Bright Ideas with Big Impact as Yachting Evolves One Innovation at a Time
What constitutes a “bright idea” in yachting? Is it building something that has never been done before, something that pushes an existing concept in a totally new direction, something that fundamentally re-frames the ways in which we approach yachting? Or, is it all of the above? Navigator talks to those in the industry who are approaching yachting’s most pressing issues with thoughtfulness and zeal – ideas that straddle the realms of design, technology, sustainability, community, and conservation. From shipyards making strides towards reducing and even eliminating vessel emissions to designers creating interiors from sustainable materials to the yachting community initiatives keeping cruising grounds pristine – these are the innovators who are each, in their own way, changing the way we approach yachting, one bright idea at a time.
The Experts
Malcolm McKeon, Founder, MMYD
Marnix J. Hoekstra, Partner and Co-Creative Director, Vripack
Steven English, President, IGY
The Designer
Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design
The yachting industry is made up of several different stripes, a few of whom are trying to bring something new to transform it into a more socially and environmentally responsible pastime. One design studio at the forefront of this drive toward sustainability is Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design (MMYD), whose landmark yachts include the award-winning 196’ (59.7m) SARISSA and the 110’ (33.5m) ZEMI. “Each project that we design is an evolution with continual development and refinement of hull forms, improved efficiency, hydrodynamics, and weight savings,” says Malcolm McKeon, founder of MMYD.
The 196’ (59.7m) Royal Huisman-built SARISSA has certainly received extensive recognition since her delivery in 2023, taking seven Neptune trophies, including Sailing Yacht of the Year at the recent 2024 World Superyacht Awards, as well as the Eco Award and Innovation of the Year at the Boat International Design & Innovation Awards earlier in the year. Leading the MMYD team in the design of SARISSA, Malcolm worked closely with an owner who pushed the project to its full potential. “The yacht really embodies the client’s brief in every way,” says Malcolm. “The outcome is an incredibly powerful sailing yacht with exceptional performance and minimal environmental impact.” It seems the success of the MMYD studio is partly “The aft section opens to reveal a large beach club, which hosts a bar, seating area, and sauna. The carbon beach club door is really an engineering marvel, literally doubling the size of the platform to an impressive 20m²” Malcolm McKeon, MMYD, due to its dedication to a more client-centered design. “First and foremost, every design is completely custom, fully bespoke and very much driven at its heart by the client – we develop the concept with them,” explains Malcolm. “Many of our clients recognize the environmental advantage of a sailing yacht. Indeed, it’s often part of its attraction for them, and because of this enthusiasm, they can be instrumental in developing new technologies.” As a result of demand from their clients, MMYD has already introduced a number of fuel-efficient ideas in their designs to reduce emissions and running costs and continues to research new ideas all the time. In addition to supporting these new technologies, MMYD’s innovative designs are nature-focused and also include more open-plan interiors and outdoor spaces dedicated to living by the water’s edge. “SARISSA is a great example of how we’ve tried to innovate in the usability side of things – the aft section opens to reveal a large beach club, which hosts a bar, seating area, and sauna,” says Malcolm. “The carbon beach club door is really an engineering marvel, literally doubling the size of the platform to an impressive 20m².” With several projects under construction and new and exciting designs on the drawing board, the future certainly looks bright for the award-winning MMYD studio. malcolmmckeonyachtdesign.com
The Yacht
ZERO
Yachts powered by wind energy alone have been around for centuries – they have crossed oceans and circumnavigated the world under sail for hundreds of years without needing any fossil fuels at all. However, today’s superyachts, whether motor or sail, use diesel generators to produce their electrical power and therefore also require fossil fuels to power just about everything on board, from air conditioning to navigation and audio-visual, even to the electric winches used to raise the sails on a modern sailing yacht. A fossil fuel-free superyacht may, therefore, appear a long way off, but the groundbreaking sailing yacht ZERO, which is scheduled for delivery in 2025, aims to prove that more sustainable luxury yachting isn’t just a pipe dream. Developed by a dream team of experts from various fields both within the yachting industry and outside, the entire philosophy is to develop a solution for change through collaboration and information sharing, and by showing the industry that yachting really can be made more sustainable.
Dutch shipyard Vitters and Dykstra Naval Architects, along with Dutch design studio Vripack Yacht Design, are the panel of yachting experts involved in the inception of the sailing yacht ZERO. Having all worked previously on other groundbreaking yachting innovations, the team tested various configurations, aided by physicists and data analysts. “We have researched various ways of powering a yacht from hydrogeneration and solar energy,” says Marnix J. Hoekstra, Partner and Co-Creative Director at Vripack. “Hydrogeneration may not be new, but to operate a yacht on sun, wind, and water and using sustainable materials alone is a radical new concept.” The resulting 226′ (68.9m) performance ketch ZERO will also use solar energy to run the hotel load, topped up with hydrogeneration. “This has constraints on the yacht’s operational profile, but it is, in theory, something that can be used on board any vessel and this is the whole point of the R&D work into renewable energy, which ultimately will be published by the technology platform foundationzero.org,” explains Marnix. Indeed, in line with Foundation Zero’s mission, all data will be made available through open source to those who are interested and for all to benefit from – ultimately contributing to a positive change in the maritime industry. “It starts with imagining what is possible,” says Marnix. foundationzero.org
The Destination
Sindalah
Just eight years ago, the announcement of Saudi Arabia’s futuristic flagship project NEOM seemed to be a destination of the distant future, but as we write halfway through 2024 the architectural and infrastructural undertakings to build four unique regions are already well underway. Strategically located just a day’s cruising from the Mediterranean Sea, the visionary luxury island development, Sindalah, is due to welcome its first guests later this year. One of NEOM’s four luxury destinations occupying a substantial corner of Saudi Arabia, Sindalah’s development opens up the Red Sea as an alluring cruising ground, potentially offering a new winter season location for the superyacht set. Northrop & Johnson’s partner IGY Marinas is responsible for Sindalah Marina, offering 86 berths for yachts up to 164’ (50m) and additional serviced offshore buoys for
superyachts up to 590’ (180m).
Sindalah Marina is the closest ultra-prime superyacht marina to Europe and the Mediterranean, highlighting NEOM’s ambition to become a world leader in luxury tourism and yachting experiences in the Red Sea region. “The addition of Sindalah Marina to the IGY global marina network provides superyacht owners, captains, and charter guests access to an unrivaled new destination aligned with an entirely new yachting season,” says Steve English, President of IGY Marinas. “Superyachts visiting Sindalah will enjoy a redefined luxury experience, with premium hotels, retail offerings, culinary dining, and an amazing golf experience.” Further afield, NEOM itself covers an area of approximately 10,200 square miles, which includes everything from mountain ranges and desert landscapes to coastal regions ripe for exploration by yacht. The waters are home to over 2,000 marine species, 600 of which are endemic to the Red Sea and cannot be found anywhere else in the world, while on land its landscape offers endless vistas with rich red sands, craggy mountains, and valleys populated with native wildlife. NEOM has also pledged to preserve 95 percent of the region’s land and sea for conservation – a vision of what the future of tourism might look like, perhaps? neom.com
