests, six crew, and has been crafted around a new intake system that will allow room for an extra 170m of water.
A gliding hull, combined with a new floating steel and aluminum superstructure — wrapped in a sweeping body of rippling white carbon fiber — will allow the vessel to skim water up to five meters deep.
And designers say the boat’s design is even flexible, as it can be transformed to a handful of different heights in a matter of seconds.
“The hull defines the overall shape and allows the boat to float almost like a kite,” says DBStudio founder Philippe Bianconi.
“If you’re at the back of the boat, there’s no need to have a mooring system, the craft will just float up on a certain level and you’re able to stay at that height forever.”
The vessel’s shape and its streamlined profile could rival that of the Ciel Royal Coral, an ultra-sought after superyacht currently moored off St. Tropez.
And while both the European superyacht and the Ultra Kingfish are estimated to cost an estimated $600 million each, a price tag for the world’s largest yacht is likely to soar even higher.
“It’s really about configuring the ship to fit a particular market and the yacht itself is the product of this unique design,” Bianconi adds.
“It’s a tough business. I won’t say it’s easy, but there are limited assets to start with, so it’s not the luxury industry where a monoline starts selling for $400 million, and $100 million. It’s not about that.”