55m aluminium superyacht concept Soana introduced by Rodriguez Design and other yacht news

We selected for you top 5 yacht stories of the last week at Yacht Harbour.

55m aluminium superyacht concept Soana introduced by Rodriguez Design

Rodriguez Design Studio in collaboration with Spanish shipyard Atollvic has presented a new 55-metre aluminium superyacht concept named Project Saona.

The exterior design of Project Saona has been described as sporty yet elegant, featuring a sharp and aggressive bow. The vessel is fitted with an oversized swim platform, beach club and foldable balconies for maximised access to the sea. 

Dedicated tender storage spacious enough to house a Williams Dieseljet 625 tender and jet skis sits forward of the beach club. The latter is also equipped with a day head and storage for diving equipment.

Other features on-board comprise a private owner’s terrace on the upper deck, large sunpads on the main deck and a large saloon flooded with natural light. A Jacuzzi with a sunpad would sit on the foredeck, shaded by carbon fibre awnings.

Project Saona would offer accommodation to up to 10 guests across five cabins, including a 60-square-metre master suite. Other cabins lay on the lower deck, with two full-beam VIPs and two doubles.

Russian billionaire’s 143m sailing yacht A spotted in Monaco harbour

Currently the 10th largest superyacht in the world and one of the most futuristic ones, the 142.8-metre sailing yacht A has been spotted in Monaco, reports The Sun. The vessel is owned by a Russian industrialist tycoon Andrey Melnichenko, whose net worth is estimated at $13.4 billion by Forbes.

Estimated at about $500 million, the yacht was built by German yard Nobiskrug in 2017.  Although her 142.8-metre LOA would give Melnichenko’s new flagship the title of largest sailing yacht in the world, many experts rather consider her more of a hybrid between the two types due to her technical classification as a sail-assisted motor yacht.

Part of the renowned A fleet, the yacht features exterior and interior designs by Philippe Starck. With masts taller than Big Ben at nearly 100 meters in height, S/Y A reaches a top speed of 20 knots without using her sails. 

S/Y A boasts a digital control system that has a touch-sensitive sheet of black glass, allowing the crew to raise and lower sails and the anchor with a simple swipe.

The vessel offers accommodation to up to 20 guests as well as a crew of 54 across her eight floors. Shrouded in secrecy throughout her build and following her delivery, very little details are known about the amenities onboard the sailing yacht. 

Is Rafael Nadal selling his 24m yacht Beethoven?

Rafael Nadal, a renowned tennis player currently ranked #2 in the men’s singles rating, is rumoured to have put his 23.5-metre MCY 76 Beethoven yacht on the market asking £2.3million, reports The Sun.

One of the world’s highest-paid athletes and the 3rd all-time leading tennis player in terms of earnings, Rafael Nadal earned $35 million in 2019 only, according to Forbes.

Delivered in the second quarter of 2016, Beethoven was penned by Italian design studio, Nuvolari Lenard. According to the market data, the price on such vessels varies between  $2.3-$2.8 million.

Propelled by MAN engines, Beethoven reaches a speed of up to 31 knots. She features a beam of 5.65 metres and a draft of 1.6 metres, able to sleep up to eight people across four bedrooms, along with a crew of 2.

Nobiskrug lays keel on 62m Project 794 by Espen Oeino

Following a successful keel laying ceremony, German yacht builder Nobiskrug has announced that its five-deck 62-metre Project 794 is on course to completion scheduled for spring 2021.The ceremony took place at Nobiskrug premises in Kiel.

With designs by renowned Espen Øino International, Project 794 benefits from multiple layers of creative detail fusing contemporary elements with classics. Expansive exterior deck spaces are paired with a generous open-plan layout, all across five luxurious levels.

Imperial acted as Broker for the sale, remaining the owner’s representative and construction supervisor throughout the entire build, forming their third collaborated yacht with Nobiskrug.

The vessel will be trademarked with the wellness area with a 7-metre glass walled pool and a large tender garage with room enough for two tenders, in addition to a rescue boat and a treasure trove of watersports toys.

Is a $450 million Leonardo da Vinci placed aboard 134m superyacht?

Sold in November 2017 at Christie’s for $450.3 million, the painting Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci has become the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. Nearly two years later, it is still unknown where the piece is located, while art market website Artnet has published an opinion piece by art dealer Kenny Schachter assuming that the painting is on-board the 134-metre superyacht Serene.

As it was first shared by The New York Times, the superyacht previously owned by Russian billionaire, Yuri Shefler, now supposedly belongs to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Reportedly, the oligarch sold his superyacht in July 2015 to Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince for $458 million. 

Built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri, at the time of her delivery, Serene was the nineth largest yacht in the world. She features exterior lines drawn by Espen Oeino and series of interior innovations by British design studio Reymond Langton.

Stretching over a beam of 18.5 meters, Serene is 6 decks tall and boasts a myriad of amenities that few five-star hotels have. One of her most noticeable features from the outside is her suppressed bathtub located aft of the sundeck. 

One of the seven pools onboard Serene, the Jacuzzi on the top deck is surrounded by lounging pad for sunbathing. Forward of the hot tub is a fully-stocked, wet bar underneath the yacht’s observational deck that features an additional set of sun loungers.

Inside, Serene incorporates a sophisticated mix of cream and dark colours with wooden fixtures. Offering views from any imaginable vantage point, Serene’s sky lounge is equipped with a myriad of sofas, chairs and coffee tables for cocktails and tea.

A more formal location designed for the entertainment of larger groups, the main lounge features white colours with dark tones. At the centre of the room is a piano with cocktail tables spread out across the room. Interestingly, this lounge sits just over the main dining room with its chandelier hanging through the two spaces and letting the music spread.