Feadship challenges itself when it doesn’t meet the demands posed by the most sophisticated clientele in the world. Its design and innovation teams have been inspiring future owners with concept designs based on strong technical and Feadship skills for more than ten years. Feadship unveiled its twelfth state-of-the-art Concept Design at the 2023 Monaco Yacht Show. It is an amazing 83-metre vessel with much lower energy requirements. The namesake of the concept is reflected in the flowing lines by Studio De Voogt. Dunes, while the organic curves of the superstructure are given a sense of mystery by the mast and stern. But it’s what’s invisible that elevates this idea to the pinnacle of sustainability.

Dunes significantly advances Feadship’s objective of Net-Zero superyachts. It integrates elements that lower energy use with technology that boosts efficiency and gets rid of pollution, much like a complicated 3D jigsaw. An array of elements, such as the removal of teak decks, the use of extra-capacity next-generation storage batteries, window shade to lessen the need for cooling, new fuel cells, and even a radical propulsor, all contribute to a positive design spiral. Each component lessens the environmental effect when used alone, but when combined, Dunes will drastically minimise the environmental footprint of a superyacht without sacrificing the pleasure of sailing. When comparing a superyacht to a vessel that complies with current minimal environmental rules, Dunes removes up to 95% of the potential negative environmental issues. This assessment is based on the extensive YETI tooling.

Before we could begin drawing lines, we had to define the scope,” said designer Thijs Orth, who took the lead on this Concept. “From customer input, we thought the ‘envelope’ should contain six guest staterooms, plus a spa area, a beach club, an owner’s private deck and a pool. It would be a substantial hull.”

A flurry of “what-ifs” ensued. What happens if the engine room is not located in the centre of the boat? What if there was direct access from the guest cabins to the beach club? How about if the bridge was shifted as in Concept Pure (2021)? What happens if hydrogen storage tanks are not needed for the fuel cells? What happens if the deck is fully multipurpose? What would happen if Concept Breathe (2010)’s passive ventilation technology was updated?

What happens if there is asymmetry in the superstructure? What if the decks produced their own power? What if, really? These and other inquiries resulted in fresh approaches to time-honoured issues. A single alteration, which involved shifting the engine room from its most cosy location to the front of the vessel, had far-reaching consequences. It allowed for the creation of a completely new design, with elegant guest quarters on the lower deck connected to an amazing beach club, water sports area, and swimming pool on the upper deck.

Additionally, this prevents bulky engine room air and exhaust trunks from obstructing saloons or determining the location of stairways. Propellers, lengthy shafts, and massive gearboxes are not necessary for electric boats. Fuel cells that provide electricity, battery banks, and the power management station may be dispersed to almost any convenient location for the crew. Speaking of handy, it is possible to have a virtual helm station or command centre adjacent to the crew quarters on the lower deck rather than a few decks away where it would infringe on owner/guest space.

Studio De Voogt looked to the undulating waves of sand rather than water for inspiration. Observing that dunes are ever-changing due to the way light and shadow cause their ripples and valleys to form, the designers experimented with concepts of line, flow, and adaptability. The undulating curves of the dunes became the backdrop for the versatile, multifunctional rooms, boundless vistas, and a blend of open-plan areas and cosy, private places that today’s owners crave. As soon as visitors board, they may unwind even more because the interior design is influenced by nature.

Although inside accommodations sometimes encroach on deck space, this style is characterised by graceful, shaded walk-around decks. Apart from providing a sense of shelter from the weather, they also provide different paths for people to move around the boat and a few surprising spots for lounging and partying outside. Design may offer different destinations and private spaces by breaking free from the notion that all shaded outdoor areas must be located aft. The asymmetrical superstructure of Dunes is easily recognised because of its little use of straight lines. Instead of marching in rigid corridors, spaces appear to float from one to the next. Stairs are either softly curved or round in shape. Full-height glass windows and doors are also included. If overhangs weren’t taken into consideration, this amount of glass might provide extremely high heat loads in sunny regions. Because the overhangs follow the curves of the glass, only small portions of the full-height superstructure windows are visible from the sun for most of the day. According to a calculation, these elegant deck shoulders reduce heat accumulation behind the glass by 60%.

Sustainability involves more than just reducing emissions from vehicles. The proper course of action is to move on since there is an international convention that forbids the world’s leading yacht-building nations from importing old-growth Burmese teak and since demand for adequate plantation-grown teak considerably exceeds availability. Dunes lack teak. This proposal combines two innovative luxury decking systems that Feadship is testing.

Adorned with clear aliphatic polyurethane resin, the topsides of the vessel gleam due to their teak-free decks, which are composed of millions of small glass or stone chips. The resin surface may be shaped into a wide variety of forms to highlight integrated components or provide direction. The designers imagined outdoor lounging areas to resemble islands on the decks, and they depicted them covered in stunning, golden maple wood, which bears a striking resemblance to teak. The beautiful single maple-clad column that unites the ornamental pieces of maple overhead with those below is the singular support for the extended aft overhangs.

The highest Pavilion Deck structure is made, notably, of wood. Although this was the method used to build early Feadships and, in fact, the majority of steel-hulled boats in the days before aluminium, the decision was made based on science rather than a whimsical comparison with the past. Treated wood has a high natural insulating ability and is a CO2-negative construction material. The material’s beauty and utility arrive without adding to its total weight. The idea of the Pavilion Deck is intriguing. Enclosed by glass, it divides a casual eating and discussion space aft from a front sun and Jacuzzi zone. It may be configured for formal indoor dining or a variety of uses, such as a nightclub or conference room. From here, circular steps lead to the yacht’s imposing 10-metre mast, which is its defining feature. It does more than merely stop design; it serves a crucial technological purpose.

The mast is a component of Studio De Voogt’s chill Core Concept, which further lowers the energy required to chill the boat. Dunes are separated into temperature zones, much like a home in the desert. The communal sections are around 22–23 degrees, the sleeping quarters are cold (19–20 degrees), and the Pavilion is estimated to be 24–25 degrees. Without the use of fans or ducts, air is carried up the central stairway from other areas of the ship to chill the Pavilion, almost as if by magic. It functions because of basic physics, not magic. Convex and concave foils form a triangle that is the shape of the mast. It can align itself with the direction of the wind since it is supported by a sizable bearing ring. The somewhat overpressurized chilled air from lower decks is naturally drawn to this level since the breeze naturally creates a low-pressure zone on the leeside when it reaches the mast. Feadship estimates that the combined effects of the big overhangs, improved recirculation, and enhanced insulation throughout result in a yearly reduction of 35% in HVAC energy usage.

As they say, the wind and the energy produced by the sun or a wind turbine are both free. Engineers at Feadship created a thin, two-bladed vane that almost blends into the mast construction. With simple anchor use, this turbine can produce around 25 MWh annually. We see thin-film solar panels installed on Dunes’ foredeck. Known as solar paint, this is a relatively new technique with limited efficiency at the moment. As of right now, the impact is like a drop in the ocean. However, why not just gather it?

There is something really novel in propulsion for the first time since paddlewheels on steamships were replaced with screw-type propellers in the 1840s. Dunes presents the ABB DynafinTM, a revolutionary, highly efficient electric propulsion system that was launched in May of last year. The ABB DynafinTM, which has been under research and testing for a decade, uses spinning, vertical blades to simulate the most efficient kind of propulsion that has ever been seen—the thrust of a whale’s tail. The first prototype is expected to be on the market by 2025, and its hydrodynamic efficiency is expected to reach up to 85%, compared to the existing pod drives’ 65% or the standard propellers on shafts’ 55–60%. An outside study of an ABB DynafinTM passenger ship design with different propulsion options showed that, compared to a traditional shaft line arrangement, the propulsion system uses up to 22% less energy.

Electricity produced by similarly innovative solid oxide fuel cells that employ green methanol as a reaction agent will power the ABB DynafinTM propulsion. Hydrogen may be produced from methanol in a single process, negating the need for cryogenic storage. Feadship believes that green methanol—which is derived from non-fossil fuel sources—is the ideal fuel choice because of its convenient storage and comparatively high energy density. “We have so many power savings on Dunes that we actually need less storage volume compared to a regular diesel fuel yacht, contrary to the common assumption that using methanol means more than two times the fuel storage volume,” Senior Specialist Bram Jongepier stated.

Feadship is taking a revolutionary step towards sustainability at the outset of construction by switching to “low impact” steel and aluminium for the hulls and superstructures, which account for over half of the build’s CO2 impact. This is in addition to addressing the completed product’s operation. 50–70% less CO2 emissions may be created while producing these certified metals with the use of renewable energy and a high scrap content. Low-impact aluminum has already been included by Feadship into one vessel and is now a standard material for all upcoming new constructions.

Feadship Concept Designs are really collaborative. This, like a lot of Feadship projects, is a large team effort with coworkers from Studio de Voogt and the Knowledge & Innovation division (a total of 26 designers, experts, naval architects, modellers, and researchers) combining their areas of expertise. Additionally, as members of the Feadship group of companies, we enjoy the privilege of having direct access to the vast knowledge and experience of all 2,500 colleagues at De Voogt Naval Architects, Feadship Refit & Services, and all the engineers and craftsmen from the yards and their daughter companies. Feadship’s concept designs are only able to reach this calibre of quality because of the unwavering support, teamwork, and critical feedback of every member of Feadship.